What Does HQ Trivia Do?

Total employees17
HeadquartersNew York
Founded2015

HQ Trivia was a revolutionary live mobile game show app, launched in 2017 by Intermedia Labs, the creators of Vine. It quickly became a viral phenomenon, attracting millions of users daily who competed in real-time trivia games for cash prizes, hosted by charismatic personalities like Scott Rogowsky. At its peak, HQ Trivia garnered significant media attention and investor interest. However, the company faced challenges including declining user engagement, leadership changes, and difficulties in securing further funding, leading to its initial shutdown in February 2020. Despite a brief attempted revival in March 2020, operations ceased permanently shortly thereafter. HQ Trivia remains a significant case study in viral app success, live interactive entertainment, and the volatile nature of the tech startup world.

Where Is HQ Trivia's Headquarters?

HQ Function

The headquarters served as the nerve center for all company operations, including game development, live show production in its studios, marketing, user support, and overall business strategy for the mobile app.

Notable Features:

The HQ likely featured dedicated studio spaces for broadcasting live games, collaborative open-plan work areas for tech and creative teams, and meeting rooms, reflective of a modern tech startup environment focused on media production.

Work Culture:

hq-trivia was known for a high-energy, fast-paced startup culture, especially during its peak viral phase. This involved intense production schedules for daily live shows. Later reports indicated periods of internal pressure and challenges common in rapidly scaling startups facing evolving market dynamics.

HQ Significance:

The NYC headquarters was the birthplace and operational hub of a viral mobile gaming phenomenon that captured global attention. It pioneered live interactive entertainment on mobile platforms and showcased the potential for large-scale, synchronized digital events.

Values Reflected in HQ: The HQ's operations reflected values of innovation in mobile gaming, ambition for rapid growth, live interactive entertainment, and an attempt to foster a sense of community through shared real-time gameplay.

Location:

hq-trivia's global presence was primarily through its app, which was available in several countries including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, often with shows localized by region or time zone. The company did not maintain a significant number of physical international offices; its operational reach was digital, managed from its New York headquarters.

Street Address:

Reportedly 588 Broadway

City:

New York

State/Province:

NY

Country:

USA

Where Else Does HQ Trivia Operate Around the World?

No additional office locations available.

Buying Intent Signals for HQ Trivia

Highperformr Signals uncover buying intent and give you clear insights to target the right accounts at the right time — helping your sales, marketing, and GTM teams close more deals, faster.

Notable news
Hiring actively
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
*Example signal, not calculated in real time

Who's Leading HQ Trivia? Meet the Executive Team

As of April 2025, HQ Trivia' leadership includes:

Rus Yusupov - Co-founder & CEO
Colin Kroll - Co-founder & CEO (Deceased December 2018)

Who's Investing in HQ Trivia?

HQ Trivia has been backed by several prominent investors over the years, including:

Lightspeed Venture Partners
Founders Fund
Menlo Ventures
Cyan Banister
Scott Belsky
Mitch Lasky

What Leadership Changes Has HQ Trivia Seen Recently?

Hire0
Exits0

hq-trivia ceased operations in early 2020 and is currently defunct. Therefore, there have been no executive new hires or exits in the last 12 months. Any executive changes predate this period and relate to the company's operational phase or its shutdown.

What Technology (Tech Stack) Is Used byHQ Trivia?

Discover the tools HQ Trivia uses. Highperformr reveals the technologies powering your target accounts — helping your sales, marketing, and GTM teams prioritize smarter and close faster.

HQ Trivia Email Formats and Examples

As hq-trivia is no longer operational, its email domain (hqtrivia.com) is inactive. During its operation, tech companies like HQ Trivia commonly used formats combining first names, last names, or initials.

[first_initial][last]@hqtrivia.com

Format

jdoe@hqtrivia.com

Example

0 (Company is defunct, emails are inactive)%

Success rate

What's the Latest News About HQ Trivia?

CNN BusinessFebruary 14, 2020

hq-trivia, the live trivia game app, is shutting down

HQ Trivia, the once-viral live trivia game app, announced its impending shutdown and the layoff of its approximately 25 employees. CEO Rus Yusupov informed staff that the company could no longer sustain operations after a potential acquisition fell through and new funding could not be secured....more

The VergeMarch 29, 2020

hq-trivia is officially back online after a month-long hiatus

Just over a month after announcing its shutdown, HQ Trivia made a surprise return with new funding. CEO Rus Yusupov tweeted about the revival, and the app hosted a new game. However, this revival proved to be short-lived, and the app ceased operations again....more

TechCrunchMarch 6, 2018

hq-trivia raises $15 million at a $100 million valuation from Founders Fund and Lightspeed

At the height of its popularity, live mobile game show HQ Trivia secured $15 million in Series A funding. The round was led by Founders Fund and Lightspeed Venture Partners, valuing the company at $100 million, demonstrating significant investor confidence in its viral growth and interactive entertainment model....more

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