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
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Africa
Altenar obtains National Manufacturer licence in South Africa
Leading sportsbook provider prepares to debut in African market after rigorous certification process
Altenar, a leading sportsbook and iGaming software provider, has successfully obtained a licence from the Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board (WCGRB), marking a significant milestone in its expansion into the burgeoning South African market.
Altenar is now a registered and licenced National Manufacturer in the thriving jurisdiction, following a rigorous process. During the initial stages, several stakeholders were required to complete detailed KYC and compliance checks, as well as fill in significant paperwork to demonstrate the provider’s suitability.
This latest market debut demonstrates Altenar’s position as a sought-after partner with a flexible and localised solution. The opportunity opens up the doors to further expansion on the African continent and demonstrates its appeal to operators across multiple continents.
Sam Hill, Sales Director at Altenar, said: “Altenar is delighted to receive our licence to supply our sportsbook solution into South Africa. It is another significant step for us globally and is a key target market for us to further establish our product. We’re confident we have all the necessary product features and quality to offer the best solution on the market. This is across core sports such as football and racing, as well as offering customers the ease to prioritise key local content and sports via our highly flexible UI/UX.
“There are also a variety of ways that we support seamless cross-sell between products, which in a market such as South Africa, with the popularity of all verticals, will stand us and our customers in good stead. We are looking forward to the future in South Africa and the wider African market.”
The post Altenar obtains National Manufacturer licence in South Africa appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Africa
SYNOT Games Expands to the Nigerian Market Through a Strategic Partnership with betBonanza
SYNOT Games, a leading global casino game developer, has announced its expansion into the Nigerian iGaming market through a new partnership with betBonanza.
As a result of this collaboration, betBonanza players will have access to SYNOT Games‘ acclaimed portfolio of over 150 unique and engaging titles. The initial launch will feature ten highly popular games, including Aztec Jaguar Megaways, All Ways Queen, Forest Maiden, and Rio Mystery Night. The operator will continue to expand its offering, adding five new games each week until the full portfolio becomes available.
By joining forces, SYNOT Games and betBonanza aim to meet the growing demand for premium gaming content in Nigeria’s thriving market, setting a new standard for entertainment and innovation.
Unity Nwanze, Business Operations Manager at betBonanza, said: “We are excited to expand our Casino game portfolio with the addition of SYNOT Games! It’s a great opportunity to present our players with fun games and thrilling ways to win. We look forward to a rewarding partnership.”
Kristína Ďaďová, Sales Manager at SYNOT Games, added: “Our goal is to provide the highest level of entertainment and by partnering with betBonanza, we will be able to offer top-quality games to a whole new audience. I believe this cooperation will strengthen our position in a market as demanding as Nigeria.”
The post SYNOT Games Expands to the Nigerian Market Through a Strategic Partnership with betBonanza appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Africa
888bets Goes Live in Malawi
888bets has launched in Malawi, expanding the online operator’s presence across Africa.
The brand, which is a joint venture between 888 owner evoke and 888Africa, unveiled a television advert to support its entry into its latest market.
888Africa co-founder and CEO Christopher Coyne said: “Delighted to announce that 888Africa has now launched into our seventh African market with Malawi. We are live from today [Friday, November 29].
“I’m so proud of the work of the outstanding 888Africa teams, too many to mention in the run to get us live, but I will note Alex Rutherford [888Africa chief growth officer] for his work on licensing, and I’ll mention also Andrew Lee [chief revenue officer], Steven McIntosh [VP product] and Zeljka Perkovic for their massive contributions on the project side.”
The post 888bets Goes Live in Malawi appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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