Pocket Gamer Connects London 2019 will take place on January 21st to 22nd. To give you a taste of what to expect, we'll regularly be publishing interviews with the speakers at the show.

For more details on PGC London and to book a ticket, head to the website here.

In today's Speaker Spotlight we're talking to Drake Star Partners partner Michael Metzger, who will offer his expertise on our panel entitled 'Funding The Next Top Grossing Gaming Companies'.

Metzger is a partner at Drake Star Partners, a global media and tech investment bank, and provides M&A and financing advisory services to media, internet and tech companies.

Previously, Metzger was a senior banker at Houlihan Lokey’s TMT group, principal at MESA Global, co-founder and Principal at Covert & Co, and held senior management and engineering positions at AT&T, IBM and Mindspeed.

Michael holds five patents in the field of communications and he also serves as a board director of the German American Business Association (GABA) and as a vice-chair of the Southern California Chapter.

Metzger received an MSEE from University of Ulm, Germany and an MBA from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Anderson School of Management.

PocketGamer.biz: Could you tell us a bit about the company?

Michael Metzger: Drake Star Partners is a global media/tech investment bank with over 85 professionals across the US, Europe and Asia.

What does your role entail?

Focus on M&A and growth stage financings in the digital media and gaming space

Why did you want to work in the games industry?

It's fun!

What advice would you give to anyone looking to get into it?

Just do it!

What are your thoughts on the industry in the last 12 months?

Continued consolidation.

What major trends do you predict in the next 12 months?

The rise of mobile subscription services.

How has the games industry changed since you first started?

Yes, at time games were only distributed on console and PC. Now mobile is the largest segment.

Which part of the Connects event are you most looking forward to and why?

Meeting CEOs of interesting games companies.

Find out more about Pocket Gamer Connects London 2019 on the website.