---
title: "Massive sells to Microsoft – another kiwi millionaire"
date: 2006-05-21
author: "Richard MacManus"
categories:
  - name: "ReadWriteWeb"
    url: "/category/readwriteweb.md"
tags:
  - name: "2006"
    url: "/tag/2006.md"
---

# Massive sells to Microsoft – another kiwi millionaire

A few weeks ago it was revealed that Microsoft had [acquired](https://web.archive.org/web/20090725004943/http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2006/may06/05-04MassiveIncPR.mspx) online gaming advertising platform [Massive](https://web.archive.org/web/20090725004943/http://www.massiveincorporated.com/) for “between $200-$400 million”. Now I’ve discovered that a kiwi (from Wellington of course!) was one of the co-founders. According to [this NZ Herald story](https://web.archive.org/web/20090725004943/http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=698&objectid=10382799), 31-year-old Wellingtonian Claudia Batten founded Massive Inc four years ago with two expat Australians in New York. They developed pioneering software that dynamically delivers advertising into online video games:

> “Tapping into the “Lost Boys” market – hard-to-target 18- to 34-year-old males – was the key to the company’s success, Batten said.
> 
> “We told advertisers: ‘We’ve found the Lost Boys. They’re playing games and we can get you in front of them’.”
> 
> Speaking to the Herald on Sunday from Seattle, Batten was coy about how much she got from the sale, reported at between US$200-400 million ($643m). “It’s all under wraps. I’m really pleased with the outcome, it’s better left at that,” she laughed.”

Thanks [Dave ten Have](https://web.archive.org/web/20090725004943/http://www.dave5.com/blog/2006/05/21/MassiveIncSellsForUpToUS400Million.aspx) for the tip. There’s a lot of software talent in Wellington – TradeMe (NZ’s eBay) [got bought](https://web.archive.org/web/20090725004943/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/nzs_ebay_sold_f.php) for nearly half a billion US dollars in March and AfterMail [went for](https://web.archive.org/web/20090725004943/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/a_web_software.php) US$45M in January. Must be something in the water here 🙂

*Originally published on ReadWriteWeb ([archived copy](https://web.archive.org/web/20020204040018/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/massive_sells_t.php))*