Animoca Brands acquires Australian digital marketing agency Be Media

Animoca Brands has acquired Australian digital marketing agency Be Media to focus on key opportunities in Australia centered around blockchain development. After the acquisition, Be Media will spearhead partnerships with major Australian brands as Animoca Brands pursues the goals of advancing the emergence of the open metaverse and delivering digital property rights to online users via blockchain and NFTs. 

Jordan Fogarty, founder and CEO of Be Media, will retain a significant minority ownership and continue his role as CEO of the acquired entity with responsibility for all business operations. Fogarty is an early investor and supporter of Animoca Brands. He has previously served on the board of OliveX Holdings, the fitness metaverse company created and spun out by Animoca Brands. Animoca Brands said that the acquisition of Be Media will allow it to extend its core capabilities to support the Australian market and beyond. "There are tremendous opportunities in Australia and Be Media will enhance our ability to work with companies that wish to participate in the exciting opportunities presented by the emerging open metaverse," said Yat Siu, co-founder and executive chairman of Animoca Brands. 

Fogarty added, "I couldn’t be more excited to join Siu and Animoca Brands, the dominant frontrunner in Web3 with a bold vision to help to build a truly open and decentralised metaverse. I’m honoured to have the opportunity to support cherished Australian brands who want to explore opportunities in this space and introduce their customers to the metaverse, NFTs, and the power of digital property rights."

Be Media was founded in 2013 and is focused on digital strategy, search, and social advertising. The company has offices across Perth, Sydney, and Melbourne, and  clients including Audi, HarleyDavidson, and Finbar.

"When I started Be Media in 2013, I did so based on the power of digital to create massive and scalable impact. The ways in which we create that impact have evolved and been refined over the last eight years, and now by becoming a part of the Animoca Brands family we will be able to make that impact global and lasting," Fogarty added. 

Animoca Brands has been expanding its global footprint in recent months. In February, it began its operations in Japan after completing a raise of ¥1.1 billion (approximately US$10 million) of funding in its seed round. In January 2022, Animoca Brands Japan closed a seed round of ¥1.1 billion (approximately US$10 million). Animoca Brands Japan will use the new capital to expand its business in Japan with the goal to enhance the reach of Japanese IP globally.

Animoca Brands Japan is based in Tokyo's Minato Ward and led by representative director Motoki Tani. Before being named representative director for Animoca Brands Japan, Motoki was managing director and senior portfolio manager of Millennium Capital Management, where he was responsible for Japan Macro Strategy Investment. Prior to joining Millennium Capital Management, Motoki headed Yen Bond Trading at JP Morgan.

Its subsidiary The Sandbox also added eight partners in Hong Kong to create its cultural hub Mega City. To go with the announcement, the company launched a new LAND sale on 13 January, allowing players to purchase spots near the LANDs of the new partners.

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