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Booyah raises $20m, aims for 6m users

I've lately been guessing that Booyah might eventually hook up with Ngmoco, since they're both iPhone gaming/app companies with somewhat similar goals that could help each other out. But it looks like Booyah doesn't need any help any more -- it's just raised a whopping $20 million from investors in a new round of funding. Booyah was originally included in the iFund investment, but that contribution pales in comparison to this one, which sets Booyah up as one of the heaviest single-brand hitters in the app market.

Booyah is made up of a few ex-Blizzard developers (we interviewed CEO Keith Lee back at GDC), and the growth of its second app, MyTown, has been amazing -- a little while back, they said the app was growing by 100,000 users a week, and they're aiming to hit 6 million users by the end of the summer (presumably with a new app coming as well, not all inside just MyTown). Their user investment is huge as well -- they say that average usage of the app was over an hour a day, and they're now hitting 8.3 million virtual item impressions a day. Along with selling virtual items, they're also putting together high-profile partnerships with companies like H&M and The Travel Channel.

And they've done all of this while still standing in the shadow of more well-known check-in services like Gowalla and Foursquare. There's a heck of a lot of activity and potential coming out of Booyah, and with this big chunk of funding, they're set up to do some more amazing things with their next app. We'll have to keep an eye on them.

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I've lately been guessing that Booyah might eventually hook up with Ngmoco, since they're both iPhone gaming/app companies with somewhat...
 

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pat

I got MyTown on a lark, but it turns out to be a really addicting app. Half Monopoly, half FourSquare. I do wish it allowed location adding, but until the user base is larger limiting the number of locations makes certain in game features more significant.

Here's a Tip: Buy your local IHOP. always plenty of people checking in there. :)

May 18 2010 at 11:10 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Anthony Usher

I've heard of this as it's often advertised in the ngmoco:) We Rule game but it's still unavailable in the UK. Hopefully it'll be making an appearance soon.

May 18 2010 at 10:46 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Galley

I had never heard of MyTown before now.

May 18 2010 at 9:43 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Alex

Booyah is the superior check-in app.

Foursquare is poorly coded, boring, slow and ugly.

Every time I open it I have an issue with the app or it crashes.

Why anyone would choose Foursquare over Booyah's MyTown is beyond me.

People pick Foursquare because it has more advertising and is in the public eye more. Doesn't make it the better app.

May 18 2010 at 9:17 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Alex's comment
Ryoga Vee

Foursquare is light, easy to use and just works.
I was using Booyah. I stopped because, I hate the load times. You cant add a location, It takes over my face book page if I share my location. The app is over all too busy.

I'm not saying its bad, but for my use. I like it. and I just push updates when my friends are near by. And the badges are fun and cute.

May 18 2010 at 10:57 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
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