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HK-based Ucollex Raises $10M in Funding, Led by Animoca Brands

Hong Kong-based non-fungible token (NFT) platform Ucollex closed a $10 million Series A funding round led by Animoca Brands and the MCP IPX One Fund from Japanese investment firm MCP Asset Management.

However, the company’s valuation has not been revealed.

The NFT platform focuses on art and pop culture collectables such as artist interviews, 3D art, and virtual experiences without requiring buyers to own a digital wallet.

Among Uncollex’s major success stories, it partnered with crypto exchange Binance to support the first NFT launch from luxury fashion brand Jimmy Choo last autumn.

According to Ucollex board member Roberto Grande, the latest capital will be invested in scaling operations, including platform and blockchain tech development, while also focusing on driving marketing efforts related to significant intellectual property (IP) partnerships.

Ucollex CEO Robert Tran said that ‘Collectortainment’ will be the company’s key offering “as we look to bridge the existing global fandom for pop culture collectables into the new paradigm of blockchain ownership and utility.”

Tran added that anime, toy, and pop culture illustrators will be Ucollex’s major focus for 2022 as “we believe these digital collectables are shaping the new consumer spending in a very impactful way.”

Animoca Brands co-founder and Executive Chairman Yat Siu said that “we are pleased to lead this investment, which we believe will make it easier for intellectual properties to participate in the open metaverse.”

Hong Kong-based Animoca Brands has invested in over 150 NFT-related firms and decentralized products, including Dapper Labs and Sky Mavis.

According to January 19, 2022, report by Blockchain.News, Animoca Brands raised $358.88 million from investors led by Liberty City Ventures.

The report added that with the firm now valued at $5 billion, the startup had notably doubled its value from October when it was worth $2.2 billion atop a $65 million funding.

HK-Based Hex Trust Raises $88m in Funds, Valuation Touches $300m

Hong Kong-based Hex Trust raised $88 million in Series B funding led by Animoca Brands and Liberty City Ventures, following which it saw its valuation rise to $300 million.

The company announced that other participants for the Series B funding were new investors such as Ripple, Terra, Morgan Creek and Primavera Venture Partners. While existing investors include QBN Capital, Kenetic Capital and Hashkey Capital. Adrian Cheng, CEO of New World Development, also took part in the round personally, according to the press release.

The company has planned to use the new funding to expand in Europe and the Middle East. It also plans to win additional licenses beyond its current bases in Hong Kong and Singapore.

Previously, Hex Trust raised $6 million in March 2021, according to co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Alessio Quanglini.

“Nobody’s doubting anymore that blockchain will become the new infrastructure of the financial markets,” Quaglini said in an interview with Bloomberg. “If a big chunk of financial services has to run on the blockchain, then you are sure you will need institutional players providing infrastructure for institutional investors.”

According to Bloomberg, Hex trust is applying the Wall Street formula to digital assets.

Hex Trust has built $5 billion in assets under custody from over 200 institutional clients in just four years since its establishment.

Besides custody, Hex Trust also generates revenue from trading, staking and financing services.

According to Bloomberg, a joint venture was announced by Hex Trust and Hong Kong-based Animoca Brands in November to provide wallet and financial services for gamers under Animoca properties. Quaglini said that the new company would have its own CEO and an autonomous team who would provide services to other gaming firms.

In January this year, Animoca Brands raised $358.88 million from investors led by Liberty City Ventures, Blockchain.News reported.

The report added that as the firm’s value touched $5 billion, the startup has notably doubled its value from October when it was worth $2.2 billion atop a $65 million funding. Participants in this latest funding round include 10T Holdings, C Ventures, Delta Fund, Gemini Frontier Fund, Gobi Partners Greater Bay Area, Kingsway and other companies.

Animoca Brands Soon to Acquire Australia's Be Media for Blockchain Development

Hong Kong-based Animoca Brands has announced that it will soon acquire Australian digital marketing agency Be Media to explore the opportunities centred around blockchain development in the country.

