Mobile apps to hit >$70B revenue driven by explosion of diversity

Digi-Capital, an investment bank for mobile apps and games, has just published its Mobile Apps Investment Review Q1 2014 (www.digi-capital.com/reports). Commenting on the Review, DigiCapital Managing Director Tim Merel said:

“Everyone knows that mobile apps are hot, and that games have taken the lion’s share of revenue so far. We think the balance is going to change, with other app categories using new approaches to win. We’re already seeing SaaS-like App as a Service models emerging, and we can’t wait to see what happens next.

We forecast that mobile apps could reach >$70B revenue globally, with non-games apps to double revenue share from 26% to 51% by 2017 (61.3% CAGR 13-17F).

Dramatic mobile app usage growth is disrupting incumbents, with mobile usage having grown 5x in 4 years to ~20% of media consumption last year (50% CAGR 09-13).

The Digital Capitalist has moved to www.digi-capital.com in the "Blog" section 

The 2014 Global Games Investment Review and the 2014 Mobile Apps Investment Review (and all future updates) are now available there.

Digi-Capital Global Games Investment Review 2013 – Q2 Update

Mobile has fundamentally disrupted the games market

Investment bank Digi-Capital has published the Q2 2013 Update to its Global Games Investment Review (free Executive Summary at www.digi-capital.com).

Commenting on the Review, Digi-Capital Founder Tim Merel said,

“Mobile has fundamentally disrupted the games market across sectors globally.

Mobile internet is the most disruptive technology today. Mobile internet could create up to $11 Trillion in value globally by 2025 (across all industries, not just games), built on a well developed mobile tech stack. Mobile internet connected devices, mobile broadband subscriptions, mobile data usage and mobile apps growth are driving disruption across all tech related markets. For games, the transition to free-to-play and communal gameplay is changing sector dynamics, delivering  up to 10x-20x revenue uplifts for market leaders.

Digi-Capital Global Games Investment Review Q1 2013 Transaction Update

The Connected Games Investment Gap

Games investment bank Digi-Capital has published the Q1 2013 Update of its Global Games Investment Review.

Commenting on the Q1 2013 Update, Digi-Capital Managing Director Tim Merel said, “The top line is that there is a significant connected games investment gap, despite strong underlying growth, exits and returns. It’s something we’re looking at very closely.

As we anticipated, the games investment market showed clear signs of transition in Q1 2013. Connected games revenue continues to grow across mobile and online, with the highest growth in high engagement mobile/tablet games. The games investment market stabilised to levels similar to 2012 after last year’s dramatic decline, with mobile/tablet and enabling tech/gamification dominating. Games M&A was similarly robust compared to 2012’s record, with non-US acquirers accounting for 6 of the top 10 games M&As to date this year.

Digi-Capital Global Games Investment Review 2013

Games Investment Market Transition in 2013

Digital investment bank Digi-Capital has published its Global Games Investment Review 2013.

Commenting on the Review, Digi-Capital Managing Director Tim Merel said, “The games investment market is in transition in 2013.

Online/mobile games continue to deliver strong growth and returns. Online/mobile games could grow total video games market size to $83B and take >55% revenue share at $48B in 2016F (12.2% CAGR 12F-16F). Games market M&A + IPO returns delivered > 6x investment value return on investment (ROI) between 2005 and 2012. Games IPOs have followed a 2 year cycle since 2005, with potential in 2013/2014 after no substantial games IPOs in 2012.

Global Games Investment Review Q3 2012 Transaction Update - Games M&A beats all records

Digital investment bank Digi-Capital has just published the Q3 Transaction Update of its Global Games Investment Review 2012.

Commenting on the Update, Digi-Capital Managing Director Tim Merel said “Games M&A for 2012 is at a run rate 40% higher than 2011 (the previous record year), having delivered 105% of the transaction value of all of 2011 by the end of Q3 2012. As we anticipated, 6 of the 10 largest games M&A transactions to Q3 2012 were made by Chinese, Japanese and South Korean acquirers. The broader games investment and M&A trends from H1 2012 have continued through Q3 2012, with new emerging trends which could be borne out during Q4. Our prediction that the Zynga IPO might have been the high water mark for Social Games 1.0 investment has been validated, with the VC market moving sharply away from that sector. For public companies, the Update also details how companies in some sectors and geographies are trading at 12 month highs, while others are not enjoying the same level of appreciation by investors. The combination of accelerating M&A, changing investment and valuations has seen an acceleration in our Strategic Review and transactional work for games companies, including strategic pivots across sectors/geographies, sell and buy side M&A, and fundraising/investment to accelerate growth.

Digi-Capital Global Games Investment Review 2012 – Q2 Transaction Update

ConsolidationVille gets bigger, faster

This article first published in GamesBeat, GamesIndustry International and PocketGamer in July 2012.

Digital investment bank Digi-Capital has just published the Q2 Transaction Update of its Global Games Investment Review 2012.

As anticipated when the Review was published earlier in the year, 2012 is proving to be a bumper year for games M&A globally. Although we are only 6 months into 2012, games M&A has already reached 88% of the transaction value of all of 2011 (the previous record year). The first half of the year has also borne out our prediction that the Zynga IPO might be the high water mark for Social Games 1.0 investment. More than ever, now looks like the time for strong independent and larger, more established games companies to consider their strategic options.