Outspark Raises $11M in Round Led by Tencent

Outspark has just announced the closing of an $11 million round of Series B financing led by Tencent Holdings with participation from existing investors DCM and Altos Ventures. Outspark is a publisher and operator of "free online community games," and Tencent runs China's largest Internet portal and messaging service with a robust virtual goods trade and social networking scene. So while this is a game-focused investment, it has a heavy social element. "Online gaming has become one of the most important new cultural phenomena in Asia, and we believe that PC-based online games will find a huge market here in North America as well. Outspark is off to a great start in building a strong user community with its titles," said David Wallerstein, Tencent Senior Executive Vice President of International.

The funding will go towards "growth, expansion and the enhancement of current offerings."  The company says it has already attracted more than 1 million registered users in under five months.

“It’s an exciting time for the online gaming industry as it quickly becomes mainstream entertainment,” said Susan Choe, Outspark founder and CEO. “At Outspark, our vision to provide a leading virtual playground for all gamers is rapidly gaining recognition from the gaming community. We look forward to providing even more interactive online entertainment for our growing audience.”