Money for Film Buzz Firm

Berlin-based Moviepilot, which gathers information and online 'buzz' for early-stage input to movie promotion, has raised $7m in a Series B funding round.

The round was led by DFJ Esprit, and also includes investments from T-Venture, Grazia Equity and VC Fund Creative Industries Berlin.

The firm describes itself as 'one part news and rumors site, and one part market research engine for movie studios and producers.' Users sign I with their Facebook ID, thus providing demographic information used by studios to target and fine tune their crucial pre-launch marketing.

Moviepilot CEO and co-founder Tobi Bauckhage (pictured) says the funds will help the company open an office in LA and devote more staff and resources to US sales and promotion. He comments: 'I don't know any industry that is so brutal about this first market entry phase. If you don't succeed with a movie in [the first weekend it comes out], you don't have a chance to recoup your money... Now with social networks and internet technology, you have the chance to build up over the course of months insights about who actually is interested in movies and will go on first weekends, and share news about the movies and so on.'

Web site: www.moviepilot.com .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.