Animoca Brands said that it is advancing its digital property rights for gaming and the metaverse.

The company also announced that Be Media will be in charge of forming partnerships with major Australian Brands as Animoca Brands aims to advance the emergence of the open metaverse and deliver digital property rights to online users via blockchain and NFTs.

Be Media has already begun hiring employees for blockchain development and project management to further fine-tune the plan.

“The acquisition of Be Media will allow Animoca Brands to extend its core capabilities to support the Australian market and beyond. There are tremendous opportunities in Australia and Be Media will enhance our ability to work with companies that wish to participate in the exciting opportunities presented by the emerging open metaverse,” Yat Siu, the co-founder and executive chairman of Animoca Brands, said.

While Mr Fogarty, the founder and CEO of Be Media, said, “I couldn’t be more excited to join Yat and Animoca Brands, the dominant frontrunner in Web3 with a bold vision to help to build a truly open and decentralised metaverse. I’m honoured to have the opportunity to support cherished Australian brands who want to explore opportunities in this space and introduce their customers to the metaverse, NFTs, and the power of digital property rights.”

Established in 2013, Be Media has been active in the Web 2.0 space focusing on digital strategy, search, and social advertising.

While Animoca Brands is a leader in digital entertainment, blockchain, and gamification that is working to advance digital property rights.

The company also recently acquired French Lyon-based video game developer Eden Games, which focuses on developing racing video games.

Blockchain.News reported that Animoca Brands will leverage the capabilities and expertise of Eden Games to work on existing and new titles in the REVV Motorsport ecosystem and to bring to market a variety of new blockchain-based racing games.

The new games will offer additional use of the NFT Race Passes and the other assets obtained by swapping assets from Animoca Brands’ F1® Delta Time, which stopped operations in March 2022, the report added.

Hong Kong's MTR Becomes World's 1st Transport Operator to Enter The Sandbox Metaverse

Hong Kong’s MTR Corporation has become the first global transport operator to join The Sandbox metaverse to create new and immersive experiences in the virtual world.

The Corporation announced its partnership with The Sandbox on Thursday, April 21, and said that it will explore the metaverse and create new and immersive experiences in the virtual world.

The Sandbox is a decentralized gaming virtual world and a Hong Kong-based Animoca Brands subsidiary.

“We are excited for the strategic partnership with The Sandbox to embark on our new journey in the metaverse and engage customers in a brand-new way,” said Dr Jacob Kam, Chief Executive Officer of MTR Corporation.

The MTR Corporation plans to build a railway-focused virtual space in the metaverse to create unique immersive experiences through gamification and engage creators to collectively build this new community platform.

In a phone interview with Blockchain.News, the Corporation said that details about the future plans are yet to be released and currently the partnership is building a bigger roadmap for the coming years.

The future potential of the metaverse in enhancing Hong Kong’s transport system is also yet to explored, Blockchain.News added.

The Corporation has also acquired a plot of land in The Sandbox metaverse where the company plans to build an immersive virtual station. By doing so, the Corporation is particularly targeting to increase interaction with the younger generation through Web3 and metaverse.

The gamified virtual station will be built in replication to the physical railway environment and players will experience an MTR journey that will be more than taking a ride, the Corporation said.

“There will be endless new possibilities, including driving a train or even operating a railway station and unlocking exciting adventures in this constantly evolving space,”

The MTR also plans on building a museum and exploring ways to facilitate STEM education in the metaverse.

“There may also be a railway museum to showcase the moments that MTR intersects with the communities and cultures of Hong Kong. Meanwhile, the Corporation will explore making use of the virtual environment to facilitate STEM education,” the MTR announced.

Source: The Sandbox

“This foray into the metaverse allows us to venture into the virtual space to build a fun place to interact with our community while at the same time also seize opportunities that would add to our real-world experience beyond bounds,” Dr Kam said.

Animoca Brands deals with digital entertainment, blockchain, and gamification. The company is also working to advance digital property rights.

