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Pre-Submission Check-Up: Is Your Project Ready for an Investment Fund?
Securing investment is a crucial step in the growth of any business, but before submitting an application, it is essential to critically assess its readiness. Does the team have the necessary expertise? Is the product in demand in the market? Is there a well-thought-out development strategy and financial model?
Founders often become so engrossed in their ideas that they overlook critical aspects that are key for investors. Investors evaluate not just the concept but also the actual viability of the business—market demand, team professionalism, financial stability, and scalability potential.
One of the funds that support promising companies, teams, startups, and technologies and help them grow is PIN-UP.INVESTMENTS. The fund follows a meticulous selection process, investing in verified projects that are prepared for sustainable development. COO Ihor Denysov has outlined the key criteria that define an ideal candidate for investment, emphasizing strategic business development and scalability potential. These criteria serve as guiding principles rather than strict requirements, helping projects better align with the fund’s vision.
1. Strategic Investment Focus Areas
To attract investment, the product of potential investee must align with the verticals that match current investor focus areas. Essential alignment niches include:
- MarTech Solutions — traffic solutions, advertising agencies, and marketing tools, including arbitrage teams, media platforms, telegram channels, advertising networks, influencer marketing, and AI-driven technologies. Tier 1 and Tier 2 are of interest.
- iGaming Innovations — casino game studios and comprehensive iGaming solutions, particularly slots, instant games, and infrastructure solutions for online gaming operators.
- Fintech Advancements — digital banking services, cryptocurrency projects, and innovative payment systems.
- AI/ML Applications — advanced artificial intelligence technologies enhancing user engagement, retention, and innovative solutions across various domains.
- Analytics Platforms — operational solutions optimising user acquisition, retention strategies, marketing performance, and overall business processes. Projects falling outside these strategic domains may not align with our current investment thesis regardless of their individual merit.
2. Product with Proven Market Demand
To secure investment, businesses, companies, technology projects, and teams must have more than just an idea; they need a real, market-validated product. Minimum requirements include:
- MVP+ (Minimum Viable Product Plus) — a product with basic functionality and initial users.
- Market demand validation — stable customer base growth, user behavior analytics, early sales, market research, alignment with the key market trends.
- A clear business model — understanding how the initiative will generate revenue.
If the product has not yet demonstrated market demand, it is crucial to focus on testing hypotheses before seeking investment.
3. Innovative Features for Market Advantage
Product differentiation is a crucial element for market success. It is essential to have:
- Unique solution to an existing problem that addresses the pain points in ways competitors don’t.
- Clear superiority backed by data, user testing, experience.
- Technologies that are hard to replicate—ideally patent-protected—can help maintain a competitive edge in the market. While not a strict requirement, having such innovations significantly strengthens a project’s investment appeal.
Products lacking distinctive features significantly reduce their chances of gaining market traction and investment.
4. A Strong Team with Industry Experience
The team is a critical factor in determining a project’s success. It is essential to have:
- An experienced CEO and competent core team (devOps, marketers, technical specialists, financial experts) who understand their field.
- Clearly defined roles and efficient internal processes.
- Previous experience in launching or developing similar projects.
Teams lacking the necessary expertise significantly reduce their chances of securing investment.
5. Transparent Financial Model and Growth Forecast
It is essential that the potential investees have:
- A well-structured financial model — revenue streams, cost structure, and expected profitability.
- Key customer acquisition metrics (CAC, LTV, ROI) that demonstrate marketing strategy effectiveness would be considered as the plus.
- A profitability forecast — outlining when and under what conditions the project will become self-sustaining.
Projects that cannot justify financial viability typically do not pass the selection process.
6. Readiness for Scaling
It is crucial to demonstrate:
- Growth potential — the ability to expand into international markets or scale within the current niche.
- Adaptable business model — ability to pivot or modify offerings based on changing market conditions and feedback.
- A well-planned customer acquisition strategy — including performance marketing, SEO, and partnership programs.
Projects without a clear scaling strategy are not considered investment-attractive.
Conclusion
Meeting these criteria significantly increases the chances of securing investment. PIN-UP.INVESTMENTS considers only verified, promising projects that are ready for growth. When submitting an application, businesses must be prepared to demonstrate not just anticipated but also concrete results that confirm their sustainability and competitiveness.
The post Pre-Submission Check-Up: Is Your Project Ready for an Investment Fund? appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Africa
pawaTech strengthens its integrity commitment with membership of the International Betting Integrity Association
Partnership with the leading global monitoring body reinforces pawaTech’s efforts to combat betting corruption
pawaTech, a leading sportsbook provider in Africa that licenses the betPawa brand, which is available in 17 African countries, has joined the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA). The partnership will see betting integrity data from pawaTech’s sportsbook trading operations contribute to IBIA’s global monitoring and alert network, which tracks over $300 billion in annual betting turnover across more than 140 brands. The move reinforces pawaTech’s commitment to responsible betting, fraud prevention and safeguarding sports betting integrity across Africa.
