fun-gi

fun-gi is mobile game designer and publisher.

By working with emerging brands and media outlets, it aims to maximize exposure for its games. For example, Its first partners are the stars of HGTV's most-watched show ever: Chip and Jo Gaines of "Fixer Upper." It will be launching its mobile game, "House Flip," following the premiere of "Fixer Upper" Season 4 this month.

The company believes that growing brands need a new way to capture the attention of fans—and with a smartphone in the hands of 68% of Americans, mobile games are the answer.

Already, some of TV's top brands, like Pokemon and The Walking Dead, have ventured into mobile games and apps. fun-gi is aiming to become the game development platform for brands who want to give fans a new, meaningful way to engage in brand-specific experiences.

KEY FACTS
- Exclusive partnership with Chip & Joanna Gaines, stars of HGTV's #1 show Fixer Upper, which brought in 25M viewers last season.
- Ready to soft launch 'House Flip' in December 2016, worldwide launch in January 2017.
- Scripps Networks (which owns HGTV and the Fixer Upper show), is a media partner.
- Two additional games for growing brands are in pre-production.
- The mobile app market is estimated to hit $77 billion in gross revenue by next year -- and the largest category for these apps is Games.

With its game for Chip and Jo, it's recreated the house flipping experience for mobile phones or tablets down to the smallest details -- for example, you can choose your favorite shade of paint, put up shiplap siding, and stage your houses with Magnolia Market furnishings.

The company makes money in three ways: in-app purchases, in-game sponsorships, and in-game video advertising. Its strategy for these three channels is intentional since it knows it will attract a variety of different players:

Folks who wish to be more productive or accelerate their renovations will be more inclined to make an in-app purchase, whereas folks who wish to grind and play for free will consume more in-game video advertising.

Its focus on a great branded experience also gives players the chance to interact with some of the home renovation industry’s biggest brands such as Kilz Paint or York Wallpaper. With House Flip being free to download, it wanted to make sure that there was a lot of value to play for free while at the same time creating worthwhile moments for its players to make purchases in a game they’ve come to love.

As Dave Yonamine, Founder & Chairman of MobilityWare, a leading mobile game developer, and an early investor in fun-gi, said: "Having launched our apps on the opening day of the iTunes App Store, MobilityWare has garnered over 300 million installs. Much of my time is now spent acquiring companies - which means that I look at a lot of them. While I turn down most investment opportunities, I invested in fun-gi because I was impressed by how they created a novel game with branded content. Something other companies spend millions of dollars to accomplish, Alfred has done at high quality with a lean budget."

Team Background

Alfred Fung - CEO

Prior to founding fun-gi, Alfred oversaw teams in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York for the global leader in mobile advertising: M&C Saatchi.

His game experience started at Mobile Deluxe where he managed freemium monetization and user acquisition for their casual games. All told, Alfred has launched some of the most popular brands and games in mobile.

Alfred received his MBA from USC's Marshall School of Business, and holds a BA in Philosophy from UCLA.

He's also a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer having served two separate terms in China and Palau.

Co-Investors

Dave Yonamine

Founder & Chairman of MobilityWare, a leading mobile game developer.