DEC. 22, 2009 • Curse, the Internet site best known for hosting add-ons and utilities that hardcore World of Warcraft players use to enhance their in-game control, disclosed $6 million in Series B funding from Ventech Capital, AGF Private Equity, and SoftTech VC. Curse raised $5 million in Series A funding during 2007. The site generated more than $3 million in revenue during 2009.

Impact: The power of World of Warcraft is such that the game can support entire venture funded companies that are able to build on the ecosystem the MMOG has created. As games become an ongoing service product with dedicated social communities, there is a great deal of opportunity for third-party companies to provide value-added services to those communities.