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:

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• 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.”

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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.

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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.

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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.

Seasoned esports professional joins fast-betting content provider, bringing over 20 years of trading and product experience to elevate its offering

BETER, an award-winning provider of fast-betting content, data, and live streaming for esports and sports, has appointed former SIS senior executive Adam Conway as its new General Manager of Esports Business Division, significantly strengthening the company’s position in the market.

Conway is a highly accomplished manager in the betting industry, with more than 20 years of experience in overseeing and launching successful product portfolios.

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Adam joins BETER following a ten-year tenure at SIS, where he held various positions—from Head of Trading to Global Head of Esports and Competitive Gaming. Before SIS, he held roles at several companies, including Head of Trading at betting powerhouse Ladbrokes.

As Esports General Manager at BETER, Adam will be responsible for strengthening the provider’s leadership in the fast-betting domain, as well as developing and expanding the number of in-house events for the company’s flagship ESportsBattle tournaments, which currently feature disciplines such as eFootball, eBasketball, and eHockey.

Conway will spearhead the development of new disciplines—eCricket and eTennis are set to launch soon—and focus on enhancing relationships with existing clients while establishing new partnerships.

Adam will lead a team of over 200 specialists and 500 professional athletes, delivering more than 500,000 esports events annually across four countries. He will also work closely with key industry bodies, including the Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) and the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA).

Gal Ehrlich, CEO at BETER, said: “Adam’s background in esports is unmatched, and we are thrilled to have him on board as we continue to enhance our esports offering, especially our flagship ESportsBattle tournaments.

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“We’re already the go-to provider for fast-betting content, data, and live streaming in esports and sports. With Adam as our Esports General Manager, we’re confident we’ll strengthen that leadership and further distance ourselves from the competition.

“We’re excited to welcome Adam and look forward to the significant value his expertise will bring to our partners worldwide.”

Adam Conway, Esports General Manager at BETER, added: “It’s an honour to join BETER and contribute my extensive experience in trading and product development to such a pioneering company.

“BETER is the undisputed market leader, and I’m excited to help ensure it remains at the forefront—delivering exceptional products to operator partners and bettors alike.”

Speed down The Strip towards the game’s 10,000x max payout, boosted by Expanding Turbo Wilds and an Overdrive Respin feature

Experience the neon lights and pulsing rhythm of the City of Sin in Vegas Velocity from Rival. This is a slot where players shift into gear and hit the gas as they race towards big wins.

Vegas Velocity sees players strap in for a thrill ride like no other, lighting up the reels with Expanding Turbo Wild symbols and an Overdrive Re-spin feature.

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This is one of the studio’s most visually striking games to date, capturing the electrifying glow of the Las Vegas strip, which flashes past as players speed towards the game’s 10,000x max win potential.

The action hits the red line when Expanding Turbo Wild Symbols drop onto the reels. They can land on reels two, three or four and light up the reel (literally), substituting for all symbols to boost wins.

There’s also the Overdrive Re-spin Feature for added adrenaline-fuelled action. When a Wild Car symbol is part of a win, it expands to fill the whole reel.

It then Locks into place for a free Overdrive Respin. Any additional Wild Cars that form a win during the respin award another Overdrive Respin.

This occurs until there are no more Respins in play, and the feature then U-turns back to the base game.

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Vegas Velocity is set across five reels and three rows with ten paylines active in the base game. This is a highly volatile slot with a score of 5/5.

Operators can choose from a range of RTPs including 92.62%, 94.64% and 96.00%, which is the game’s default Return to Player setting.

Ryan Maclean, Head of Games at Rival, said: “Vegas Velocity offers players a fast-paced thrill ride where the adrenaline builds with each spin as they speed towards massive wins.

“The game captures the electrifying excitement of The Strip and where neon lights pulse to the beat of the city.

“By keeping the pedal to the metal, players can trigger high-octane bonuses such as Expanding Turbo Wilds and Overdrive Respin, which help them shift up a gear and hit the game’s biggest payouts.

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“This is a strong addition to our growing game portfolio, and we look forward to seeing players buckle up, hit the gas, and light up the reels in what is one of our most explosive slots yet.”