Scvngr grabs $15M more to locate challenges abroad

Scvngr, the maker of a check-in app that asks users to complete activity challenges, today announced it has secured a second round of funding for $15 million, according to the company blog. Investors included Balderton Capital, with participation from previous investors Google Ventures and Highland Capital Partners.

Founder and chief executive Seth Priebatsch told me that the company’s biggest motivation for this round was getting Balderton Capital partner Barry Maloney on board to help with future international plans. Balderton is Benchmark Capital’s former European affiliate, now independent for several years, and Maloney has experience in the mobile industry having been chief executive of Ireland’s second largest GSM mobile operator, Esat Digifone.

“Right now Scvngr has a great international infrastructure thanks to its partnership with Google Places, but it’s not an international company by any means,” said Priebatsch. With Maloney on its board, “when we’re ready to do a major international push, we’ll have the expertise we’ll need to make sure we do it right.”

For consumers, Scvngr is a fun way of getting over check-in fatigue — the feeling of malaise after users discover there’s not much more involved with most check-in apps than announcing your location to your friends. Scvngr’s app adds activities or challenges to the mix. For example, a user can complete one of the default challenges by taking a picture or checking in with a group to a location. For businesses, the service allows them to give customers a new way of engaging with a store and providing an incentive, like a coupon or percentage off a purchase.

The company had a good year in 2010, including partnering with major beverage distributor Coca-Cola give users who check-in to certain Simon Malls across United States the opportunity to earn points and rewards like gift cards and other Coke-branded merchandise. Other partnerships include the Boston Celtics, New England Patriots and Princeton University.

The Boston-based company, founded in 2008, previously raised a first round of funding for $4 million, as well as a small seed round. Balderton’s contribution brings the total funding to around $20 million.