Phil Hellmuth Bets on SplashCast

SplashCast, the Portland-based startup that offers a multimedia Flash player with a number of advanced features for syndication and aggregation, recently scored some angel funding from professional poker celebrity Phil Hellmuth, bringing its funding total up to approximately $2 million, according to SplashCast Director of Content Marshall Kirkpatrick.

Hellmuth was inspired to invest after choosing the player to broadcast his regular updates from the World Series of Poker tournament which just kicked off in Las Vegas. He’ll be recapping the latest events, offering commentary on other tables, and even discussing his strategies in advance. His vlog updates will also be available as part of Raw Vegas’ coverage of the event.

SplashCast, which launched at the end of January, has just 12,000 registered users, though Kirkpatrick claims they are an especially dedicated bunch. “Real power users are building whole sites around the SplashCast player,” he said in a phone interview today, pointing out examples such as StuffWeLike and Cycle-Magazine.com.

The company says to expect announcements about application integration partnerships with “brand name” sites, and is optimistic about closing a bonafide Series A venture round by the end of the year. Look for more about the Hellmuth announcement, and featured SplashCast sites, on the SplashCast blog later today.