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SOFTGAMES sells its Web Business to Azerion

Published

5 years ago

August 10, 2021

Reading Time: 2 minutes

SOFTGAMES, the well-known German instant gaming company developing casual, truly social games, announces the sale of its Web Business to Azerion, the leading pan-European digital gaming and monetisation company.

With this major deal, Azerion now provides advertisers an extended reach with 300 additional premium web games through its platform (including the popular Garden Tales franchise) and a crossword puzzle platform designed by SOFTGAMES. This boosts Azerion’s offering in key regions and adds to their younger audience segments and, with the crosswords, reaches more mature players.

The two companies have established a long-term relationship in which Azerion publishes games on the web already developed by SOFTGAMES, as well as those still to be developed in the future. By these means, Azerion’s platform continuously evolves, offering clients an even more tailored audience reach.

In addition, Azerion takes over all of SOFTGAMES’ business operations in the web browser games segment. Historically, SOFTGAMES has formed steadfast partnerships with some of the biggest agencies, advertisers and media companies and their sites (Tribune Content Agency e.g. Chicago Tribune and Reach Plc. e.g. Mirror.co.uk).

Erol Erturk, Executive VP Games & Strategic Partnerships at Azerion said: “This deal offers SOFTGAMES’ partners the ability to leverage Azerion’s growing ecosystem and technology providing additional and long-term monetisation opportunities for media companies while improving reach for advertisers.”

Alexander Krug, CEO & Co-Founder of SOFTGAMES, said: “Over the last decade SOFTGAMES has built a unique and massive ecosystem around the distribution & monetization of HTML5 casual games across the web. As the web games market has reached maturity and our focus has shifted more and more towards Instant Games in the past years, the deal with Azerion is the next logical step for us.

Andre Krug, COO & Co-Founder of SOFTGAMES, said: “Selling our web business allows us to unite our workforce, vision and focus on Instant Games. We are now well positioned to grow even faster to become the leading developer on that exciting new platform.”

Alona Shevtsova

Sends CEO Alona Shevtsova moderates Global Gaming Expansion panel in Riyadh

Published

8 minutes ago

June 25, 2026

Wladimir P.

sends-ceo-alona-shevtsova-moderates-global-gaming-expansion-panel-in-riyadh

Alona Shevtsova, CEO of Sends, will moderate a panel at The Blockchain show on 29^th June, bringing together experts from entertainment, location-based gaming, and content localisation to examine what it takes to build sustainable gaming ecosystems across emerging markets.

The panel, titled “Global Gaming Expansion: Lessons from Untapped Markets,” will structure its discussion across four themes: the growth dynamics reshaping emerging gaming markets; the role of localisation in creating experiences that genuinely connect with new audiences; the infrastructure and communities needed to build gaming ecosystems beyond the game itself; and the lessons and opportunities that will define successful expansion in the years ahead.

Alona Shevtsova plans to frame the discussion around the central challenge for companies looking to expand globally: entering a new market requires far more than bringing an existing product to a new audience. Understanding local cultures, building communities, adapting experiences, and creating ecosystems that allow gaming to grow sustainably are all as important as the product itself.

Alona Shevtsova, CEO of Sends, said:

“The future growth of gaming will come not only from new technologies, but from understanding people — their cultures, communities, and the experiences they want to be part of. Successful expansion will belong to those who can combine global ambition with local understanding.”

The first segment will examine why regions including the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia are becoming increasingly significant for developers, operators, and investors — driven by young audiences, accelerating digital adoption, and new entertainment models creating substantial growth potential. Panellists will explore how consumer preferences differ across markets and what trends among younger audiences are shaping the future of gaming and entertainment.

The third segment will broaden the lens beyond the game itself, exploring the role of location-based entertainment, gaming centres, esports, and experiential destinations in attracting new audiences and building long-term communities. Panellists plan to address how entertainment ecosystems — spanning physical venues, events, and community infrastructure — accelerate gaming adoption in markets where the category is still establishing itself.

Earlier this month, Alona Shevtsova was shortlisted for the 2026 Great British Entrepreneur Awards in the Established Business of the Year category. Her team is also preparing for the Fintech Connect conference in London later this year. Sends will be a leading sponsor of this event.

*Sends is a trade name of SMARTFLOW PAYMENTS LIMITED, registered in England and Wales (Company No.11070048). For more information, visit sends.co .

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