Recently, The Sandbox metaverse announced its negotiations with investors to raise $400 million in a new funding round.

Bloomberg reported citing anonymous sources close to the transactions, that the blockchain startup has been seeking a $4 billion valuation. The size of the offering and the market worth may change as deliberations continue

Image source: The Sandbox

MetaHollywood Aims to Become Largest Hollywood-Themed Metaverse

MetaHollywood aims to become the largest online community within a Hollywood-themed metaverse created as a joint venture by Animoca Brands and the Planet Hollywood Group.

Movie lovers, studios, and creators will be able to interact within the metaverse and it will also consist of a marketplace for digital collectables. The entire experience is powered by blockchain technology and the joint venture’s native utility token.

Planet Hollywood is the creator and worldwide developer of a consumer brand that capitalizes on the universal appeal of movies, television, sports, music and other leisure-time activities.

Animoca Brands commented on the partnership and said that ” The MetaHollywood joint venture will transform the awe-inspiring Hollywood experience into a Web3 metaverse that benefits and reaches more supporters, studios, and creators globally within a virtual environment.”

The MetaHollywood joint venture will help in the creation, ownership, interaction, distribution, and sharing of digital collectables, movies, clips, and other assets as non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

“The new platform will provide a community for collectors to own uniquely famous pieces of film history in the form of NFTs as well as to share, interact with, and experience the digital assets in a purpose-built metaverse fueled by the utility of its native token,” Animoca Brands announced.

Over 60,000 of Planet Hollywood’s iconic motion picture memorabilia encompassing all popular film genres will also be tokenised by MetaHollywood.

Planet Hollywood founder Robert Earl, said, “through MetaHollywood, we will offer utility and functionality that is unrivalled in this burgeoning sector.”

While Yat Siu, the co-founder and executive chairman of Animoca Brands, commented: “The MetaHollywood joint venture will create tremendous opportunities by leveraging Planet Hollywood’s vast network of celebrities and IPs and combining them with our industry expertise and our broad portfolio of products and companies.”

In another major partnership, Hong Kong’s MTR Corporation has joined The Sandbox – subsidiary of Animoca Brands – metaverse.

Blockchain.News reported that Hong Kong’s MTR Corporation has become the first global transport operator to join The Sandbox metaverse to create new and immersive experiences in the virtual world.

The partnership will allow the local railway company to explore the metaverse and create new and immersive experiences in the virtual world. The MTR Corporation plans to build a railway-focused virtual space in the metaverse to create unique immersive experiences through gamification and engage creators to collectively build this new community platform.

The gamified virtual station will be built in replication to the physical railway environment and players will experience an MTR journey that will be more than taking a ride, the Corporation said.

Animoca Brands' PRIMATE Token Sees Enlistment on Huobi Global

Animoca Brands announced recently that its PRIMATE Token had been listed on the Huobi Global crypto exchange for trading.

PRIMATE is the native token of Benji Bananas, a physics-based free-to-play mobile arcade game from Animoca Brands. The game has over 50 million downloads and it is connected to the ApeCoin (APE) ecosystem along with PRIMATE. The play-to-earn token has been paired with Tether (USDT).

According to Animoca Brands, Benji Bananas players can earn PRIMATE Tokens only after playing the game while owning a Benji Bananas Membership Pass NFT – which can be purchased on OpenSea, LooksRare and Rarible.

The company for digital property rights for gaming and the metaverse has also announced that PRIMATE is exchangeable on SushiSwap for ApeCoin (APE), REW, TOWER, GMEE, QUIDD, PROS, DOSE, STZ and Ether (ETH).

Benji Bananas is said to be the first provider of utility for APE. On 17 March, the first 5,000 Benji Bananas Membership Pass NFTs went on sale for 25 APE each and sold out in 2 minutes.

Crypto exchange Huobi Global is currently ranked sixth in the list of Top Cryptocurrency Spot Exchanges, according to CoinMarketCap.

In one of its recent developments, Animoca Brands unveiled its partnership with OneFootball, and Liberty City Ventures to establish OneFootball Labs as a Joint Venture between the trio.

