VirtTrade expands to become Independent Publisher eyeing $5 Billion CCG and Collectible Market with Proprietary Mobile Platform.
VirtTrade, a leading developer of gamified collecting & trading apps, is pleased to announce a 3-year partnership with Discovery Global Enterprises, the licensing arm of Discovery Communications. The first of two apps, ‘Discovery Card Quest’ is now available on Apple’s App Store and Google Play. A second app, ‘Animal Planet’ is due to launch in 2018.
The partnership with Discovery Global Enterprises marks VirtTrade’s first foray into independent publishing. Backed by VirtTrade’s proprietary technology, fans are now able to collect and trade digital assets (such as virtual cards), with anyone in the world at any time. This capability is amplified by games and features that enhance a collector’s journey with a more engaging user experience, beyond the restrictions of physical collecting.
Founded with VC funding from Mercia Technologies in 2012, VirtTrade began by powering Panini’s apps for NFL and NBA. With the key appointments of Nick Wheelwright as Executive Chairman in spring 2016, Paul Mayze as Managing Director in March 2017, and Ross Walker as Chief Commercial Officer since October 2014, the company has begun its transition to becoming a full-service publisher. The opportunity is to play a lead role in the fast-growing physical and digital collectibles market, worth over 5 billion dollars annually.
Discovery Card Quest, the first independent release by VirtTrade, launches on 5th December, 2017, with all the topics and content representative of Discovery Channel and a family friendly environment in which to collect, trade, battle and play with friends.
Over the next six months, the company expects to announce partnerships with further well-established IP owners and introduce new key features to enhance the collector experience. VirtTrade’s core platform is highly transferrable between different IPs ensuring a quick turn-around on each project while providing unique experiences tailored to each IP and its audience.
