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Leading players from the gaming and tech industry invest in short-video startup

Published

6 years ago

July 9, 2020

Reading Time: 2 minutes

What do leaders from Whatsapp, Playrix, Nekki, Aptoide, Dashdash and Unbabel have in common? They recently invested in Replai, a Portuguese startup that uses artificial intelligence to create short-videos in real time and increase the value of gaming audiences. The $1.3M seed round led by Bright Pixel, alongside Ideias Glaciares, Clever Advertising and other c-level business angels from the mentioned companies will be assigned to business development, recruitment and international expansion, with the UK and the US as priorities.

Founded in 2019 by João Costa and Francisco Pacheco, both with relevant backgrounds in mobile gaming and monetization, Replai is an AI-based pioneering platform that automates the creation of short-videos and optimizes them for different target audiences, improving sponsorship and advertising deals for the content owner. With short-videos as a rising trend in the digital sphere and already one of the most popular formats amongst Gen-Z, Replai identified an untapped opportunity in the market, since video editing at scale requires many hours and resulting content yields uncertain returns. Aiming to fill this gap, the Portuguese startup relies on advanced artificial intelligence algorithms that analyze longer videos, extract almost instantly the main highlights adapted to preferences of different users and predict their revenue potential.

Replai’s solution automatically puts together a set of highlights from any gaming livestream, creating custom-made clips for each social network to maximize audiences and generate revenue for sponsors and advertisers. “This round allows us, above all, to gather a panel of experts in gaming and technology that will help us take the next step growth-wise as soon as possible”, say João Costa and Francisco Pacheco, founders of Replai.

For Bright Pixel, who led this debut round, the investment reflects a reinforcement of its positioning on emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, and poses as evidence of the remarkable entrepreneurial ecosystem in Portugal. The Portuguese startup has a team of 10 employees and is as advisors counts on people who are part of well-known companies worldwide such as EA Sports, Microsoft and WhatsApp.

“Replai stands out for their AI technology which enables automatic creation and distribution of short videos, this being a transversal need to any area that uses video as a communication method. Besides the innovative solution, Replai is founded by two young entrepreneurs with a proved record of user acquisition, strong technical know-how and the ambition to grow the business globally. This combination of factors was decisive and provides us confidence in consolidating Replai’s success” explains Benjamin Júnior, co-founder and a member of the investment team at Bright Pixel.

Alexander Lubchenko, CMO at Nekki, mentions that “Replai is providing a way to improve the value of gaming and esports as a mainstream entertainment platform and allows promoters, broadcasters and communities to grow. Their use of AI ensures scalability by solving a lot of pain points when using livestreams and video, while allowing content creation instantly at scale. I’m excited to partner with them on this journey.”

“I’m really excited to be part of the Replai journey. Their AI developed solution will massively accelerate distribution and monetisation of gaming and esports streaming and greatly move the industry forward. I feel Replai’s impact will start to be felt very soon – watch this space!” says Wolfgang Allisat, Chief Revenue Officer at Unbabel.

Latest News

Tony Bellew signs as PartyPoker brand ambassador through 2026

Published

3 hours ago

July 10, 2026

Wladimir P.

Former WBC cruiserweight champion to appear at PartyPoker Tour UK stops and take part in online activations.

PartyPoker has appointed former WBC Cruiserweight World Champion Tony Bellew as a brand ambassador for the remainder of 2026, with appearances tied to the operator’s live PartyPoker Tour and online poker offering.

The company said Bellew will be “a regular face” at its remaining UK tour stops this season following an earlier appearance at the PartyPoker Tour Birmingham. Bellew will also take part in online activity linked to the PartyPoker schedule.

“I had such a great time at the PartyPoker Tour Birmingham. The atmosphere, the people and the passion for the game were incredible. I’m really excited to be joining the PartyPoker team for the rest of the year, getting involved at the live events, meeting players and seeing where the cards take me,” Bellew said.

PartyPoker said Bellew is scheduled to attend each remaining UK stop on the 2026 PartyPoker Tour: London in July, Glasgow in August, Cork in November, and London in December. The operator also referenced a series of exclusive online events running alongside the live calendar.

