HTML5 game engine Ludei secures $1.5 million

Middleware firm Ludei has secured $1.5 million in funding for its HTML5 game engine.

The funds from Spanish venture capitalists Kibo Ventures and Vitamina K and other angel investors will be used to expand the company’s JavaScript and HTML5 engineering team.

Total investment in Ludei now stands at $4.5 million.

To date more than 6,000 developers around the world have signed up to use the HTML5 game engine, which is designed to bring native performance and features to mobile developers.

More than 500 games are currently being developed using the tools, which supports mobile and web platforms including iOS, Android, Ouya and Tizen.

"This funding further validates our approach to HTML5 development," said Ludei CEO Eneko Knorr.

"HTML5 has taken a lot of criticism in recent years, and it’s true that on its own, it performs poorly on mobile. But our team and the world-class developers using our platform are proving every day that with the right support, HTML5 is ready for primetime, and we’re positioned to take on the biggest players in the app industry."

Kibo Ventures founding partner Aquilino Peña added: "Major publishers are recognising the value of multi-platform development with HTML5, and the Ludei team has positioned the company to lead this new wave of HTML5 development.

"Fragmentation in the mobile market has made it very difficult and expensive for developers to develop, monetise and market their applications across multiple platforms. Ludei enables developers to code once and publish everywhere with native-like features, so they can maximise their reach and profits."