Sony Leads New Funding Round for Hopster

Hopster has completed a new growth capital round led by Sony Pictures Television Networks (SPTN), which is already a strategic equity investor in the edutainment app for preschoolers.

SPTN is supporting Hopster’s growth with an additional equity investment in a multi-million-dollar round that also included existing contributors VentureFounders and the Angel CoFund. SPTN initially took a minority stake in Hopster in October 2016 and holds a seat on the company’s board.

Nick Walters, the CEO and founder of Hopster, commented: “We created Hopster because we saw technology as an opportunity to make screen time a win-win for kids and parents. Over the years we’ve stayed faithful to our mission, to help kids learn through the content they love, and our latest investment from Sony Pictures Television Networks is proof that we’re on the right path. We will use our latest funding to keep doing what we pledged: provide a safe, ad-free and nurturing digital environment for preschoolers.”

Kate Marsh, the executive VP of Sony Pictures Television’s Western Europe international networks division, added: “We recognize digital is a crucial element to our business, particularly in the kids’ market where tablets are the choice of device for our audience. Investing in Hopster complements our growing kids’ portfolio.”