The post Tony Bellew signs as PartyPoker brand ambassador through 2026 appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Arizona

Arizona regulator orders five operators to stop alleged illegal gambling activity

Published

3 hours ago

July 10, 2026

Wladimir P.

arizona-regulator-orders-five-operators-to-stop-alleged-illegal-gambling-activity

Cease-and-desist letters cite alleged felonies and underage access tied to BetOpenly, Bookmaker, Club WPT Online Poker, Kutt Inc., and Raffle Creator.

The Arizona Department of Gaming said it has issued cease-and-desist orders to five online platforms—BetOpenly, Bookmaker, Club WPT Online Poker, Kutt Inc., and Raffle Creator—after investigations that the Department says involved alleged illegal gambling activity and underage access in Arizona.

In its announcement, the Department said each enforcement action alleges conduct giving rise to three felonies under Arizona law: promotion of gambling, illegal control of an enterprise, and money laundering. The agency cited Arizona’s prohibition on gambling unless specifically authorized (Ariz. Rev. Stat. Tit. 13, Ch. 33) and said the legal gambling age in the state is 21.

“Arizona is taking decisive action against illegal gambling operators that put Arizonans at risk,” said Jackie Johnson, Department Director. “Our top priority is protecting Arizonans and I’m grateful for the efforts of our intelligence unit led by Chief Law Enforcement Officer Doug Jensen to do just that. Through these cease-and-desist orders we are putting operators on notice: their conduct runs contrary to Arizona law and they must stop promoting illegal gambling.”

The Department’s letters describe different alleged violations by operator. For BetOpenly, the Department said peer-to-peer gambling rules prohibit third-party benefit, and alleged the platform benefited via a commission structure while enabling event wagering and daily fantasy sports contests without the required state licenses, including availability to underage Arizonans. For Bookmaker, the Department said its investigation found wagering on horse racing, casino games, and sports betting without an event wagering license or an advanced deposit wagering provider license, adding that online casino games are not legal in Arizona.

For Club WPT Online Poker, the Department alleged the platform enabled individuals under 21 in Arizona to enter pay-to-play online poker tournaments for prizes while using deceptive “no purchase necessary” language; the Department said online poker is illegal in Arizona. For Kutt Inc., the Department said Arizona “social” gambling prohibits third-party benefit and directed the operator to stop allowing Arizona users to deposit money and wager on sports, politics, pop culture, and casino-style games. For Raffle Creator, the Department said the operator did not meet requirements that allow Arizona nonprofits to conduct lawful raffles and alleged it allowed people under 21 to purchase tickets for prize chances.

The Department said the notified entities are directed to immediately stop all gambling operations and activities in Arizona “whether through mobile applications, online, or otherwise,” and to cease any future illegal gambling in the state. It added that future actions may include criminal charges or civil action against entities, principals, and employees, and that operators “may be subject to a potential award of restitution” and forfeiture of monies acquired due to the alleged conduct.

The post Arizona regulator orders five operators to stop alleged illegal gambling activity appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Latest News

Former WBC World Champion Tony Bellew Joins PartyPoker as Brand Ambassador

Published

3 hours ago

July 10, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

Tony Bellew has officially joined the PartyPoker Brand Ambassador team for the remainder of 2026, strengthening the brand’s growing roster of ambassadors and reinforcing its commitment to bringing poker to a wider audience.

A former WBC Cruiserweight World Champion and one of Britain’s most recognisable sporting personalities, Bellew will play an active role across both PartyPoker’s live tour and online offering throughout the rest of the year.

Speaking about joining the team, Tony Bellew said: “I had such a great time at the PartyPoker Tour Birmingham. The atmosphere, the people and the passion for the game were incredible. I’m really excited to be joining the PartyPoker team for the rest of the year, getting involved at the live events, meeting players and seeing where the cards take me.”

His return follows a hugely successful appearance at the PartyPoker Tour Birmingham earlier this year, where he embraced the atmosphere, spent time with players and immersed himself in the event. After thoroughly enjoying the experience, Bellew will now become a regular face at the remaining UK stops on the PartyPoker Tour throughout the rest of the 2026 season.

As part of his ambassadorial role, Bellew will attend every remaining UK stop PartyPoker Tour in 2026:

London – July
Glasgow – August
Cork – November
London – December

With four live festival stops and a series of exclusive online events still to come, players will have plenty of opportunities to meet Bellew at the tables throughout the remainder of the 2026 PartyPoker calendar. Look out for opportunities to take him on online, and at the PartyPoker Tour in Glasgow, Cork and London.

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