Drivetime Launches JEOPARDY!® on Drivetime, Announces $11M Series A Funding Led by Makers Fund with Participation from Amazon's Alexa Fund and Google

JEOPARDY!® is the eighth channel in Drivetime's rapidly growing lineup of interactive audio entertainment for drivers, and is the first to bring licensed intellectual property into the Drivetime mobile app. The follow-on financing comes just a year after the company raised a $4 million seed round

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Drivetime

Sep 09, 2019, 08:30 ET

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 9, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Play JEOPARDY!® While You Drive! Drivetime, the world's first entertainment company developing interactive voice games for drivers, today announced the launch of the JEOPARDY!® channel inside the Drivetime mobile app - available for download on iOS and Android. The company also announced its $11 million Series A financing, led by Makers Fund. This brings total funding to date to $15 million.

Drivetime Launches JEOPARDY!® channel, Announces $11M in Funding Led by Makers Fund with Participation from Amazon’s Alexa Fund and Google

Hosted by Alex Trebek, JEOPARDY!® on Drivetime brings the Emmy Award-winning show into the car for the first time as an interactive voice experience. Anyone who wants to feel like a JEOPARDY!® contestant has the opportunity to play, completely hands free and safely, while commuting and traveling. Drivetime Premium subscribers get a new episode every day, Monday through Friday, and can access all past episodes on demand.

"We are thrilled to work with Sony Pictures Television Games to bring JEOPARDY!®, the greatest game show on the planet, to an underserved audience that desperately needs interactive entertainment the most – the 110 million commuters in North America driving to and from work by themselves every day," said Niko Vuori, founder and CEO of Drivetime.

"Drivetime brings JEOPARDY!® and Alex Trebek into a whole new part of people's lives, turning their daily commute into a unique quiz show experience," said Paul Joffe, vice president of Games at Sony Pictures Television. "We look forward to building on JEOPARDY!®'s mobile offerings and entering the in-car entertainment space."

Fuel Capital, Webb Investment Network and Access Ventures all renewed their commitment, along with additional funding from the Amazon Alexa Fund and the Google Assistant Investments Program.

"Social and interactive formats are the next frontier in audio entertainment," said Makers Fund Founding Partner Jay Chi. "Niko, Justin Cooper and Cory Johnson, with a decade-long history of working together and a proven track record in building new platforms, is the best team to bring this idea to life."

"Gaming and entertainment are among customers' favorite use cases for Alexa, and we think those categories will only grow in popularity as Alexa is integrated into more vehicles," said Paul Bernard, director of the Alexa Fund at Amazon. "Drivetime stands out for its focus on voice-first games in the car, and we're excited to work with them to broaden the Alexa Auto experience and help customers make the most of their time behind the wheel."

Ilya Gelfenbeyn, founding lead of the Google Assistant Investments Program, added, "Drivetime is one of the early pioneers in creating safe, stimulating entertainment for drivers in the car. More and more people are using their voice to stay productive on the road, asking the Google Assistant on Android and iOS phones to help send text messages, make calls and access entertainment hands free. We share Drivetime's vision, and look forward to working with their team to make the daily commute more enjoyable."

About Drivetime
Drivetime, founded in 2018 and headquartered in San Francisco, is the world's premier company developing voice games and other interactive audio entertainment for drivers. The company's mission is to make driving delightful through interactive audio content that commuters can play safely while they are on the road. Drivetime has raised $15 million in venture funding from leading investors including Makers Fund, Amazon Alexa Fund, Google, Felicis Ventures, Fuel Capital, Webb Investment Network and Access Ventures, among others.

About Makers
A venture capital fund created to support founders by combining deep industry experience with multi-stage investment across seed to series B, Makers is dedicated to furthering growth and innovation in the global interactive entertainment industry.

About Sony Pictures Television Games
Sony Pictures Television Games is an award-winning, world-class mobile games publisher that is recognized for its premier brands including: Jeopardy!, Wheel of Fortune, and Hotel Transylvania. Most recent games include the Jeopardy! Skill on Amazon Alexa, Who Wants to be a Millionaire Mobile and Smurfs Bubble Story.

SOURCE Drivetime