Fortnite maker Epic Games buys UK-based kid-safety tech startup SuperAwesome

Back in January, we wrote about SuperAwesome after M12, Microsoft’s venture fund, invested in the U.K.-based startup as demands for Internet safety for kids intensify. SuperAwesome provides a platform for developers to include kid-safety tools in their products. The 7-year old startup currently has touchpoints reaching 500 million children globally and its software is used by over 300 of the top kid’s brands and content owners.

Now, seven months after its fundraising, Epic Games, the creator of the popular video game “Fortnite,” announced today it acquired UK-based SuperAwesome. The total amount of the deal was not disclosed. The acquisition comes at a time when Epic is locked in a legal battle with Apple.

Late last month, Apple removed the Fortnite from the App Store following Epic Games’ decision to offer new payment options that allow players to buy in-game credits direct from Epic Games. Fortnite is a popular game that has attracted more than 350 million players globally.

Founded in 2013 by Dylan Collins, Joshua Wohle, and Tom Impallomeni, SuperAwesome’s technology powers the children’s digital media ecosystem. SuperAwesome’s products are used by hundreds of kids content companies and brands to provide kid-safe (COPPA/GDPR compliant) digital functionality ranging from authentication (Kids Web Services) to safe-social (PopJam) to kid-safe advertising/monetization (AwesomeAds)