Discovery Bay Games, a US-based accessory developer for technology company Apple’s iOS mobile phone operating system, has closed its $15m series B round led by games peripheral maker Logitech, founded by coincidence in Apples in Switzerland, and venture capital firm Trilogy Equity Partners.
Joining Logitech and Trilogy in participation were Greg Maffei of Aspen Grove Capital, a number of Seattle investors, and existing investors, according to news provider TechCrunch.
Discovery plans to use the funding to expand its new business model by developing and launching a new range of games. Since December 2010, the Seattle-based firm has developed “Duo” games products for Apple smartphones and tablets, which are a mixture of app and accessory.
Prior to swapping to apps and accessories, Discovery attracted $2.5m from private investors in 2009 for board game development, according to news provider BizJournals.
The company has worked with household gaming names such as Atari, Gameloft, and Hit Entertainment. Discovery plans to work with their existing partners as well as seeking out new opportunities moving forward.
Mike Sievert, chief executive officer of Discovery, said: “When I joined the company earlier this year, I knew we needed to enlist the right partners to help grow it, and we found them. With the help of Trilogy and Logitech, we have the opportunity to lead a new market, centred on making gaming experiences for [Apple’s] iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch even better.”
Guerrino De Luca, executive chairman of Logitech, added: “As a global leader in PC [personal computer] gaming, we understand the magnitude of the opportunity in gaming devices for tablets and mobile phones. We are excited to support Discovery Bay Games as they develop new products in this emerging category.”
Discovery started out in 2006 making traditional board games, including the Noodle Your IQ series, Simplexity, and a board game based on the long-running weekly US comedy show Saturday Night Live.