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On Tuesday, the teen pop sensation put some money where his heart is, becoming an investor in American gaming startup, Sojo Studios, creators of a new Facebook game called WeTopia.

Neilson Barnard/GETTY IMAGES

By John Terauds Staff Reporter

 

 Justin Bieber is not just singing about somebody to love.
On Tuesday, the teen pop sensation put some money where his heart is, becoming an investor in American gaming startup, Sojo Studios, creators of a new Facebook game called WeTopia.
Think of WeTopia as a Farmville for developing nations. The “joy” points users earn while playing the free social game get turned into real money for aid projects.
“Let’s play this game and do some good 4 kids around the world,” Bieber tweeted to his 15.6 million Twitter followers on Thursday.
“I’ve been so lucky and blessed and that’s why I believe so much in giving back, and I know my fans will feel the same way when they play WeTopia,” the singer said in a press release.
Bieber did not release details of how much he has invested in the company.
In its disclosure pages, Sojo Studios says that it donates half of the money it raises from advertising linked to its games to charity. The three designated to receive WeTopia joy are Save the Children, BuildOn and the Children’s Health Fund.
WeTopia is the company’s first game.
Sojo Studios has also recruited Ellen DeGeneres to help bolster the game’s profile among a more adult audience.
The company, established in 2010, “embraces the mission of leveraging the best aspects of team play in the virtual world in effecting positive and meaningful change in the real world.”
Charity-oriented online games are common. Some, operated by non-profit organizations, donate all of their proceeds to designated projects.
For example, charitii.com offers a crossword-style word game that helps provide clean water and food staples to people in Africa via charities that can be selected by visitors.
One of the oldest, freerice.com, run by the United Nations World Food Programme, has donated approximately 50 billion grains of rice to hungry people since 2007.
Since the start of this year, freerice.com has sent all of its grain to people in Haiti.