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Xanada Pitch Contest Closes with $50K Winner, Public Choice Winner, 100+ Startups involved, and Global Founder Momentum
At this year’s NEXT Summit in Valletta, the Xanada Pitch Contest — one of the most talked-about investment events in the industry — reached its finale.
Organized by Xanada Investments, the contest brought together startups, investors, and business leaders for a high-stakes pitch competition that reflects the fund’s mission: to support bold founders building the future.
The finalists — Sweepium, Jurnii, MoneyPools, BetRaze, and StatsDrone — delivered top-tier performances during a high-stakes pitch battle on May 8 in Valetta. Each had undergone an in-depth selection process and an on-stage rehearsal that resulted in one of the highest-quality showcases the industry has seen, judged by:
- Vladimir Malakchi (CEO & Managing Partner at Xanada Investments)
- Pierre Lindh (Co-founder & Managing Director at NEXT.io)
- Dmitry Belianin (CEO & Founder at Belianin)
- Justin Paul Anastasi (CEO at VentureMax)
For many, the contest’s impact extended beyond the stage:
“The Xanada pitch contest provided our start-up with a platform to not only showcase our business to the four judges, but to the whole industry. Our pitch led to a number of concrete opportunities from investors, advisors and potential clients. It was a huge and rare opportunity to stand side by side on the biggest stage with the best of the industry”.
Fraser Dunk, CEO at Jurnii
“The Xanada Pitch Contest did everything we hoped for and more when it comes to getting investor intros. Not only did we get the attention, the interest from investors is stronger than without. Even for investors knowing we were pitching has opened doors. This event will be a pivotal moment in our growth and journey of our company. We are forever grateful to Xanada Investments and Vladimir Malakchi for putting this together to make our lives easier”.
John Wright, CEO & Co-Founder at StatsDrone
“I was really impressed with the great organisation of the event and the kindness of the team. It is important to give start-ups the stage to present their ideas and get feedback, no matter the stage. That’s exactly what we’ve received. I made so many valuable connections at the event and was contacted by interesting people afterwards. I really loved the experience, and I’m looking for more contests from Xanada Investments.”
Idir Alane, CEO at MoneyPools
The Winners
The Xanada Pitch Contest ended with two standout winners — each recognized for different strengths.
The Grand Winner was selected by a panel of expert judges, who scored each finalist across five key criteria: Idea, Business Model, Team, Market Potential, and Progress & Traction.
Meanwhile, the Public Choice Award was determined by a two-week online vote, drawing over 500 unique submissions from supporters and community members.
Sweepium, a B2B platform and game aggregator aiming to transform the sweepstakes space, took the top spot — earning the $50,000 equity investment and securing a strategic partnership with Xanada Investments.
Jurnii, a UX-focused agency powered by proprietary AI tools that deliver automated insights and design recommendations, won over the public and claimed the Public Choice Award. As part of the prize, they gained access to exclusive partner offerings from NEXT.io, Lilith PR Agency, 15M Mastery, and AffPapa — support designed to help propel their next stage of growth.
“We built Xanada Investments to be the kind of fund we wished existed when we were founders,” said Vladimir Malakchi, CEO & Managing Partner at Xanada Investments.
“This contest is just the beginning. We’re actively looking to back exceptional founders across the iGaming space — and provide them with the resources, network, and capital they need to reach their full potential. If you’ve got a product with traction, a strong team, and a scalable vision — we want to hear from you.”
Xanada Is Looking for What’s Next
The contest may be over — but opportunities with Xanada Investments are wide open. The fund continues to review early-stage startups for investment and long-term partnership.
If you’re building or scaling in iGaming, you can still pitch your ventures directly — beyond the contest — by reaching out at [email protected].
Under Xanada’s model, startups get more than just funding — they get active partners, access to a trusted network, and a fast-moving approach to growth.
The post Xanada Pitch Contest Closes with $50K Winner, Public Choice Winner, 100+ Startups involved, and Global Founder Momentum appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
iGP, the full-service iGaming platform and aggregator provider, has added BGaming to its expanding content aggregator, iGaming Deck, in a move that further supports its commitment to scalable, player-focused content delivery.
