Sydney startup Livewire’s US focus is ramping up with RealVC founder Matt Berriman joining the 4-year-old martech CEO and executive chair, having recently relocated to New York for the role.
He’s not the only one crossing the Pacific. Livewire cofounder Brad Manuel is also moving to Los Angeles to capitalise on opportunities with entertainment studios, after the startup delivered successful campaigns for horror film Talk To Me and the Amazon holiday hit Red One.
The gaming marketing startup develops integrated gaming marketing solutions for advertising agencies and brands. Its clients have included Uber, Samsung, Maybelline, Amazon, Binge, Amazon, the NBL, and Warner Music Australia.
The company now operates in North America, Australia, the UK, South East Asia, Europe, and India, having opened offices in Mumbai and Singapore, alongside London and Sydney.
Berriman has been an investor in Livewire since the company raised a $4.7m Series A raise in 2022 as part of its global push, and previously chaired its board.
He replaces Tom Simpson, who is moving to an advisory role with the board. The new job comes after an additional undisclosed investment by RealVC and other existing shareholders, although Berriman said the business is already profitable.
The former founder of advertising technology startup Unlockd spent several year locked in a legal battle Google, which he accused of anti-competitive behaviour.
Overnight, a US federal court judge ruled in favour of Google’s motion to dismiss Unlockd’s case against the tech giant.
Berriman controversially resigned as chair of Mental Health Australia last year accusing the federal government of failing to invest in the nation’s mental health problem.
“I don’t think over the last 20 years mental health has been addressed in this country and the Labor government promised that was going to happen and it hasn’t,” Berriman said
He said he relocated to New York from Melbourne following strategic interest from several US-based global media companies.
Berriman’said his immediate focus will be to accelerate the corporate and commercial development of Livewire’s assets, as well as identifying partnerships and investment to scale Livewire.
“Gaming has emerged as the most powerful media channel, delivering unprecedented engagement and returns compared to traditional advertising,” he said
“With a global community of over 3 billion gamers, we are not just participating in the disruption of traditional media – we are driving it. With 5 Epic Picks on Fortnite in the last 18 months and our recent campaign for Amazon MGM Studios and Red One; delivering 163 million game visits in just three weeks, we’re setting new benchmarks for brand engagement in the gaming ecosystem.”
The company’s attention platform combines audience insights, exclusive media partnerships, and custom world-building capabilities to deliver measurable results for global brands.
“Just as social media was once undervalued by advertisers, we are seeing the same pattern with gaming,” Berriman said.
“Livewire’s innovative solutions help brands connect authentically with massive, engaged audiences across platforms like Roblox and Fortnite.
“We’re seeing gaming emerge as the high-quality, brand safe and effective medium for brands to reach audiences at scale globally. With our expanding global footprint and strategic focus on the U.S. market, we consistently outperform traditional media channels, even surpassing Super Bowl campaigns in ROI and engagement metrics.”
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