Per the announcement, OneFootball Labs will work to bring football fans a whole new experience that is powered by blockchain technology. Riding on the broad network of Animoca Brands in the blockchain ecosystem, the new startup will “enable clubs, leagues, federations, and players to release digital assets and fan-centric experiences” on the blockchain.

While the company’s subsidiary, The Sandbox metaverse, is in negotiations with investors as it looks to raise $400 million in a new funding round.

As reported by Bloomberg, citing anonymous sources close to the transactions, the blockchain startup is seeking a $4 billion valuation. The size of the offering and the market worth may change as deliberations continue.

Animoca Brands Partners with Untamed Planet to Develop Untamed Metaverse

Hong Kong-based Animoca Brands has announced a partnership with Untamed Planet to develop and publish Untamed Metaverse, a game to help nature conservation efforts.

Untamed Planets also completed a $24.3 million Series A funding round led by Animoca Brands, one of the biggest names in the gaming and metaverse world. The company previously received seed funding from Afterpay co-founder Nick Molnar.

The announcement added that the new funding will be used in developing Untamed Metaverse in partnership with Animoca Brands and its subsidiary nWay.

Founded in 2020, Untamed Planet creates nature-based games with Web3 technology that helps in generating funds for driving conservation benefits.

Players in Untamed Metaverse can explore a digital version of the world’s wild landscapes, participate in quests, collect NFT assets and build communities of people passionate about protecting nature.

Untamed Planet claims to be building a sustainable source of donations for nature conservation while providing play-to-earn ad play-to-protect opportunities for Untamed Planet community members.

Scott Bandy, studio head of Untamed Planet, commented: “What excites me about the Untamed Planet mission is the opportunity to merge mainstream gaming with the new prospects that Web3 enables for digital ownership by players in order to drive real-world conservation – this project is epic. We couldn’t have hoped for better partners than Animoca Brands and nWay.”

Recently, Animoca Brands also unveiled its partnership with OneFootball, and Liberty City Ventures to establish OneFootball Labs as a Joint Venture between the trio.

Animoca Brands Partners with OliveX to Run Allowlist Campaign for Dustland Runner

Hong Kong-based Animoca Brands has announced a partnership with OliveX to run an allowlist campaign for Dustland Runner – the company’s move-to-earn game.

As part of the campaign, users can participate in the mint of Dustland Runner’s Operation Ape: Exclusive Access Pass NFT (“Access Pass”) through the allowlist this May.

Those who complete missions in Dustland Runner will be rewarded with DOSE, the OliveX Fitness Metaverse utility token.

Access Pass holders will gain entry to the Operation Ape mission, which offers additional awards.

According to Validity, an allowlist is a list of IP addresses or domains that are provided privileged access or treatment. It is the opposite of a blocklist, which is intended to block or restrict access. Momentranks introduces the concept of an allowlist “similar to an exclusive pre-sale. People who are interested in the project before it mints are put on a special list that guarantees them a minting opportunity, or sometimes for a reduced price. This is done before the public sale.”

Dustland Runner is the world’s first “proof of workout” audio adventure for runners. Users can earn virtual rewards by going on runs in the real world and making progress in the post-apocalyptic game setting narrative.

Virtual rewards are in non-fungible tokens and Dose tokens, which are used to upgrade and progress the adventure.

Animoca Brands said that it will receive 30 allowlist spots for each of its selected projects: The Sandbox, Benji Bananas, Crazy Defense Heroes, REVV Racing, Torque Squad, GAMEE, and MadWorld.

Last week, Animoca Brands also announced a partnership with Untamed Planet to develop and publish Untamed Metaverse, a game to help nature conservation efforts.

While in another development, Animoca Brands also unveiled its partnership with OneFootball, and Liberty City Ventures to establish OneFootball Labs as a Joint Venture between the trio, Blockchain.News reported.

