John O'Connell

๐Ÿ”œ BlizzCon ๐Ÿ”œ DICE Athens | playing for your win

๐Ÿ“ Orange County, California, United States๐Ÿ”„ Updated September 2026๐Ÿ’ผ 5 investments๐Ÿ“… 15 years investing๐Ÿ—“ Last invested Mar 2022๐• @upgrade_to_unlock
VC๐ŸŒ United States
5
Total investments
4
Early stage
1
Mid stage
0
Late stage
15y
Years active

Portfolio

5 investments ยท sorted by recency
All investments
Early stage
Mid stage
Late stage
investor
Mar 2022
Cruise to financial freedom with Luci! Level up your finances by accomplishing personalized missions with analytics powered by patent-pending tech and Wall Street techniques. Sign-up now for Early Access!
investor
Apr 2021
Inspired from when the founder discovered sprouted buckwheats popularity in Australia, Lil Bucks makes crunchy snacks and flavored super-seeds so you can add plant-based protein, fiber and crunch to all your meals.
investor
Jul 2017
Game communities grow and thrive through active engagement. Events that bring gamers together, spark our shared passion, and compel us to join in have defined the modern gaming landscape. As game experiences evolve, the types of events keep expanding, with online tournaments, pro esports in arenas, live streams, game releases, and in-game content. Whether an event is online or in person, global or grassroots, in-game or in real life, ReadyUp is the interactive event platform that fuels vibrant game communities by making it easier to find, follow, and join in the action.
early stageComputer Games
investor, advisor
Dec 2015
GameCake makes games that brings families & friends together, in-person. We make top-notch original content and next generation technology to support real human connection through play. GameCake enjoys the support of Comcast Ventures, Paul & David Bettner, Alex Seropian, Klaas Kersting, and other game industry luminaries. GameCake titles have touched close to a million devices with hundreds upon thousands of rounds played. Emoji Charades was 2019's #1 best selling game on Comcast Xfinity X1 (outperforming top brands e.g. Jeopardy, Who Wants to Be A Millionare, etc.), 2x Apple Game of the Day worldwide.
early stageComputer Games
co-founder, board member
Jul 2011
Pwnit! is an LA based gaming lifestyle start-up blending rich video game content with social networking offering members the chance to win unique rewards. Pwnit! brings together players, developers, brand partners, and publishers. open beta coming soon: http://www.pwnit.com
early stageComputer Games
Experience ยท 10 entries
All (10)
Investments (4)
Founder (3)
2023
industry partnerships lead
Nov 2023
The interactive industry provides an ever-changing landscape of business models, funding methods, platforms and technologies. Video gaming collaborates and competes with all other forms of entertainment, while its powerful connection to users is sought after by nearly every industry. An interactive venture ultimately relies on an uneasy collaboration of creatives, engineers and financiers to find success. DDM navigates these waters with three services to help our clients achieve their goals: โ€ข Representation for championing game studios, the creative lifeblood of the industry, to secure projects and elevate their reputation. โ€ข Consulting for companies looking to build their interactive business and IP strategies which are based on current tactical realities & opportunities. โ€ข Investment Services for interactive companies looking to secure investment or M&A, as well as for investors searching for the right additions to their portfolio. We value win-win deals that provide the best chance for market success, and we structure our own services to put us shoulder-to-shoulder with our clients. The DDM team is stationed around the world and embraces our values every day: Trustworthy, Inclusive, Collaborative and Professional. You can find out more about us at www.ddmagency.com, via our newsletter at www.ddmagency.com/newsletters/ and you can access our investment reports here: www.gamesinvestmentreview.com.
2022
investor
Mar 2022
Cruise to financial freedom with Luci! Level up your finances by accomplishing personalized missions with analytics powered by patent-pending tech and Wall Street techniques. Sign-up now for Early Access!
2021
investor
Apr 2021
Inspired from when the founder discovered sprouted buckwheats popularity in Australia, Lil Bucks makes crunchy snacks and flavored super-seeds so you can add plant-based protein, fiber and crunch to all your meals.
2017
investor
Jul 2017
Game communities grow and thrive through active engagement. Events that bring gamers together, spark our shared passion, and compel us to join in have defined the modern gaming landscape. As game experiences evolve, the types of events keep expanding, with online tournaments, pro esports in arenas, live streams, game releases, and in-game content. Whether an event is online or in person, global or grassroots, in-game or in real life, ReadyUp is the interactive event platform that fuels vibrant game communities by making it easier to find, follow, and join in the action.
early stageComputer Games
2015
investor, advisor
Dec 2015
GameCake makes games that brings families & friends together, in-person. We make top-notch original content and next generation technology to support real human connection through play. GameCake enjoys the support of Comcast Ventures, Paul & David Bettner, Alex Seropian, Klaas Kersting, and other game industry luminaries. GameCake titles have touched close to a million devices with hundreds upon thousands of rounds played. Emoji Charades was 2019's #1 best selling game on Comcast Xfinity X1 (outperforming top brands e.g. Jeopardy, Who Wants to Be A Millionare, etc.), 2x Apple Game of the Day worldwide.
early stageComputer Games
Show all 10 entries โ†“
Investment activity
2011โ€“2022 ยท 5 investments
2011120151201712021120221
Recent (last 2 years)Earlier