The company behind Pokemon Go, known as Niantic, said that they will be donating a minimum of USD $5 million in proceeds from Pokemon Go Fest 2020 ticket sales half being used to fund projects from Black AR creators and the other half going to U.S. non-profit organizations focusing on rebuilding local communities.
As we all know, Pokemon GO is a social game, where players gather together to catch Pokemon. Before the pandemic, you could see big crowds near parks, parking lots, and many other places, competing against each other, taking over Gyms, and whatnot. Well, now that is put on a long pause, so Niantic opted for online events that did not require people to go out of their homes.
2020 was a tough year for many, but Niantic and Pokemon Go quickly adapted to the restrictions of COVID-19, allowing Pokemon GO to grow 39% year-over-year and managed to gain a massive revenue of $1.92 billion in 2020.
Niantic has successfully created the Black Lives Matter commitment, they largely supported the Local Business Recovery Initiative, in which they have helped around 1,000 local small businesses, they actively help organizations like TechRow Fund, US Black Chambers, OCCUR, RYSE Center, and more.
Today, they made another donation, and this time they donated $300,000 to CodeCrew, a technology company that specializes in augmented reality games, and developed the mobile game Pokémon Go.
We’re overjoyed to be able to support groups like @_CodeCrew with the proceeds from #PokemonGOFest2020 🎉 https://t.co/fngCevJVeZ
— Niantic, Inc. (@NianticLabs) January 19, 2021
“We are so grateful for Niantic’s donation, and for the company’s understanding and validation of how our work greatly impacts Black and Brown communities and reduces the digital divide. The gift will help fund our mission to support and train underrepresented communities in computer science, as well as make positive change and impact lives in Memphis.”
