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InvestGame is thrilled to present our latest analysis in partnership with GDEV Inc. ($GDEV). This time, we’re diving deep into the thriving world of gaming startups led by ex-Rioters. With nearly $0.5 billion raised across 37 rounds since 2020 by around 30 studios founded by former Riot Games employees, the numbers are impressive—but there’s more to uncover. Our upcoming analysis will tackle critical questions: Are these alumni-led studios still attracting significant capital? Are they outperforming industry norms? When did the investment wave peak, and are these ventures still riding high? Stay tuned as we bring you more insights into the gaming industry’s investment landscape. 🎮 #InvestGame #GDEV #GamingIndustry #ExRioters #InvestmentAnalysis

SuperPlay, situated in Rosh Ha’ayin and formed by former Playtika personnel, will carry on as a stand-alone business. Playtika Holding Corp., an Israeli developer of mobile games, has announced that it will buy SuperPlay, an Israeli mobile gaming company, for $700 million, plus up to $1.25 billion in contingent consideration, contingent upon meeting specific #financial goals over a three-year period, adjusted for EBITDA performance. Put another way, the acquisition’s total value might wind up being $1.95 billion. Playtika states that the agreement is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2024. The company’s balance sheet and cash flow from ongoing operations are projected to cover any potential contingent payments. They are evaluating Playtika’s financing possibilities as well as the short-term debt maturities. The business, according to Playtika, “remains committed to its quarterly dividend and capital return program.” Playtika should gain from the #acquisition of a skilled team that has a track record of creating new, well-liked games once the deal is finalized. The planned transaction can’t happen until regulatory clearances and customary closing conditions are met. Almog Ben Simon, Robert Antokol Read more -https://lnkd.in/gVAA-D35 To share your startup story write us on - contact@startuprise.org #SuperPlay #Playtika #financial #news #startup

Funstop Games, founded in 2020 by Prashanth Vijay and Tamesh Sharma, raised $5 million in a Series A funding round led by 360 ONE Asset, with participation from InfoEdge Ventures: 1️⃣ Operates a portfolio of over 30 games and reported $4 million in revenue to date. 2️⃣ Known for popular titles like Airport Rush and Perfect Time, which together have garnered over 75 million downloads, contributing to a global total of 100 million. 3️⃣ Plans to use the funding to strengthen ad-tech capabilities and expand its game portfolio, focusing on the spiritual gaming segment. 4️⃣ Tamesh Sharma highlighted the investment’s role in scaling operations and bringing Indian storytelling to a global audience. 5️⃣ Targets India’s growing gaming market, projected to reach 491 million online gamers by the end of 2024, despite challenges such as the 28% GST on real money gaming. 6️⃣ Part of a competitive landscape that includes unicorns like Dream11, Mobile Premier League (MPL), and Games24x7. Notable recent industry investments include Nazara Technologies Limited acquisition of a 47.7% stake in Moonshine Technology for INR 831.5 crore and a 15.86% stake in GetStan Technologies for INR 18.4 crore. Read The Full Article Here: https://lnkd.in/gDm4mRfk #EntrepreneurshipStudio #FunStopGames

Huge congratulations to the Play Ventures team on the final closing of Fund III, their largest fund yet, bringing total AUM to $450M! 👏 A fantastic milestone for the team as they continue to back bold founders reshaping gaming, AI, and interactive experiences. Excited to see how this fund supports the next wave of innovation in the gaming ecosystem—especially during such a pivotal time for the industry. Big kudos to the team and their investors for making it happen! 🚀 More details are in the link in the comments. Anton Backman Henric Suuronen Harri Manninen Kenrick Drijkoningen Phylicia Koh

Business of games: 10 biggest funding rounds, partnerships, and trends from the last week 🕹️ Investment round-up details for August 2nd week 1. Keywords has acquired Wushu Studios 2. TON Ventures Reveals New $40 Million Fund 3. Reforged Labs raises $3.9m in funding round 4. Reforged Studios acquires Ground Shatter and Extra Mile Studios 5. Krafton leads Eschatology Entertainment’s $11.3M Series A funding 6. Autoverse Studios raises $8M for Auto Legends drag-racing Web3 game 7. FRVR raises $12.7 million towards AI engine and games democratization 8. Gamee gets investment from TON Ventures to make Telegram mini-apps 9. Google opens its $2m fund for Latam Indies. Each studio will receive between $150,000 to $200,000 10. Krafton announced in its quarterly earnings it has acquired Tango Gameworks, including rights to the Hi-Fi Rush intellectual property. Top Trends from last week: The Epic Games Store Launches on Mobile    #gamingindustry #gamedesign #mobilegames #gamedevelopment #gamedev #videogames #gaming #useracquisition #growth #UA #revenue #data #icartic #gamedeveloper #indiedev #unity3d #madewithunity #businessofgames

