September Spotlight: Milestones, Momentum, and Opportunities

First up, our 5th Annual General Meeting was an incredible success—bringing together some of the brightest minds in gaming to spark new ideas, collaborations, and strategies. The energy and insights from this event remind us why we do what we do. Check out the video recap here.

The latest from our portfolio companies ??

Our portfolio companies are turning heads this month with standout wins, bold new projects, and updates that are anything but ordinary.

Discord

Discord Opens Activities Platform to All Developers, Expanding Social Gaming Ecosystem

• Discord has officially opened its Activities platform to all developers, allowing them to create, distribute, and monetize games and apps within the ecosystem.
• Built on the Embedded Apps SDK, this platform provides developers with access to Discord’s 200 million monthly active users, 90% of whom play games weekly.
• Developers can integrate in-game purchases directly within Discord and benefit from lower platform fees, reduced from 30% to 15% for the first $1 million in sales.
• The platform’s expansion follows a successful preview with popular games like Death by AI and Krunker Strike FRVR.

Discord Launches End-to-End Encrypted Voice and Video Chats

• Discord now offers end-to-end encryption for voice and video calls across its platform, enhancing privacy for users. This is part of Discord’s broader effort to enhance security and privacy for its global user base.
• This feature has been rolled out to all voice channels, DMs, group DMs, and Go Live streams, ensuring that communications remain private and inaccessible to both Discord and third parties.

Second Dinner

Second Dinner Partners with Dark Horse to Publish The Art of Marvel SNAP

• Second Dinner, in collaboration with Nuverse and Dark Horse Comics, is set to release The Art of Marvel SNAP in March 2025.
• This full-color hardcover book will showcase over 300 in-game card artworks featuring Marvel’s iconic characters and locations across the multiverse.
• Fans will be able to dive into the creative process behind Marvel SNAP with exclusive insights from Second Dinner’s development team, offering a deeper look at the design and artistic vision that brings the game to life.

?? They're hiring: Principal Game Designer, Content Design https://bit.ly/3Bp5TSJ

Overwolf

Overwolf, Twitch & Roblox Hit Top of U.S. Comscore Gaming Properties

• Overwolf climbed to 4th place in Comscore’s August 2024 U.S. Gaming Properties list, surpassing Activision Blizzard and Epic Games with a 20% month-over-month growth.
• Overwolf’s acquisition of Nitro (formerly NitroPay) expanded its audience to over 100 million gamers and boosted ad inventory across 500 premium gaming websites.
• The exclusive partnership with Moonsworth’s Lunar Client, a popular Minecraft mod platform with 180 million followers, further strengthened Overwolf’s user base and ad opportunities.

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Overwolf Wins Digiday Technology Award for Best Esports / Gaming Ad Technology

• Overwolf has been honored with the Digiday Technology Award for Best Esports/Gaming Ad Technology. This award recognizes Overwolf’s innovative approach to integrating ads in a way that enhances the gaming experience without being disruptive.
• Overwolf’s ad framework includes contextual in-game placements and moment-triggered ads, aligning ads with the gameplay to create seamless, immersive experiences.
• In 2023, Overwolf paid out over $201 million to in-game creators, demonstrating the company’s commitment to supporting the creator economy and enabling brands to reach a highly engaged audience of over 100 million monthly gamers.

?? They're hiring:?Brand Partnerships Director https://bit.ly/3N78yD7

ForthStar

ForthStar Recognized as One of the UK’s Best Places to Work in 2024

• ForthStar has been recognized as one of the UK’s Best Places to Work in 2024, winning in the small companies category (with big dreams).
• This award celebrates ForthStar’s commitment to creating a supportive and engaging workplace, as assessed through both employer and employee feedback.
• The accolade highlights the company’s positive culture and its focus on employee satisfaction within the competitive gaming industry.

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Million Victories

Million Victories Showcased as a Top French Game on the App Store

• Million Victories’ flagship game, Million Lords, continues to thrive in the mobile gaming space, achieving a 4.6-star rating across all users, making it one of the highest rated 4X games of all time.
• The game has been regularly featured on the Play Store and is included in the “Best of French Games” category on the App Store, further solidifying its popularity.
• These ratings reflect the game’s growing player base and strong performance across key platforms, marking a significant milestone in its development.

