SG kids advertising platform banks $10m

TotallyAwesome, a Singapore-based advertising network for kids, has raised US$10 million in seed funding from American VC firm Partners For Growth and Singaporean investment boutique Yefira Group. The financing comes in the form of combined debt and equity.

TotallyAwesome CEO Will Anstee (left) and Partners For Growth managing director Karthi Sepulohniam / Photo credit: TotallyAwesome

Established in 2015 by its British parent firm SuperAwesome, TotallyAwesome helps brands deliver marketing campaigns to minors in a safe online environment. Each month, the platform serves more than 500 million active users across Asia, all of whom are under 18 years old. Its partners include global brands like Disney, Lego, Netflix, Nintendo, DreamWorks, and Hasbro.

The company said it ensures brand safety by hiring resident psychologists and human language moderators to advise on its R&D process. It is also compliant with data privacy laws and regulations covering minors.

The firm added that it has quadrupled its revenue and doubled its team size over the past three financial years.

TotallyAwesome will use the new funds to invest in product development, hiring, and M&A. It also plans to deepen its footprint in key markets including Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, and Australia.

The investment comes weeks after the startup launched its gaming platform TotallyPlay, which allows for in-game marketing, rewards, and other customized integrations.

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According to UNICEF, there are 175,000 kids who go online for the first time every day, risking exposure to several risks such as cyberbullying, harmful content, sexual exploitation, and misuse of private information. Through its platform, TotallyAwesome seeks to address these problems and “reinvent the engagement relationship” between the advertising industry and younger audiences.