LOGIN
REGISTER
NEWSLETTER
RSS
SOFTWARE INDUSTRY NEWS |
Russian investor Digital Sky Technologies (DST) acquires a stake Farmville-maker Zynga |
|
|
Internet investment group Digital Sky Technologies (DST), along with other investors, has decided to pick up a stake of around $180 million in Zynga, the largest social game provider and the creator of popular Facebook game, Farmville. The consortium of investors is headed by DST with the most investment, followed by Andreessen Horowitz and Tiger Global as new investors in Zynga, and Institutional Ventures Partners, a current investor who has added to its position in the company. DST, Zynga said, would be a passive investor and would not hold a seat or have observer rights on Zynga’s board of directors. “We share in Zynga’s mission of connecting people through games and believe they are in a solid position with their team, offerings and market share to succeed in a dramatic way,” said Yuri Milner, chief executive of DST. “Our earlier investment in Facebook and now in Zynga underscores our premise that social networking and social entertainment will define the next generation of the web.” Zynga reports over 230 million monthly active players of its games, including FarmVille, Café World, Zynga Poker, Mafia Wars, YoVille, FishVille and the recently announced PetVille, which is currently the fastest growing social game online. Over a million users purchase virtual goods across Zynga games, from tractors to home decorations, accounting for 90 percent of the company’s revenue. In addition, FarmVille players recently raised over $700,000 for the welfare of children in Haiti by purchasing virtual goods in the game, the company said in its statement. Zynga's casino games, word games, board games, role playing games and party games can be found on various social networking sites including Facebook, MySpace, Bebo, Friendster, and Hi5. A statement from Zynga said a portion of the investment will be used to fuel its growth and the remainder would be used to facilitate liquidity for employees and investors. Zynga’s other major investors include Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Union Square Ventures, Foundry Group and Avalon Ventures. “Social games are enabling millions of people around the world to connect and play together everyday. We are excited about our relationship with DST as they are a global player dedicated to creating services that are meaningful to consumers in the long term,” said Mark Pincus, founder and CEO of Zynga. “The investment from DST allows us to continue delivering on the promise of social games for consumers, making fun the biggest way for people to interact.” |
LISTS AND RESEARCH
-
Global Software Top 100 - Edition 2011
- The Global Software Top 100 is a list of the world's largest software companies, ranked by annual software revenues. The list is based upon revenue information of 10,000+ IT companies worldwide.
-
Software industry trends (2011)
- This research article (accompanying the Global Software Top 100) describes changes in the software industry playing field. It analyses trends and key players and forecasts future developments.
- Top hardware companies
- A list of the world's largest hardware companies.
- What happens in the hardware industry?
- Trends and analysis of the hardware industry and its key players.
- Top IT services companies
- A list of the world's largest IT services companies, ranked by annual services revenues. This link will take you to www.servicestop100.org.
- IT services companies: healthy growth
- What is happening in the IT services industry? Read this research publication to find out about trends and key players in the IT services industry.
- Top gaming companies (2010)
- Entertainment is good business, and gaming software companies are growing faster than the rest of the software industry. This research article discusses trends and key players in the gaming business.
- Top ERP companies
- A research publication about the world's leading players in enterprise software.
- Top security software companies
- A research publication discussing the world's leading publishers of security software: antivirus-, spamfiltering-, intrusion detection- and firewall software.
- The fastest growing software companies
- This research publication reveals the fastest growing software companies in the world.
-
CRM companies: a short list
- A short list of the leading software companies selling Customer Relationship Management software; aimed at IT managers looking to purchase CRM software.
- Top software companies in the US (2010)
- A list of the largest software companies in the United States, ranked by annual software revenues. 2010 Edition, posted 15 December 2010.
- U.S. software industry trends (2010)
- A research publication discussing the trends and the key players in the software industry in the United States. Posted 15 December 2010.
- Top companies in the world (not just software)
- A general list of the largest companies in the world, ranked by revenues. Not just software companies; in fact, there are no software companies in it...
- Top IT companies
- A list of the largest IT companies in the world, ranked by annual revenues. Includes hardware, software and services.