Juri Sidorenko, CEO of pawaTech said: “Joining IBIA reflects our commitment to fair play, integrity and safer betting. We are proud to support a trusted ecosystem that makes betting more secure, transparent and player-friendly across Africa.”
Khalid Ali, CEO of IBIA, said: “We are thrilled to welcome pawaTech to IBIA. The company’s unique African operational footprint and technology infrastructure bring valuable regional market knowledge and monitoring coverage to our association. This partnership further strengthens our global network and supports our shared goal of protecting the integrity of sport and regulated betting markets.”
IBIA is a not-for-profit body that has no competing conflicts with the delivery of commercial services to other sectors and was established by operators, for operators, to protect regulated sports betting markets from match-fixing. IBIA’s global monitoring network is a highly effective anti-corruption tool, detecting and reporting suspicious activity in regulated betting markets. Through the IBIA global monitoring network it is possible to track transactional activities linked to individual customer accounts; this data is only available to IBIA and its members.
The post pawaTech strengthens its integrity commitment with membership of the International Betting Integrity Association appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Leading figures from the European gambling sector gathered for a high-level EEGS webinar focused on the EU’s new Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA) and the far-reaching regulatory reforms under the new AML package.
Titled “Preparing for the AMLA Era – What Gambling Stakeholders Must Know About the New AML Package and Beyond in Times of Increased Enforcement”, the session was hosted by Dr. Ekaterina Hartmann, Director of Legal and Regulatory Affairs at the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA).
Dr. Hartmann outlined the key elements of the new framework, including the creation of AMLA (expected to become operational in 2026), a shift from directives to directly applicable regulations, and the expansion of the list of obliged entities to include sectors such as crypto services and football clubs.
She also shared that since 2022, there has been a significant rise in AML audits across the sector. Specifically, in 2024, EGBA member operators underwent a total of 142 license audits, with 48 of those audits being anti-money laundering. She stressed that these numbers are expected to grow further as the importance of fighting money laundering continues to increase.
Participants explored practical challenges of implementation, particularly the impact of enhanced due diligence (EDD) requirements on customer retention and compliance burdens across jurisdictions.
“The AML reforms represent a major shift for both financial and non-financial sectors. Gambling operators must prepare now to adapt to the new EU-wide standards,” said Dr. Hartmann.
The event also emphasized the benefits of regulatory harmonization and provided actionable insights for operators facing growing enforcement across the EU. All attendees received a personalized certificate of participation, underscoring the importance of ongoing regulatory education.
This webinar is part of EGBA’s broader initiative to support the industry’s transition to the new AML framework ahead of the 10 July 2027 deadline.
If you missed the webinar, you can catch the full session here.
The post Highlights from the Essential EEGS Webinar on AMLA Reforms appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
GR8 Tech debuts its limited-edition sports apparel and accessories drop: Fight for Greatness. Inspired by the champion mentality of Oleksandr Usyk and his Ready to Fight platform, the collection channels the same high-performance culture of those who thrive under pressure, move with purpose, and execute without compromise.
FIGHT to PERFORM—this single idea behind the collection reflects the heavyweight mindset GR8 Tech and Ready to Fight share: progress and success are earned, not gifted. It is the thread that ties together performance, purpose, and ambition across each item in the drop.
“Fight for Greatness is a statement of how we operate at GR8 Tech and how we see the world. We spent over three months shaping this line, from the first sketch to the final stitch. Behind each of the 15 items is the work of more than 20 passionate people who brought their creativity, expertise, and belief in the message to life. We didn’t just design clothes, we translated a culture of performance into gear you can wear,” said Iryna Ilchanka, Creative Lead at GR8 Tech.
Explore the Collection
Fight for Greatness line blends elevated style with uncompromising performance. From soft-touch tees and premium hoodies to moisture-wicking sport sets and precision-cut boxing gear, each piece balances everyday comfort with functional power. Accessories like ergonomic hydration bottles and high-tech protective mouth guard round out the lineup.
The collection reflects its core dualities: casual wear meets cutting-edge innovation, minimalism pairs with bold statements, and style integrates with utility. Built to move under pressure, each piece reflects the mindset of champions—where style meets strategy, and performance never lets up.
Join the Heavyweight Club
The Fight for Greatness collection is part of GR8 Tech’s Heavyweight Club—a community for iGaming professionals who lead under pressure, deliver consistent performance, and scale with purpose.
“We believe lasting success is built on partnership, not just products. The Heavyweight Club brings that to life—a space where iGaming leaders collaborate, innovate, and raise the bar together. The Fight for Greatness collection reflects that same mindset. For us, performance is culture—and it shows in everything we do, right down to what we wear,” said Viktor Ishkov, Head of Global Marketing and Strategy at GR8 Tech.
🥊 Make a statement—wear the mindset like a champ.
The limited-edition drop is available online and will be showcased at iGB L!VE London, July 2–3, 2025.
Visit GR8 Tech at booth U34 to see the collection, connect with the team, and join the movement.
The post GR8 Tech Turns Up the Heat with Limited Edition Drop appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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