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Mobile apps developer and publisher Homa Games raises a record $15 million, the largest European Seed round in 2021

Published

5 years ago

February 8, 2021

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Homa Games, a mobile developer and publisher with more than 30 apps in its portfolio, has raised a record $15 million Seed round from Idinvest Partners, e.ventures & renowned business angels.

Since its foundation in 2018, Homa Games has chosen HyperCasual as its main focus and has created multiple worldwide game hits of the genre such as Tower Color, Sky Roller and NERF Epic Pranks!. Combining in-house made tech and its own creative studio, Homa Games provides the service of unique excellence to its studio-partners with the focal point on automation and optimization at every step of app production and publishing.

GROWING EXPONENTIALLY EXPONENTIALLY DESPITE COVID RESTRICTIONS

The company’s rapid growth fell on the world-turning pandemic, making it one of the only startups in France actively hiring during the national lockdown. Homa Games quadrupled its team in the past year, expanding the offices to Toulouse, Lisbon and Skopje with the HQ remaining in Paris, and absorbed free-to-play mobile Toulouse-based studio IRL Team. In the same span of time, the company’s milestones were topped by reaching 250 million lifetime downloads, with one of the biggest contributors being NERF Epic Pranks! – one of the first IP HyperCasual games on the market and the company’s first licenced game in collaboration with Hasbro.

“Resilience, task ownership and teamwork are the basis of Homa Games culture, and what allowed us not only to be fully operational during the lockdown, but succeeding in innovation and growth.” shared Oliver le Bas, CRO and Co-founder.

By 2021 Homa Games consolidated its growth by hiring key management figures, including VP of Operations, Julien Bourhis, previously project leader for Boston Consulting Group, Naveen Mewani, Head of Growth Strategies and Romain Levrini, VP of Finance.

DISRUPTING THE CONTENT CREATION PROCESS TO RELEASE LEADING MOBILE APPS WORLDWIDE

“HyperCasual is paving the way for a new production flow to release fun games at a very fast speed. At Homa, we are creating technologies to push this vision a step further, and our goal is to disrupt the content creation process to release the most entertaining apps to a massive audience. We unlock the creativity of developers around the world. This Seed round will enable us to invest further in talents, IP licensing, and products.” Daniel Nathan, CEO & Co-Founder Homa Games.

IDINVEST PARTNERS AND E.VENTURES SUPPORT WILL ACCELERATE HOMA’S GLOBAL EXPANSION AND IMPACT ON THE MOBILE INDUSTRY

In the ever growing mobile industry Homa aims to further diversify and expand their portfolio, innovate and create new tech in User Acquisition and Monetisation, and prototyping and development. The company will combine its expertise with the experience of Idinvest Partners, a European venture capital firm and holder of the Venture 2020 fund prize by Private Equity Magazine, and e.ventures, a leading early-stage early-stage American venture capital fund which invested in Farfetch, Sonos, Scopely, Blinkist and Gopuff among other companies. OneRagtime, a French venture capital fund is also participating in the round. Renowned business angels invested in the company including Jean-Marie Messier (ex-Vivendi CEO), Vladimir Lasocki (Managing Director and Co-Head Carlyle Europe Technology Partners), John Cheng (ex-GM Data Products at Unity) & Alexis Bonillo (Co-Founder of Zenly).

Benoist Grossmann, Managing Partner at Idinvest Partners, and Jonathan Userovici, Partner at e.ventures are joining the board of Homa Games.

Benoist Grossmann declares: “The world of mobile games is booming. Homa is already becoming one the leading players in the space with an exceptional team innovating at a crazy pace.”

“Homa built its own proprietary technologies and tools over the past years, making its end-to-end platform one of the most efficient and successful worldwide. The team is building better and better apps & games, reaching hundreds of millions of users and building long-term playful relationships with this audience” adds Jonathan Userovici.

Boston

Global Experts to Gather in Boston for First US Symposium on Online Gambling and Public Health

Published

50 minutes ago

April 10, 2026

Wladimir P.

global-experts-to-gather-in-boston-for-first-us-symposium-on-online-gambling-and-public-health

A major international discussion on the future of online gambling regulation is set to take place in the United States later this month, as the Public Health Advocacy Institute (PHAI) prepares to host its first global symposium dedicated to the sector’s public health impact.

The event, titled “Online Gambling and the Public Health Movement,” will be held on April 24, 2026, at Northeastern University in Boston, bringing together policymakers, researchers, and industry observers from across the US, Europe, and Australia.

The symposium comes at a time of rapid expansion in online betting markets, particularly in the United States, following the 2018 Supreme Court decision that opened the door to state-level sports betting regulation. Since then, mobile-first platforms, micro-betting features, and AI-driven betting tools have significantly reshaped the landscape.

Focus on Regulation and Risk

According to the organisers, the event will focus on the growing calls for stronger consumer protections, as well as the broader societal impact of digital gambling products.

Discussions are expected to cover:

The rise of micro-betting and real-time wagering
The role of AI and data-driven betting systems
The effectiveness of current responsible gambling frameworks
The need for federal and state-level safety standards

Recent legislative proposals in the US, including the SAFE Bet Act and similar initiatives across multiple states, signal increasing political attention on the issue.

Global Experts and Policymakers to Attend

The speaker lineup includes a mix of academic, clinical, and political voices, such as:

Public health researchers from Monash University and the University of Bath
Representatives from the US federal and state governments
Specialists in gambling addiction and behavioural research

The goal, according to PHAI, is to explore evidence-based approaches to regulation and harm reduction.

