Type of site
|
Social discovery platform for games |
---|---|
Available in | English |
Headquarters | San Francisco, California |
Key people |
|
Employees | 20 |
Website | heyzap.com |
Launched | January 2009 |
Heyzap is a social discovery and monetization platform for mobile games and apps. Heyzap is based in San Francisco and was founded in 2009 by Jude Gomila and Immad Akhund. Since then, Heyzap has raised funding from a number of investors including Y Combinator, angel investors Naval Ravikant and Chris Dixon, the founder of del.icio.us, Joshua Schachter and Union Square Ventures. Heyzap's platform recommends mobile ads based on Heyzap's social platform data using machine-learning algorithms. Heyzap was sold in 2015 to RTNS Media for $45M.
In January 2009, Heyzap launched a widget service for embedding flash games on the web. Heyzap later launched a virtual goods platform for flash games allowing developers to insert micro-transaction systems into their games and enables the games to be monetized.
In March and April 2010, Heyzap added social games and released its Arcade Bar. Shortly after raising $3 million in funding, Heyzap announced its new Heyzap Arcade service for powering website games sections and updated API support for HTML5 games.
In March 2011, Heyzap launched a social discovery app for mobile gamers. The Heyzap app provided users with a way to check into their favorite games, discover games and join a massive community of mobile gamers. Heyzap allowed users to compete on leaderboards, challenge friends, and earn achievements and badges.
In March 2013, Heyzap announced the launch of its mobile-game focused advertising network, quickly growing to a majority of Heyzap's revenue and the primary business focus of the company. Heyzap offers multiple ad formats including interstitial, video, and cross-promotion. Additionally, Heyzap became the first mobile ad network to offer payments via the digital currency bitcoin.
As of April 2014, Heyzap claims to have been integrated into 5,000 mobile games and apps and to have a profitable business with a revenue run rate of more than $13 million.
In December, 2015, Heyzap was sold to RNTS Media for $45M.