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$184 MILLION INVESTED IN 23 VIRTUAL WORLDS-RELATED COMPANIES IN Q1 2008

April 22, 2008 - Austin, Texas -- Virtual Worlds Management, the leading virtual worlds trade media company, has announced findings from a comprehensive study of accountable transactions showing that venture capital and media firms have invested more than $184 million dollars in 23 virtual worlds related companies during the first quarter of 2008. $184,180,000 was invested in 23 virtual worlds-related companies throughout the first quarter with participation from many more VC firms and angel investors. As we've already noted, the youth market is heating up, and the investments show the same theme: 8 investments were made in youth-oriented virtual worlds for a total of over $16 million. Mirror Worlds and mixed realities also saw a significant, though more concentrated, interest with three investments totaling over $15 million. VWM produces the annual Virtual Worlds Expo taking place September 3-4, 2008 in Los Angeles and Virtual Worlds London taking place October 20-21, 2008 in London.

Virtual Worlds News has the analysis here: http://www.virtualworldsnews.com/2008/04/virtual-world-8.html

Virtual Worlds Related Companies Funded During Q1 2008
Editors Note:  News Story column links to a full article about the company
 
Company Segment Amount Named Investors News Story
9You Virtual World/Casual Games $100,000,000 Temasek Holdings http://www.virtualworldsnews.com/2008/03/9you-gets-100m.html
C3L3B Digital Stealth $3,000,000 (may have totalled $4m) BlueRun Ventures http://www.virtualworldsnews.com/2008/01/c3l3b-digital-g.html
Chapatiz Youth World $530,000 Angel Investors http://www.virtualworldsnews.com/2008/03/french-virtual.html
Dizzywood Youth World $1,000,000 Shelby Bonnie and Charles Rivers Ventures http://www.virtualworldsnews.com/2008/02/dizzywood-gets.html
EveryScape Mirror World $7,000,000 Dace Ventures, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Draper Fisher New England, Draper Atlantic and LaunchPad Venture Group http://www.virtualworldsnews.com/2008/03/interview-every.html
Fix8 Avatar Content $2,000,000 SK Telecom http://www.virtualworldsnews.com/2008/04/fix8-announces.html
FlowPlay Youth World $3,700,000 Intel Capital and Ambient Sound Investments http://www.virtualworldsnews.com/2008/02/casual-game-wor.html
Fluid Entertainment Youth World $3,200,000 Trinity Ventures http://www.virtualworldsnews.com/2008/03/fluid-entertain.html
Gaia Online Youth World Undisclosed, part of a $12M round Time Warner http://www.virtualworldsnews.com/2008/01/time-warner-inv.html
Gizmoz Avatar Creation $6,500,000 DoCoMo Capital, Inc., and ngi group, inc. http://www.virtualworldsnews.com/2008/03/avatar-company.html
Handipoints Youth World 800,000 Charles Rivers Ventures and Angel Investors http://www.virtualworldsnews.com/2008/03/handipoints-rec.html
IGA Worldwide Advertising Network Almost $5,000,000 Translink Capital, Presidio STX, LLC (a subsidiary of Sumitomo Corporation), and ITOCHU Corporation http://www.virtualworldsnews.com/2008/01/iga-gets-5m-fro.html
IGG, Inc. MMORPG Provider $4,500,000 IDG Technology Venture Investment http://www.virtualworldsnews.com/2008/01/igg-gets-45mm-i.html#more
iOpener Mixed Reality $6,000,000 Triangle Venture Capital http://www.virtualworldsnews.com/2008/02/iopener-gets-6m.html
Kadoink Middleware $7,000,000 Sutter Hill Ventures http://www.virtualworldsnews.com/2008/01/telephony-and-w.html
Metaversum Mirror World "a significant multi-million-Euro investment"  Balderton Capital http://www.virtualworldsnews.com/2008/04/metaversum-take.html
Numedeon Portfolio of Virtual Worlds Approximately $1,000,000 BankInter's Venture Capitol Group and Angel Investors http://www.virtualworldsnews.com/2008/04/numedeon-closin.html
Outspark Publisher and Operator $11,000,000 Tencent Holdings, DCM, and Altos Ventures http://www.virtualworldsnews.com/2008/01/outspark-raises.html
ROCKETON Youth World $5,800,000 D. E. Shaw Group http://www.virtualworldsnews.com/2008/02/rocketon-draws.html
Simmersion Holdings Platform 1,900,000 Blue Cove Ventures http://www.virtualworldsnews.com/2008/03/simmersion-hold.html
Sparkplay Media  Casual MMO/World with Games $4,250,000 Redpoint Ventures and Prism Ventureworks http://www.virtualworldsnews.com/2008/02/sparkplay-gets.html
Unisfair Virtual Events Platform $10,000,000 Norwest Venture Partners and Sequoia Capital http://www.virtualworldsnews.com/2008/01/unisfair-gets-1.html
YOOWALK Adult World Undisclosed CITA Gestion and Angel Investors http://www.virtualworldsnews.com/2008/02/cita-gestion-in.html
TOTAL: $184,180,000

Source:  Virtual Worlds Management

About Virtual Worlds Management

Virtual Worlds Management is the leading virtual worlds trade media company. Virtual Worlds Management provides comprehensive media and events including Virtual Worlds Expo (September 3-4, 2008 in Los Angeles), Virtual Worlds London (October 20-21, 2008), the recently held Virtual Worlds Conference (April 3-4, 2008 in New York), Virtual Worlds Weekly email newsletter and the www.VirtualWorldsNews.com trade news blog. More information about Virtual Worlds Management can be found at http://www.VirtualWorldsManagement.com .

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