The partnership brings BGaming’s creative portfolio of over 200 games to iGaming Deck’s rapidly growing content suite, which now offers operators access to more than 10,000 titles from 100+ providers via a single API integration.
Known for its engaging game mechanics, crypto-friendly features, and bold design style, BGaming’s catalogue includes slots, crash, casual games, and more, enhancing the depth and diversity of iGaming Deck’s already comprehensive offering.
The partnership reflects iGP’s continued investment in delivering value to operators through smart aggregation, as it scales iGaming Deck with quality content and tools that support sustainable growth across markets, such as iGP’s fortune wheel builder, Twist of Luck, and jackpot offering designed to help operators drive deeper player interaction and elevate campaigns.
Jovana Popovic Canaki, CEO at iGP, said: “We are building iGaming Deck to be the most efficient and impactful aggregator solution in the market, and BGaming is a fantastic fit for that vision. Their crypto expertise, proven performance, and distinctive game style align perfectly with the demands of forward-thinking operators.”
Olga Levshina, Chief Commercial Officer at BGaming, said: “Joining the iGaming Deck platform is a great opportunity for BGaming to expand our reach and bring our games to a wider network of operators. iGP’s integration model is fast and reliable, and we’re confident this partnership will deliver strong results for both teams.”
The post iGP expands iGaming Deck portfolio with BGaming integration appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
REEVO is thrilled to announce a new partnership with Spinomenal, one of the industry’s most innovative content providers, known for their visually stunning and feature-rich HTML5 video slots.
With a portfolio of over 300 cutting-edge games and a global footprint backed by licenses in Malta, Romania, Greece, the UK, New Jersey, and more, Spinomenal’s unique Universe Concept and commitment to player engagement make them a perfect fit for REEVO’s dynamic aggregation platform.
This collaboration will see Spinomenal’s high-performing titles integrated seamlessly into REEVO’s ever-growing ecosystem, enabling REEVO partners to access world-class content that drives player acquisition and retention across key regulated markets.
Daniel Cuc, Head of Account Management at REEVO, commented: “Partnering with Spinomenal is a testament to our drive to continuously bring the best-in-class content to our partners. Their immersive gameplay, innovative features, and global recognition make them an ideal addition to the REEVO aggregation platform. We’re excited to offer our clients even more value through this collaboration, as we continue scaling our reach and impact across regulated markets.”
Yossi Shayovits, Head of Business Development at Spinomenal added: “Partnering with REEVO adds further momentum to Spinomenal’s strategic expansion globally, with the Belgian market forming a major element.”
This partnership reinforces REEVO’s mission to become the go-to aggregator for premium iGaming content, delivering speed, scalability, and standout experiences to operators and players alike.
Stay tuned as REEVO continues to onboard the industry’s most exciting studios—fueling our collective growth, one partnership at a time.
The post REEVO Aggregator Grows Stronger as Spinomenal Joins In appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Zitro continues to raise the bar in slot performance, with its CONCEPT cabinet debuting as the #1-ranking cabinet among US emerging suppliers in the July 2025 Eilers-Fantini Cabinet Performance Report.
This milestone underscores Zitro’s growing presence in the North American market and reflects strong operator demand for innovative form factors paired with high-performing content.
Further building on this momentum, Zitro’s latest title, Legendary Sword, has joined the Top Indexing NEW Games – Core, Video ranking, highlighting the company’s strength in delivering compelling game experiences that resonate with players.
“Our consistent focus on innovation and quality is what drives Zitro forward,” said Johnny Ortiz, Founder of Zitro. “This is a proud moment for us and every team member behind the CONCEPT cabinet. We’ve always believed our products could stand alongside the industry’s best — and seeing CONCEPT debut at #1 confirms that operators and players believe it too. And this is just the beginning of what we have in store for the market.”
The post ZITRO’S CONCEPT CABINET MAKES #1 DEBUT IN US EILERS-FANTINI REPORT appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
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