📈Playtika: Its Rise, Fall, and What’s Next Founded in 2010, Playtika is a pure-play mobile gaming company that got its start creating social casino games. The ambitious startup was quickly spotted and acquired in 2011 by the casino conglomerate Caesars Entertainment and continued to grow under its new ownership. Caesars Entertainment was handsomely rewarded for being an early believer in the startup when Playtika was sold to a consortium of Chinese investors for US$4.4B in 2016. During Playtika’s rapid growth phase, the company differentiated itself from the crowded field of competitors through its ability to analyze and understand data, which it applied to both live operations and user acquisition. It consolidated those learnings to create the “Boost” playbook, which it deployed in all its games. If you'd like to learn more about the major developments since the company’s IPO, the SuperPlay acquisition, and read our thoughts on where the company can go from here, keep on reading: https://lnkd.in/eJBtxsnV A special thanks to TikTok for making this digest issue possible. If you'd like to know why game publishers are seeing 9x growth with TikTok’s live ops program, check out this link: https://lnkd.in/e58Qexf8 #gamesindustry #gamingnews #mobilegames

I was pleased to have an in-depth conversation with Habip Şana at WePlay Ventures office about the investment environment in the gaming industry 🎮💼 During our discussion, we touched on several key aspects of the sector, including the investment process and the crucial factors studios should focus on for success. 💬 "Investing in game studios goes beyond just funding—it's about building a thriving, innovative ecosystem that drives growth." 🌍 Key insights: 🚀 The structure and investment strategy behind WePlay Ventures and WePlay HUB 🎯 How we evaluate game studios and their projects ⏱ When indie teams should start looking for investment 🛠 Common mistakes early-stage studios make—and how to avoid them 🔍 A look at how a typical investment deal progresses It was a great opportunity to discuss how we’re helping shape the gaming ecosystem and supporting studios at every stage of their journey.

The world of Web3 gaming is booming, but with innovation comes a complex legal landscape. To ensure your startup thrives, understanding key legal considerations is crucial. We at Remote Lawyer have curated a brief guide outlining the various legal considerations that can be taken into account, while launching a Web3 gaming startup. #web3 #web3gaming #legalcompliance #web3gaminglegalcompliance

Building a Global Gaming Ecosystem with WePlay Hub: Achievements and Future Goals 🌟 At WePlay Ventures, our goal has always been to foster innovation and growth within the gaming industry. Today, as we embark on the journey of our 4th batch with WePlay HUB, I am thrilled to reflect on our accomplishments and share our ambitious goals for the future. Since the inception of WePlay Hub, we have successfully launched four batches, encompassing a total of 50 studios across 12 different countries. Here’s a quick look at our journey so far: 🔸 Batch 1: 13 studios from 5 countries 🔸 Batch 2: 11 studios from 3 countries 🔸 Batch 3: 16 studios from 4 countries 🔸 Batch 4: 10 studios from 5 countries These countries are 🇹🇷 🇰🇿 🇳🇴 🇩🇰 🇩🇪 🇷🇴 🇦🇪 🇮🇹 🇷🇸 🇦🇿 🇬🇪 🇺🇿 Our initial investment in BitPet.io marked the beginning of our acceleration investment program. We have continued to support our graduates by assisting them in their investment rounds. Our efforts have also extended to expanding our co-investment networks across Europe and the USA, focusing on scaling our studios globally. Moreover, our growing partner network provides invaluable resources and support to our studios, enhancing their chances of success. 🌍🤝 In July, our Batch 3 Pitch Day brought together key stakeholders from the WePlay Board and the gaming ecosystem to evaluate and celebrate the progress of our participating studios and then we have commenced Batch 4 with 10 studios from 5 different countries, furthering our commitment to global growth and innovation. 🌐🌱 Looking ahead, we have set ambitious goals for WePlay Hub in 3 years: 250+ Gaming Studios in our ecosystem 🎮🏢 26 Countries footprint 🌍📍 400+ Mentors providing guidance and expertise 🧑🏫🗺️ 50+ Investments in promising gaming startups 💰🎯 These milestones represent our dedication to building a global community and developing a thriving gaming ecosystem. 🌐✨ #WePlayHub #GamingEcosystem #GlobalCommunity #Innovation #Investment