Image source: Animoca Brands

HK-based Gusto Collective Raises $11m in Funding Round Led by Animoca Brands, Gaw Capital

Hong Kong-based Gusto Collective has raised $11 million in its Seed Plus funding round led by Animoca Brands and Gaw Capital.

The company plans to utilise the funds to support its geographic expansion into other parts of Asia, grow Web3 services, products and recurring-revenue product development. Other participants for the funding round include BlackPine, YCI Limited and existing shareholders ClearVue Partners.

Yat Siu, the executive chairman and co-founder of Animoca Brands, commented: “Major brands continue to increase their Web3 involvement and capabilities in order to engage with customers in the open metaverse. Gusto Collective has already proven to be adept at partnering with customers for Web3 and augmented reality services.”

Gusto Collective is Asia’s first BrandTech holding company. Founded in 2020, the company consists of four specialisms in Web3 marketing services, an augmented reality experience platform, a metahuman platform and luxury marketing services.

Following the end of this funding round, Gusto Collective has raised $23 million in cumulative external funding since launching in 2020.

Meanwhile, Animoca Brands – one of the biggest names in the gaming and metaverse world – recently announced a partnership with OliveX to run an allowlist campaign for Dustland Runner – the company’s move-to-earn game.

As part of the campaign, users can participate in the mint of Dustland Runner’s Operation Ape: Exclusive Access Pass NFT (“Access Pass”) through the allowlist this May.

Last week, Animoca Brands also announced a partnership with Untamed Planet to develop and publish Untamed Metaverse, a game to help nature conservation efforts.

Per the announcement, OneFootball Labs will bring football fans a whole new experience powered by blockchain technology. Riding on the broad network of Animoca Brands in the blockchain ecosystem, the new startup will “enable clubs, leagues, federations, and players to release digital assets and fan-centric experiences” on the blockchain.

Animoca Brands, Blowfish Studios Announces Closure of Planet Private Sale for Phantom Galaxies

Hong Kong-based Animoca Brands and Blowfish Studios announced the closure of one of the most anticipated AAA blockchain games.

The Planet Private Sale for Phantom Galaxies sold 7,734 Planets and Asteroids (“Planets”) for a total of US$19.3 million.

Holders of the Planets – which are non-fungible tokens (NFTs) – will gain in-game real estate and utility along with a regular emission of the native cryptocurrency of Phantom Galaxies.

Strategic supporters who invested in Phantom Galaxies during the Planet Private Sale included Sequoia China, Liberty City Ventures, GameFi Ventures, Everest Ventures Group, Terrace Tower Group, MDDN Co (Joel and Benji Madden), C Ventures, SMO Capital, Polygon Ventures, Dapper Labs, NFT Live + Cagyjan, Kingsway, 3Commas Capital, Double Peak, Mind Fund, Defi Cap, and others.

Phantom Galaxies is an open-world mech combat game, currently in Alpha, developed by Blowfish Studios.

According to Animoca Brands, the game’s blockchain-based AAA game titles will appeal to both traditional gaming enthusiasts and Web3 natives.

Currently, only three of the four episodes of the Alpha version are available. The access to the Beta launch is expected to occur in Q3 2022.

Animoca Brands said, “there are currently over 125,000 users actively playing the Alpha version of Phantom Galaxies and over 500,000 owners of the NFTs granting access to the Alpha game.” Over 1,700 ETH have been generated by these NFTs in OpenSea.

Planets represent Phantom Galaxies’ user-ownable real estate.

Each Planet will have designated coordinates within the game universe and will have uniquely designed random traits, according to Animoca Brands. Furthermore, owners will be able to monetize Planets by building structures, such as marketplaces and hangars, as well as choosing their Planet’s governance system.

Blowfish Studios is a subsidiary of Animoca Brands. The Sydney-based developer and publisher of high-quality multi-platform games, including Qbism, Siegecraft, Morphite, Projection: First Light, and Storm Boy.

The company’s current projects under development include Phantom Galaxies, MotoGP™ Ignition, and Aradena Battlegrounds.