Africa
Carry1st Raises $4.0 Million to Catalyze Mobile Gaming in Africa
Carry1st has raised a Series Seed round of US$2.5 million led by CRE Venture Capital with participation from Perivoli Innovations, Chandaria Capital, Lateral Capital, Transsion’s Future Hub, and Kam Kronenberg III, among others. This round brings its total capital raised to $4.0 million. Proceeds will go to recruiting top-tier talent, investing in platform technology, and publishing new content. Pardon Makumbe, Managing Partner at CRE, and Henry Lowenfels, Chief Product Officer of One Team Partners (former Scopely SVP), will join the board.
Carry1st is the leading mobile games publisher serving the first generation of African smartphone users. Since launching in 2019, the company has reached over 1.5 million users across the region. Carry1st Trivia was ranked the #1 free-to-play Android game in Nigeria and Kenya; and was named the Best Media & Entertainment Solution for 2019. The company plans to partner with international studios to launch multiple games in 2020 and scale its audience to over a million monthly active users.
“Social gaming is the largest and fastest-growing form of mobile media, grossing more than three times all other app categories combined. Our mission is to bring this world of interactive content to Africa and likewise to connect Africa to the world,” said Cordel Robbin-Coker, Carry1st CEO and former Carlyle dealmaker. “Our belief is that building a local publisher, with differentiated tech and operating capabilities across marketing, distribution, and monetization is the way to be this bridge. We are pleased to partner with CRE and our investor group to accelerate this vision.”
Founded by Cordel Robbin-Coker, Lucy Hoffman, and Tinotenda Mundangepfupfu, the company addresses key challenges in Africa for consumers and content producers alike. Carry1st serves the world’s fastest-growing market, set to add over 350 million smartphone users and increase data consumption by 17x by 2025. By providing tailored content, localized engagement, and payments solutions, Carry1st aspires to accelerate the growth of the African mobile content market, which is already projected to increase by 400% over 5 years.
CRE Partner, Pardon Makumbe said: “We are excited to partner with the world-class team at Carry1st to take the pain out of distributing and monetizing games across Africa. The continent is young, vibrant, and mobile-first — by focusing on the building blocks, we believe Carry1st is well-positioned to define the category, and catalyse the development of the industry for Africa’s over 1.3 billion consumers.”
Lucy Hoffman, Carry1st VP of Operations added: “It’s really exciting to be part of developing a new industry in an emerging region. In doing so, we will stimulate thousands of jobs and drive digital inclusion. When people come online for the first time, they want to connect with people and have fun. In these unusual times we are reminded of the power of games to delight, to educate, and ultimately to unite.”
SOURCE: Carry1st
Powered by WPeMatico
Africa
Gaming Tech Summit Africa convenes regulators and operators in Nairobi
Gaming Tech Summit Africa (GTSA) brought regulators, policymakers and gaming industry stakeholders to Nairobi on 4 June for its third edition, hosted at the Argyle Grand Hotel.
Organisers positioned the event around the theme “Building Africa’s Sustainable & Scalable Gaming Tech Industry,” with agenda focus areas including taxation, consumer protection, enforcement against illegal operators, and the role of digital payments in fast-growing online betting and gaming markets.
The press release cited market projections that Africa’s online betting and gaming sector could grow from an estimated US$12.7 billion in 2026 to US$19.4 billion by 2030, framing the sector as increasingly relevant to public revenue, investor confidence and regulatory consistency across jurisdictions.
Kenya’s hosting role was highlighted as a key context point, with organisers pointing to its status as a major gaming and digital payments market. The summit also said it was officially endorsed by the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Kenya.
“Africa’s gaming industry has reached a stage where growth must be matched by responsibility, structure and long-term thinking,” said David Moshi,Managing Director at Velex Advisory. “The value of this summit lies in bringing the right people into one room to have honest conversations about where the industry is headed and what must be done to build a stronger foundation. Our ambition goes beyond hosting a successful summit; it is to support a more connected, transparent and sustainable gaming ecosystem across Africa.”
