Interactive TV platform Hopster has started the new year by announcing a “multi-million” funding round that will see the startup continue its growth and international expansion.
The London-based business has built an app that streams children’s TV shows and has educational games built around the content.
TV shows on the platform include Bob the Builder, Paddington Bear and Babar. The service is ad-free and designed to be used by children with no external support.
Solid 2014
The investment is led by Sandbox Partners and comes only months after Hopster announced a seed round that included TV presenter Davina McCall.
Since launching in December 2013, Hopster has recorded over 200,000 downloads from UK families and secured an App Store ‘Best of 2014’ award. The last quarter of 2014 also saw Hopster expand to smart TVs and set-top boxes, announcing a series of major deals with Freesat, EE TV, Samsung, and Panasonic.
The business will use the investment to rollout new features, acquire new TV shows and continue its international expansion. In late 2014 it moved into Ireland, its first country outside of the UK.
“Having known Nick and being involved in Hopster from the very start, watching its progression and how he brought a strong team together, it was a no brainer for us, being focused on playing at the intersection of media and learning, that we would start our journey by backing Hopster,” explained Sandbox Partners CEO and cofounder Bhav Singh.