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BigBrain
A trivia game where players can win real-money prizes
About BigBrain
BigBrain Games operates an application-based, real-money gaming platform centered on trivia and other skill games. Founded in 2019 by Nik Bonaddio and headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, the company aimed to provide a space for trivia enthusiasts to monetize their knowledge. Bonaddio's background includes founding the sports-focused predictive data analytics startup numberFire and serving as Vice President of Product at FanDuel, experiences that directly relate to BigBrain's blend of analytics, gaming, and real-money competition.
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The company's primary business is providing a digital entertainment platform where users can compete in live, multi-player quizzes for cash prizes. The business model is centered on players paying an entry fee, typically starting at a $1 minimum, to enter a contest, with the winner or winners taking the prize pool. The platform hosts contests every 15 minutes on a wide array of topics, from 90s movies and sports to more academic subjects like state capitals. This structure targets casual gamers and trivia fans who enjoy skill-based competition. Revenue is generated from the fees paid by users to participate in these paid contests. The company utilizes third-party payment processors to handle deposits and withdrawals for users' accounts.
BigBrain's service is an iOS application that features various games. The main trivia game involves 12 timed questions, where both speed and accuracy contribute to a player's score and their position on the leaderboard. A key differentiator is its focus on specific areas of expertise rather than just general knowledge, with questions created and fact-checked by experts. The platform also employs proprietary technology to deter cheating. Beyond traditional trivia, the company expanded its offerings to include a survey-based game called "200", and other games that mix elements of classic puzzle games like Tetris and Boggle. The company raised a total of $13 million over two funding rounds, including a Series A round of $8.49 million in April 2023, from investors such as First Round Capital, BoxGroup, and Ludlow Ventures. As of July 1, 2025, BigBrain announced it has ceased operations.
At a glance
- Status
- Operational
- Founded
- 2020
- Headquarters
- New York City, United States
- Employees
- 4
- Open positions
- None listed
- Dealroom signal
- 59.9/100
- Industry
- Gaming
- Sector
- Gaming, Game Development, Qustomisable Mobile Quizzes, horizontal marketplaces
- Technology
- Mobile app
- Business model
- Marketplace & ecommerce
- Client focus
- b2c
Latest news
Press, funding announcements and product moves mentioning BigBrain.
Funding history
Company financing events and reported valuations.
| Deal type | Date | Amount | Valuation | Investors | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EARLY VC✓Equity / VC | Apr 2023 | $8.5M | $34M | Undisclosed | ↗ |
| SEEDEquity / VC | Dec 2021 | $0 | — | Sharp Alpha Advisors | — |
Financials
Revenue, earnings and other financial measures where available. Years marked “E” are estimates.
Growth signals
Latest recorded traffic for BigBrain is 750 monthly website visits, down 74.1% over the last three months. BigBrain's team grew 0% over the past year.
Similar companies
Company identity and context are open; selected comparison metrics preview what is available on the platform.
Investors
From Dealroom's funding and investor records, grouped by the round each investor first entered.
Seed4 investors entered at this stage
Ludlow Ventures
First Round Capital
BoxGroup
Sharp Alpha Advisors
Other known investors4 additional known investors
Ali Rampurwala
Golden Ventures
Ground Up Ventures
Patron
Source: Dealroom Talent Intelligence.
Global footprint
team presence
Market sentiment
An AI-synthesised read of the highest-engagement posts about BigBrain on X, ranked by likes and reposts, corporate channels excluded.
Reading the room on X — pulling top posts and synthesizing themes…
Source: X recent search ranked by engagement (likes + retweets) · Synthesis by Claude · Cached for 1 hour
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