Edinburgh, Scotland, 17^th January, 2024 – Build A Rocket Boy, a leading independent gaming and entertainment company, has today announced that it has closed on an over £86.80 ($110 million) Series D fundraising round. The new capital will enable Build A Rocket Boy to launch its three flagship products: immersive gaming and entertainment open world platform EVERYWHERE, AAA game series MindsEye, and suite of easy-to-use UGC design tools called ARCADIA. The Company is led by video game industry veteran Leslie Benzies. Build A Rocket Boy plans to launch the highly anticipated EVERYWHERE and the first episode of MindsEye in the near future.

The round was led by RedBird Capital Partners, a private investment firm with an extensive track record investing in the media & entertainment, sports and experiential consumer ecosystems. Julia Wittlin, a Partner at RedBird Capital, will join Build A Rocket Boy’s board of directors. The financing round also had strong support from existing and new investors, including Galaxy Interactive, NetEase Games, Endeavor, Alignment Growth, Woodline Partners LP, GTAM Partners, and others.

Leslie Benzies, Founder and Chairman of Build A Rocket Boy said:

“We are excited to partner with RedBird and our other investors to help us launch EVERYWHERE, MindsEye, and what we believe will be game-changing UGC design tools in ARCADIA. RedBird’s expertise in building successful entertainment and media platforms will be invaluable and makes them a perfect partner. I started Build A Rocket Boy so that I could continue to share the stories I love with players and give them a place to create and share. We believe in a future where game creation is put in the hands of the players, and we will empower them with the tools to help shape this vision with us.”

Julia Wittlin, Partner at RedBird Capital leading the firm’s emerging growth investing strategy added:

“We are pleased to partner with and support exceptional talent like Leslie and the Build A Rocket Boy team as they build the next genre-defining game studio and entertainment platform. RedBird’s investment portfolio in media, entertainment, sports and experiential consumer enables a differentiated perspective on the gaming industry and its convergence with other forms of interactive entertainment.” 

About Build A Rocket Boy 

Build A Rocket Boy is an independent game developer and publisher, headquartered in Edinburgh Scotland, with operations in Budapest Hungary and recently opened offices in Montpellier France. Led by game developer Leslie Benzies, Build A Rocket Boy’s team includes hundreds of the industry’s brightest development talents with the shared vision to create new and innovative entertainment experiences. 

MindsEye is a highly anticipated AAA, story-driven game set at a critical moment in humankind’s development, exploring key societal issues around increasing inequality, the explosion of artificial intelligence, the rise of military robots and the impending climate crisis. 

EVERYWHERE is a multi-world game experience that blurs the line between reality and the digital world. It is a world of endless possibilities, where anyone can be someone and life has no boundaries. It’s a player-first platform with multi and single-player gaming experiences and best-in-class UGC tools set to reimagine the video game creator economy.  

About RedBird Capital Partners

RedBird Capital Partners is a private investment firm that builds high-growth companies and provides strategic capital solutions to founders and entrepreneurs. The firm currently manages approximately $10 billion in assets on behalf of a global group of blue chip institutional and family office investors. Founded in 2014 by Gerry Cardinale, RedBird integrates sophisticated private equity investing with a hands-on business building mandate that focuses on three core industry verticals – Media & Entertainment, Sports & Experiential Consumer and Financial Services.  Throughout his 30-year investment career, Cardinale has partnered with founders and entrepreneurs to build some of the most iconic growth companies in their respective industries. For more information, please go to www.redbirdcap.com.