Canada
NEON Closes Successful Seed Funding Round, Raising $10.5 Million Led by Griffin Gaming Partners
Griffin Gaming Partners, Polychain Capital, and Forte.io have invested in the development of a AAA blockchain-enabled game by the talent behind Halo, Call of Duty, and Star Wars
NEON, an independent game studio, has closed a successful seed funding round, raising $10.5 million USD to build the world’s first blockchain-enabled AAA first-person shooter game. Demonstrating significant interest in the project across the gaming, blockchain, and technology sectors, the oversubscribed round was led by Griffin Gaming Partners, alongside Polychain Capital and Forte. Forte will also provide technical support to the project.
Designed to reward and empower players and creators, Shrapnel will be the world’s first blockchain-enabled AAA first-person shooter game. Full details of the game are set to be announced next year.
Commenting on the raise, Mark Long, CEO at NEON, said, “When we saw the market research that players want to truly own their digital items, we knew there was a unique opportunity in blockchain. Thanks to Griffin’s investment and expertise, along with Polychain and Forte, we can bring to life a game and mod platform that I’ve dreamed of making for years. This team is inspiring to work with. We know we have the right game with the right tech at the right time.”
Spun-out from HBO Interactive, the NEON team has unmatched professional experience in transmedia, virtual production, and gaming-as-a-service. Comprised of BAFTA and Emmy award-winning game industry veterans hailing from some of the world’s leading game companies including Xbox, Electronic Arts, HBO, LucasFilm, Irrational, and Zombie Ent amongst others, NEON’s vision is to create the most immersive gaming experience ever seen in the crypto space. To support this vision, a range of blockchain and deep tech experts will support the architectural and design needs of the game.
Pierre Planche, Partner at Griffin Gaming Partners, said, “Griffin is thrilled to be working closely with Mark and the NEON team as well as an awesome group of strategic partners. It is exciting to see a AAA games team of this caliber contribute to moving the blockchain gaming ecosystem forward with a focus on quality gameplay and long-term value. NEON is authentically leveraging some of the most exciting pillars of utility that blockchain has to offer gaming – its core game design innovates on competitive game modes, and its digital economy will directly reward and empower the community. As a long-time FPS player and prior esports competitor in the genre, I know Shrapnel is exactly the experience my peers and I can’t wait to get our hands on. “
Ben Perszyk, Partner at Polychain, said, “Polychain has long held that crypto will enable novel, unforeseen behaviors, businesses, and use cases, and we are seeing another example of that now with Shrapnel. We believe crypto assets and incentive structures will fundamentally change the way users play games, and we’re extremely excited to see the experienced team at NEON push the envelope forward on what’s possible in the crypto gaming industry by integrating crypto into a deep, immersive, AAA-style FPS experience.”
Josh Williams, CEO and Co-Founder of Forte, said, “Experienced game developers like the NEON team know that core gameplay and engagement mechanics are crucial for staying power. They are committed to creating sustainable blockchain ecosystems by putting game design and user experience first and we are honored they’ve chosen Forte to help them bring their vision to life.”
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AGCO
ThrillTech secures AGCO supplier licence for Ontario launch
ThrillTech has been awarded a Gaming-Related Supplier licence by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), clearing the company to launch in Ontario’s regulated market.
The licence allows ThrillTech to deploy its opt-in side bet jackpots technology with regulated online casino, sports betting and lottery operators across the province.
Benjamin Bradtke, Co-Founder of ThrillTech, said: “Securing our AGCO licence is a major step in our mission to transform how jackpots are delivered at scale across regulated markets. This latest certification is testament to our robust technology and trusted compliance frameworks, allowing us to continue our global growth trajectory. We are thrilled to bring our proven, compliant jackpot technology to Ontario, empowering locally licensed operators to uplift revenue without cannibalising existing spend.”
The company said its “ThrillPots” mechanics sit as an independent, player-funded side bet and do not alter the underlying game’s return-to-player mathematics.
ThrillTech said the Ontario approval enables its existing multinational partners that also operate in the province to launch its side bet jackpots locally, while it also holds talks with potential new operator partners. The company lists its regulated footprint as including the United Kingdom, Sweden, the Netherlands, Romania, Malta, Gibraltar, Brazil and Peru.
The post ThrillTech secures AGCO supplier licence for Ontario launch appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
AGCO
ThrillTech wins AGCO supplier licence to enter Ontario market
ThrillTech said it has been awarded a Gaming-Related Supplier licence by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), clearing the company to offer its side-bet jackpot technology to regulated online casino, sports betting, and lottery operators in Ontario.
Benjamin Bradtke, Co-Founder of ThrillTech, said: “Securing our AGCO licence is a major step in our mission to transform how jackpots are delivered at scale across regulated markets. This latest certification is testament to our robust technology and trusted compliance frameworks, allowing us to continue our global growth trajectory. We are thrilled to bring our proven, compliant jackpot technology to Ontario, empowering locally licensed operators to uplift revenue without cannibalising existing spend.”
The company said its ThrillPots product lets operators add player-funded, opt-in side-bet jackpots on top of existing games, without changing gameplay or the underlying return-to-player (RTP) calculations. ThrillTech positions the mechanic as a way to drive incremental engagement and revenue.
ThrillTech said the Ontario licence enables existing multinational partners that also operate in the province to roll out ThrillTech-powered jackpots locally, and added it is in discussions with potential new operator partners. The company listed other regulated jurisdictions it serves as the United Kingdom, Sweden, the Netherlands, Romania, Malta, Gibraltar, Brazil, and Peru.
The post ThrillTech wins AGCO supplier licence to enter Ontario market appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
AGLC
St8 Secures Alberta Licence, Strengthening North American Expansion
Casino games aggregator and full-service technology provider St8 has secured its registration to operate in Alberta as an iGaming Services Supplier, marking another significant milestone in the company’s strategy to expand across North America’s regulated iGaming markets.
St8 was among the first suppliers to secure a conditional approval granted by the AGLC, underlining the company’s readiness to support operators as the province prepares to open its regulated iGaming market.
Alberta represents a key market in St8’s North American growth strategy and follows the company’s expansion into Ontario earlier this year. With its latest approval, St8 is now regulated in some of the industry’s most sought-after jurisdictions, including Sweden, the UK, Romania, and Ontario, among others.
The Alberta approval enables St8 to provide its next-generation game aggregation services to licensed operators in Alberta, giving partners access to more than 200 premium game providers through a single API integration, alongside bonus and promotional tools, advanced reporting, compliance capabilities, and a suite of operational features designed to simplify casino management.
Purpose-built with modern infrastructure and regulatory flexibility at its core, the St8 software enables operators to launch premium casino content quickly, while also reducing the operational complexity typically associated with multi-provider integrations and expansion into new markets.
This registration builds on St8’s growing presence in regulated jurisdictions and reinforces the company’s commitment to supporting operators with scalable, compliant technology as new opportunities emerge across North America and beyond.
With compliance, speed and operational efficiency at the heart of its product, St8 remains focused on helping operators enter new markets with confidence while delivering seamless access to premium casino content through a single integration.
Eva Alšauskaite, Head of Legal at St8, said: “Securing our Alberta supplier registration represents another important step in St8’s international growth strategy and reflects our continued investment in regulated markets.
“As jurisdictions continue to evolve, operators need technology partners that combine innovation with a deep understanding of regulatory requirements. Obtaining this registration demonstrates our commitment to meeting those standards while providing operators with a solution that makes expansion into regulated markets as simple and efficient as possible.”
The post St8 Secures Alberta Licence, Strengthening North American Expansion appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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