VirtTrade is a developer and publisher of digital trading cards, working with licensors to create high engagement apps for fans. VirtTrade targets the £2.4billion trading cards market. The company received its first investment from Mercia’s managed funds in early 2014 and it was held in the managed funds portfolio for approximately one year before becoming an Emerging Star at the end of 2014.
Collectors use in-app currency to purchase packs of cards that can be traded with anyone, anywhere. Cards can carry live data, vibrant imagery, interactive areas, video footage, game statistics and more. The habit-forming nature of trading card collecting transfers well to the digital space, with VirtTrade’s monthly revenue per paying user reaching over $30.0.
VirtTrade’s trading card innovations include matchmaking for trades, the ability to fuse duplicates to create rare new cards, collection achievements and instant challenge multiplayer games. Following Mercia’s initial investment in 2015, VirtTrade developed apps for Panini’s flagship properties, the NFL and NBA, and over 100.0million cards were distributed on the platform to over a million users.
VirtTrade is now viewed as a leading publisher in this growing segment, having secured rights to Discovery Networks, Valiant Entertainment and Formula 1. Thanks to a streamlined content creation platform and white label apps, VirtTrade was able to go from concept to beta for Formula 1 in just three months, with 250 cards ready for the June 2018 launch and a dedicated ‘head-to-head’ race mode where players can put their card collections to the test on Grand Prix circuits. The Formula 1 Trading Card Game 2018 was launched on the App Store (iPhone) and Play Store (Android) in June 2018.