Companies named as participants included Afitech, 1xBet, BetConstruct, SharpVision, Aviator, BMM Testlabs and Evidentia AI, among others.
The post Gaming Tech Summit Africa convenes regulators and operators in Nairobi appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Africa
Gaming Realms expands into three African markets via SportyBet partnership
Gaming Realms, the originator of the distinctive Slingo format, has expanded its presence in Africa by partnering with SportyBet in Nigeria, Kenya, and Ghana, only weeks following its market launch in South Africa.
Players in the area of the top operator can now explore a wide range of Slingo games, featuring popular titles like Slingo Sweet Bonanza, Slingo Day of the Dab, and Slingo Xxxtreme. The legendary product has demonstrated widespread attraction worldwide, delivering a distinct experience that fuses the thrill of slots with tactical elements.
The operator belongs to Sporty Group, a global media and entertainment firm that possesses licenses to provide betting and online casino offerings in various regulated African areas.
Entering the three newly regulated markets marks a significant accomplishment for Gaming Realms, with Africa being a crucial growth region for the provider that has quickly expanded its footprint in Europe and North America in the past year. The newest expansion comes after a recent market launch in South Africa, with the company planning to grow further in the African region soon.
Laura Norton, Account Manager at Gaming Realms, said: “Entering three new African markets at once together with SportyBet is a fantastic achievement for the Gaming Realms team.
“We are encouraged by the initial performance and are confident our unique content is appealing to SportyBet’s local customers and look forward to a successful partnership.”
Joey Hurtado, Director of Casino at SportyBet, said: “Being the first operator to introduce Gaming Realms’ content in three of our core African markets is a real coup.
“Their product offering provides something truly different and this collaboration helps us deliver on our promise to offer our customers a best-in-class entertainment experience.”
The post Gaming Realms expands into three African markets via SportyBet partnership appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Africa
Greentube partners with World Sports Betting to expand in South Africa
Deal follows Greentube’s spring 2025 market entry and brings Book of Ra and other slots to the operator’s casino lobby.
Greentube has signed a content partnership with South African operator World Sports Betting, extending its distribution in the country following its market entry in spring 2025.
Under the agreement, World Sports Betting will roll out a selection of Greentube titles, mixing new releases with established land-based games. Initial launches include Queen Cleopatra and 25 Red Hot 7 Clover Link.
The wider lineup named in the announcement includes Book of Ra, Lucky Lady’s Charm and Sizzling Hot. Greentube said the content package has been tailored for South Africa.
Razvan Glodea, Sales and Key Account Manager at Greentube, said: “We’ve been working hard to bring our games live with such an important brand in the South African market, and we’re excited to make our portfolio accessible to even more players.
“With our iconic titles that players already know and love, we’re confident in gaining strong engagement alongside World Sports Betting. We’re also looking forward to delivering great results, supported by a range of exciting promotional activities planned for players very soon.”
Ryno Du Plessis at World Sports Betting, added: “Greentube’s portfolio features some of the most recognisable titles in the industry, and we’re delighted to bring these games to our players.
“This partnership allows us to further strengthen our casino offering with content that has a proven track record, while also introducing exciting new games tailored to our audience.”
The post Greentube partners with World Sports Betting to expand in South Africa appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
-
Asia4 days agoEGT Brings High-Impact Asian-Themed Portfolio to SiGMA Asia 2026
-
Africa4 days agoGreentube partners with World Sports Betting to expand in South Africa
-
Africa4 days agoGaming Realms expands into three African markets via SportyBet partnership
-
Conference4 days agoDanish regulator to speak at Gaming in the Nordics launch event
-
Argentina4 days agoStake continues Latin American expansion with Argentina launch
-
affiliate marketing3 days agoCasinoCanada partners with LolaJack Casino to expand Canadian visibility
-
BETER4 days agoBETER expands US footprint with Illinois approval
-
Ben Wood CCO at Playson4 days agoPlayson strengthens North American footprint with Caesars Entertainment partnership