Industry Under Increasing Scrutiny

The symposium also follows a series of legal actions initiated by PHAI targeting major industry stakeholders, highlighting growing scrutiny around business practices and consumer protection.

As online gambling continues to scale globally, events like this reflect a broader shift toward cross-sector dialogue between regulators, public health experts, and industry participants.

The post Global Experts to Gather in Boston for First US Symposium on Online Gambling and Public Health appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

betting platforms

US Public Health Debate Intensifies as Boston Hosts Landmark Online Gambling Symposium

Published

50 minutes ago

April 10, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

us-public-health-debate-intensifies-as-boston-hosts-landmark-online-gambling-symposium

As scrutiny around online gambling intensifies in the United States, a landmark symposium in Boston is set to bring the issue of public health and regulation into sharper focus.

The Public Health Advocacy Institute (PHAI) has announced it will host the country’s first international symposium dedicated to the public health impact of online gambling on April 24, 2026, at Northeastern University.

The event comes amid growing concern over the speed at which digital betting has expanded across the US, particularly in the years following the legalization of sports betting in multiple states.

From Market Growth to Public Health Debate

What began as a state-driven expansion of sports wagering has evolved into a broader ecosystem that now includes:

Mobile-first betting platforms
Micro-betting and in-play wagering
Algorithm-driven and AI-supported betting tools

Public health experts argue that these developments have outpaced regulation, raising concerns about addiction risks, accessibility, and consumer safeguards.

Survey data continues to reflect mixed public sentiment, with a significant portion of Americans expressing concerns over the integrity of sports and the social impact of betting.

Policy Momentum Building Across States

The symposium will also highlight a wave of legislative efforts aimed at tightening controls on the industry. Proposals such as the SAFE Bet Act, alongside state-level initiatives in Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, and Ohio, indicate a shift toward stricter oversight, including potential limits on high-risk betting formats like micro-betting.

Bringing Together Key Stakeholders

The Boston event will gather a broad coalition of stakeholders, including:

US lawmakers and regulators
Public health professionals
Academic researchers specialising in gambling behaviour
Policy advocates and legal experts

Key discussion points will include the limitations of current responsible gaming models, the need for federal safety standards, and strategies to reduce gambling-related harm.

Legal Pressure Adds to Industry Tensions

The symposium follows recent legal action involving major operators and sports stakeholders, underlining the increasingly complex relationship between rapid market growth and regulatory accountability in the US gambling sector.

As the conversation evolves, the Boston gathering is expected to play a role in shaping how policymakers and stakeholders approach the next phase of online gambling regulation in America.

The post US Public Health Debate Intensifies as Boston Hosts Landmark Online Gambling Symposium appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

AI in gaming

ZingBrain AI Boosts Hondubet Engagement

Published

15 hours ago

April 9, 2026

Wladimir P.

ZingBrain AI Drives Hondubet Growth with Real-Time Personalisation

ZingBrain AI is reshaping the iGaming landscape by delivering measurable performance gains for Hondubet through advanced real-time personalization technology.

By replacing its manually curated casino lobby with a fully automated, API-driven solution, Hondubet has unlocked a new level of player engagement and operational efficiency. The AI-powered system dynamically adapts content to individual player behaviors, ensuring that each user encounters games tailored to their unique preferences.

Significant Performance Gains Across Player Segments

Data from a controlled A/B test comparing the legacy manual lobby with the new personalized system highlights substantial improvements:

A 25% increase in Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) and turnover among newly registered players
A 10% rise in total bets placed by returning users
A 25% boost in the number of unique games explored across the player base

These results underscore the effectiveness of AI-driven personalization in enhancing both user engagement and revenue generation.

From Manual Management to Intelligent Automation

Previously, Hondubet relied heavily on manual processes to manage its casino lobby, requiring constant updates and resource-intensive oversight. According to Julian Pareja Garcia of Hondubet, the shift to ZingBrain AI has been transformative.

The automated system continuously learns from player interactions, refining game recommendations and lobby sections without human intervention. This allows the operator’s team to focus on strategic initiatives rather than routine maintenance.

Smarter Player Experiences Through AI Innovation

Oleg Smolerov emphasized the collaborative approach between the two companies, highlighting a shared commitment to innovation and product excellence.

Rather than static content placement, the AI engine ensures that every element of the lobby evolves in response to real-time data. This creates a more intuitive and engaging user experience, where players are presented with content that feels both relevant and natural.

Aligning Commercial Goals with User Experience

Beyond engagement metrics, the integration also supports Hondubet’s commercial strategy. Through ZingBrain AI’s Game Promotion tool, priority titles can be strategically surfaced within personalized sections.

Crucially, the system evaluates performance continuously. Games that fail to resonate with players are automatically deprioritized and replaced with more relevant options. This ensures a balance between promotional objectives and player satisfaction, maximizing both retention and monetization.

A New Standard for iGaming Personalisation

The success of this integration signals a broader shift within the iGaming industry toward intelligent automation and data-driven experiences. By leveraging AI to personalize every touchpoint, operators like Hondubet are setting new benchmarks for engagement, efficiency, and revenue growth.

As competition intensifies, solutions like ZingBrain AI are poised to become essential tools for operators seeking to deliver meaningful, high-performing user experiences at scale.

The post ZingBrain AI Boosts Hondubet Engagement appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.