Hearo.Live, an online platform where viewers can watch videos and esports in online virtual rooms, has launched its open beta after raising $1.8M USD in funding. The virtual rooms allow users to watch videos, streams, and live events while being able to voice chat in real-time.
“With esports today, game companies have created football,” Edward Lerner, CEO of Hearo.Live, said in an interview with GamesBeat. “The audience is left out. We are creating the football stadium.”
Investments in Hearo.Live have come from a myriad of people in the space including angel investors and others. 500 Startups, Harmonix creative director Alex Rigopulos, and angel investors Michael Dornbrook, Tim Chae, Ross Koningstein, Charles Martin, Richard Melmon, and Gady Nemirovsky have all made investments.
Lerner is a video game industry veteran, having worked as director of engineering on the PlayStation 4 for Sony, and serving as CTO at The Sims maker Maxis, an Electronic Arts studio. He also co-founded Looking Glass Technologies (System Shock, Ultima Underworld), and Multitude, makers of Fire Team, an early PC MOBA title.
