Overplay

Overplay is blurring the line between video and gaming.

Backed by a mix of venture firms — including Village Global, Gaingels, and Adobe’s investment fund — as well as high-profile angel investors like Mark Cuban, this company is positioning itself at the intersection of social media, advertising, and casual gaming.

At its core, Overplay lets anyone turn a regular video into an interactive game — no coding required. Using its mobile app and built-in AI tools, a creator can upload a video (say, a cooking clip or a racing point-of-view) and quickly layer gameplay elements on top. The result is a “playable video” where viewers don’t just watch content, they interact with it.

This ease of use is central to Overplay’s appeal. Traditionally, building even a simple game required technical skills and significant development time. Overplay removes that friction, allowing creators, brands, and even casual users to produce interactive content in minutes. The company also offers an SDK (software-development-kit) that businesses can integrate into their own platforms, enabling interactive video experiences at scale.

Overplay is pursuing complementary revenue streams. Its app is free for users, which helps drive adoption. Money comes from advertising and licensing. Specifically, Overplay is betting big on “playable ads.” These are interactive advertisements that let users engage directly with content. These ads already perform well in gaming, and Overplay aims to expand them across broader digital media. Brands can license the company’s technology to turn traditional video ads into interactive experiences, potentially boosting engagement and conversion rates.

Overplay sits at the crossroads of three enormous industries: social media, digital advertising, and gaming. Combined, they’re valued at roughly $574 billion. The company is betting that the future of content isn’t passive scrolling, but active participation. With more than 200 million global content creators and billions of social media users, the potential user base is massive.

Overplay has shown early signs of momentum. The platform has surpassed hundreds of thousands of downloads and millions of gameplay sessions, with users spending millions of minutes interacting with content. It has also secured partnerships in areas like motorsports (including NASCAR teams), giving fans a way to “play” real-world experiences.

The company has raised millions through a combination of venture capital and equity crowdfunding. It was also featured on the hit TV show “Shark Tank,” which led to an investment from Cuban, who is now affiliated with the company as a strategic advisor.

Team Background

Daniel Projansky - Co-Founder & CEO

Dan is an Emmy-nominated and BAFTA award-winning creator. He’s created apps that have been downloaded more than twenty-five million times, and developed content for games for Playstation, Xbox, and Nintendo.

Prior to starting Overplay, he founded Mytograph, a photo-sharing app. Before that, he spent eight years with Sesame Workshop, the media company behind the hit kids show “Sesame Street.” While there, he served as Creative Technology Director, focusing on game design, user experience, and technical strategy.

Earlier in his career, he designed and installed solar panels with Solar Energy Systems. Before that, he spent five more years with Sesame Workshop as its VP of Production.

Dan earned a Bachelor’s degree in Film and Video Studies from Binghamton University.

Caroline Strzalka - Co-Founder & COO

Caroline is a two-time startup founder and former investment banker.

She began her career with Citigroup, where she worked as a financial analyst and raised equity for companies and took them public. Notable deals include Kraft’s $8.7 billion IPO and GameStop’s $325 million IPO.

From there, she worked as a consultant with the Philadelphia Museum of Art before holding the same role with the National Geographic Channel. After that, she founded Intellitoys, a company making tech-focused toys and content for kids.

More recently, Caroline spent six years with Sesame Workshop as its Director of Business Development. She then worked for Scholastic, a publishing company, as its VP of Digital Content of Sales. After that, she co-founded It’s By U, a floral-subscription business that raised funds from Techstars and retail-giant Target.

She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and an MBA from UPenn.

Co-Investors

Village Global

A VC fund investing in early-stage startups.

Gaingels

Investing in companies led by LGBT founders and executives. Portfolio includes Excision (biotech company), Breaking Fourth (virtual reality company) and Chicory (a grocery advertising company).

Mark Cuban

“Shark Tank” investor and Co-Founder of Broadcast.com. Investor in the HourlyNerd, Upstart, SlideShare, Box and The Zebra.