Battle Bears studio SkyVu has raised its first round of VC funding, securing backing from Nextview Ventures, Great Oaks Venture Capital and Nebraska Angels.

However, the round was led by Lightbank - an investment fund that usually focuses on early-stage technology companies - marking the firm's first investment in the mobile gaming scene.

Pedal to the metal

Under the terms of the investment, Lightbank partner Paul Lee – who invested in Greystripe, Bigpoint and Trion while working for NBCUniversal's Peacock Equity Fund – will join SkyVu's board of directors.

Lee Hower, a partner at NextView Ventures, will also join SkyVu's board as an observer.

As for the investment itself, SkyVu plans to use its new capital to ramp up its marketing and user acquisition efforts.

It's worth noting here that the Battle Bears series as a whole has, to date, amassed more than 18 million downloads.

Moving on up

Furthermore, SkyVu plans to open a new office in the San Francisco Bay Area, which will act as a satellite to its existing building in Omaha, Nebraska.

"Our mission has always been to entertain the world with our very own games and timeless characters," explained SkyVu CEO Ben Vu.

 

"Lightbank has created widely successful companies with thousands of employees worldwide. Their network and expertise will be invaluable to our growth.

"We're fortunate to have created a successful portfolio of games with many games and brands still to come and now is the time to step on the gas."