Loading organizations...
§ Private Profile · New York, New York 10018, USA
PreShow is a company.
PreShow has raised $3.0M across 1 funding round.
Key people at PreShow.
PreShow has raised $3.0M in total across 1 funding round.
PreShow builds an attention exchange platform, allowing brands to engage consumers by offering in-game virtual currency for viewing branded content. Its core product quantifies direct consumer attention, enabling gamers to unlock value within their digital environments. This model redefines how advertising is delivered and consumed in the gaming ecosystem.
Founded by Stacy Spikes, a co-founder of MoviePass, PreShow emerged from the insight that consumer attention is a valuable asset exchangeable for tangible benefits. Spikes initially tested this with free movie attendance, later adapting the concept for the digital gaming landscape. His prior experience in consumer-incentive models shaped PreShow’s approach.
PreShow primarily serves the gaming community, providing players a way to earn in-game currency through focused interaction with brand messages. The company envisions establishing consumer attention as a directly transactional asset, fostering a symbiotic relationship between brands and audiences. Its mission is to make advertising an elective and valuable experience.
PreShow has raised $3.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $3.0M Seed in April 2021.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 29, 2021 | $3M Seed | Harlem Capital | BK Fulton, Monroe Harris, Canaan Partners, Front ROW Fund, ROC Fund, Wavemaker Partners | Announced |
Key people at PreShow.
PreShow has raised $3.0M in total across 1 funding round.
PreShow's investors include Harlem Capital, BK Fulton, Monroe Harris, Canaan Partners, Front Row Fund, ROC Fund, Wavemaker Partners.
PreShow Interactive is a mobile app that enables gamers to earn in-game currency by watching ads, using patented proprietary technology to integrate rewards seamlessly without interrupting gameplay.[2][7] Founded by former MoviePass CEO Stacy Spikes, it targets gamers across consoles, PCs, and VR, solving the problem of costly in-game purchases by letting users convert time and attention into free currency for over 20,000 popular games.[2][7] The company pivoted from a movie theater ad model during the pandemic, raised $3 million in seed funding led by Harlem Capital (with investors like Canaan Partners and Wavemaker Ventures), and launched in beta with strong early momentum.[2][7]
Stacy Spikes, a film marketing executive, producer, and founder of the Urbanworld Film Festival, co-founded and led MoviePass, pioneering subscription-based movie ticketing with location-based payment tech in 2012.[2][3] PreShow emerged as his next venture, initially conceived as an ad-supported platform for movie theaters to enhance pre-show experiences.[2][3] The 2020 pandemic forced theaters to close, prompting a swift pivot to gaming, where Spikes saw parallels in delivering entertainment value.[2] This shift proved successful: PreShow Interactive closed its $3M seed round in 2021 and entered beta, driven by Spikes' vision to "sell dreams" by making entertainment accessible and fun.[2][7]
PreShow rides the wave of ad-supported gaming monetization, a trend exploding with free-to-play models and in-app economies valued in billions, accelerated by mobile and cross-platform gaming growth.[7] Timing aligns with post-pandemic shifts from theaters to digital entertainment, where ad tech fills revenue gaps left by disrupted experiences like cinema preshows.[2][4] Market forces favoring it include rising gamer demand for non-intrusive rewards amid inflation-pressured spending, plus ad platforms' maturity for targeted, high-engagement delivery.[7] PreShow influences the ecosystem by challenging paywalls in gaming, potentially inspiring hybrid ad-reward systems and boosting accessibility for underserved gamers.[2]
PreShow is poised for expansion beyond beta, targeting full launch across major platforms with its $3M runway to scale user acquisition and game partnerships.[2][7] Trends like Web3 gaming integrations, AI-personalized ads, and VR/AR growth could amplify its model, while competition from established reward apps will test its proprietary edge. Its influence may evolve from niche innovator to ecosystem player, empowering creators and gamers—much like MoviePass disrupted theaters—by blending ads with joy in an attention economy.[2] This positions PreShow to redefine "earn while you play," sustaining Spikes' legacy of visionary entertainment access.[7]
