SLIVER.tv Raises $6.2 Million Seed Funding, Launches Open Beta of Groundbreaking Immersive 360° VR eSports Platform for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, League of Legends and Dota 2
Leading Silicon Valley VCs DCM Ventures, Sierra Ventures and The VR Fund Joined by Hollywood Media Investors CAA Ventures, BDMI, and Greycroft Partners to Back Next-Generation eSports Entertainment Platform
Cupertino, California(24 Aug 2016)
SLIVER.tv announced the close of a $6.2 million seed round of equity funding and the open beta launch of its eSports entertainment platform. Built with cutting-edge, patented technology, SLIVER.tv provides eSports spectators with a uniquely immersive and cinematic experience in 360° and virtual reality (VR).
SLIVER.tv was founded in Fall 2015 by successful entrepreneurs led by Mitch Liu, co-founder of Tapjoy, a leading mobile advertising company, and Gameview Studios, a mobile game studio acquired by DeNA. Its seed investors include top-tier Silicon Valley venture capital firms including DCM Ventures, Sierra Ventures, The Venture Reality Fund (VR Fund), and Japanese mobile gaming companies GREE and Colopl. Leading Hollywood media investors CAA Ventures, Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments (BDMI), Greycroft Partners, and Advancit Capital, along with Sparkland Capital and Green Pine Capital Partners also participated in the round.
SLIVER.tv Platform
The platform launches today supporting three of the largest eSports titles, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, League of Legends and Dota 2, reaching over 140 million monthly players globally. With future expansion plans, SLIVER.tv is launching its app for Android and iOS devices supporting Panorama-360 video for mobile and Google Cardboard for VR. Users can now download the app for free:
Mitch Liu, founder and CEO of SLIVER.tv, said: “We’re focused on the intersection between today’s 250 million eSports viewers and the emerging VR market. We recognized early on that the existing eSports viewing approach from the player’s point-of-view is not necessarily the best perspective for the audience. Our vision is to transform the eSports spectator experience forever.”
Patented “Virtual Camera Array” Technology and Algorithms
SLIVER.tv’s first set of patents cover the use of multiple virtual camera arrays in recording video games in fully immersive VR, especially games that don’t currently support VR. The approved patents also include the SDK and game connector modules to enable non-VR games to become VR-capable during playback, and using player and game metadata in VR environments.
The company’s “Auto Content” generation technology crawls, indexes and records over a dozen live professional tournaments and players at any given time, building up a database of top matches, players and tourneys along with unique game metadata. “Hot Spot” proprietary algorithms identify exciting moments from these matches and tournaments, and automatically create highlight reels, replays and top plays, such as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive headshots or League of Legends multi-kills. The “Special Effects” algorithm then applies slow motion, zoom-in effects, and dynamically places virtual cameras to capture the action at optimal viewing angles. The company currently generates and publishes these 360° game highlights within 12-24 hours of a match completion held anywhere in the world.
David Chao, General Partner at DCM Ventures, said: “Virtual reality has the power to create an immersive experience and bring a new dimension to spectating existing 3D games. SLIVER.tv’s platform will bridge VR and eSports in a truly unique and innovative way, and we’re excited about what the technology will bring to viewers globally.”
For more information on SLIVER.tv, visit www.sliver.tv.
About Sliver VR Technologies, Inc.
Based in Cupertino, California, SLIVER.tv is a next-generation eSports entertainment platform, founded by successful entrepreneurs led by CEO Mitch Liu. The company launched its industry-defining platform in Fall 2016 with cutting-edge, patented technology designed to provide eSports spectators with a uniquely immersive and cinematic experience in 360° and VR. Backed by top-tier Silicon Valley venture capital firms, including DCM Ventures, Sierra Ventures, The VR Fund, Colopl, and more, SLIVER.tv is on a mission to transform the interactive eSports entertainment industry. For more information, please visit www.sliver.tv.