NorthStar Equity backs gaming platform

NorthStar Equity Investors (NSEI), the UK venture capital firm specializing focused on North East England, has led a €2.1m funding round into gaming software outfit Antix Labs.

Investing alongside Hotspur Capital, a regionally-focused investor syndicate, and Antix founder and CEO, Francis Charig, NorthStar has drawn from its Co-Investment Fund (CoIF), a £30m vehicle aimed at high growth tech companies.

Antix specializes in portable gaming – its software platform, the Antix Game Player lets users play and share games across a range of different devices, from mobile phones to PCs. The player was developed two years ago and is set to be launched in mobile handsets later this year with a number of handset manufacturers, including Motorola. It is now working with numerous games developers and publishers.

Founder and CEO Francis Charig said: “At present, while consumers can buy and then share music and video, they can’t do that with games unless their friends are using an identical device. It’s an unnecessary restriction that limits the industry’s growth, something addressed by the Antix Game Player. In other words, we make games as portable as music and video.”

Alasdair Greig, investment manager at NSEI said: “The Antix Game Player is an innovative and differentiated product with considerable market pull and a clear potential to transform the mobile games industry. With a strong board and highly experienced management, a world class engineering team and protected IP, we have every confidence that Antix will continue to build on its achievements to date. This new funding gives the business a healthy working capital in readiness for the launch of the product in the mainstream consumer market.”