?? They're hiring:?Experienced Backend and DevOps Developer https://bit.ly/4gJ8O94

Riftweaver Game Studio

Riftweaver releases new virtual table adventure, Object of My Affection

• Riftweaver has launched a new virtual table adventure titled Object of My Affection, written and narrated by Felicia Day.
• The adventure takes place in a carnival setting, blending elements of mystery, humor, and horror.
• To celebrate the release, Felicia Day hosted a livestream on her Twitch channel, engaging fans with the new content.
• This marks a major release for Riftweaver as it continues to expand its catalog of immersive, narrative-driven tabletop experiences.

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Nexus

Nexus Partners with ChillyRoom for the Soul Knight Prequel Creator Program

• Nexus has partnered with ChillyRoom to launch the Soul Knight Prequel Creator Program, a new initiative designed to support creators in the game’s growing community.
• The program allows creators to earn a share of in-game revenue through unique creator codes while providing them with early access to exclusive content.
• This initiative is part of Nexus’s broader strategy to deepen player engagement and strengthen the game’s ecosystem as Soul Knight Prequel, a roguelike adventure, continues to evolve.

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Eloelo

Eloelo Crosses 85 Million Users on Google Play

• Eloelo has surpassed 85 million downloads on the Google Play Store as of August 2024, nearly doubling its user base since March 2023.
• Eloelo offers content in six Indian languages, catering to a broad and diverse audience. The platform continues to grow its community of creators, including singers, entertainers, and astrologers.
• Looking ahead, Eloelo aims to reach 150 million users by December 2025, with a particular focus on expanding its paying user base and enabling creators to earn a sustainable livelihood.

?? They're hiring: Business Development Associate https://bit.ly/4dqq8wH

Rec Room

Rec Room Reduces Toxicity in Voice Chat by 70% with AI-Powered Moderation

• Rec Room has significantly reduced instances of toxic voice chat by 70% over the last 18 months through its collaboration with Modulate’s AI-powered voice moderation tool, ToxMod.
• By implementing continuous voice moderation across all public rooms, the platform has been able to enforce real-time interventions, including instant mutes for violations.
• Rec Room’s trust and safety team has focused on reinforcing positive player behavior through proactive warnings and escalating interventions.
• As a result, 90% of players report feeling safe and having fun while engaging on the platform, marking a major success in its ongoing efforts to improve the player experience.

?? They're hiring: Analytics Engineer https://bit.ly/3BrztqK

UNKJD

UNKJD Partners with PUMA to Launch Exclusive Content

• In another strategic move, UNKJD Soccer has partnered with PUMA to bring exclusive PUMA-licensed content into the game. Players can now access new skins, Ballers, and tournaments featuring PUMA branding, offering unique in-game experiences.
• UNKJD Soccer’s blend of sports and RPG elements allows players to compete in tournaments to earn Gems, which can then be converted into MBS tokens.
• The game is set to fully launch in 2025, with these partnerships positioning it for strong growth.

UNKJD Partners with Meta to Expand Reach

• UNKJD Soccer has entered into a new partnership with Meta, following its participation in Meta’s Gaming Startups Program.
• Through this partnership, UNKJD Soccer gains access to Meta’s gaming audience of over 700 million monthly users and benefits from Meta’s advanced user acquisition tools, including multi-platform engagement data and A/B testing.
• This collaboration is designed to help UNKJD scale its player base while enhancing the gaming experience for its users.

?? Hot jobs across our portfolio ??

Our portfolio currently has 358 open positions across 71 companies. If you're exploring new opportunities or know someone who is, check out our hub of available roles and the short list of hot jobs below.

• Stone Kite: Gameplay Engineer https://bit.ly/3XNA51r
• Aptos Labs: Senior Commercial Counsel https://bit.ly/3ZJRc6Q
• Azra Games: Feature Designer https://bit.ly/3Yf6GPn
• Tactile Games: Core Game Programmer https://bit.ly/3N8jOiS
• Eloelo: Business Development Associate https://bit.ly/4dqq8wH
• Wave: Executive Producer https://bit.ly/4eBgaK8
• Rec Room: Analytics Engineer https://bit.ly/3BrztqK
• Overwolf: Brand Partnerships Director https://bit.ly/3N78yD7
• Million Victories: Experienced Backend and DevOps Developer https://bit.ly/4gJ8O94
• Second Dinner: Principal Game Designer, Content Design https://bit.ly/3Bp5TSJ

?But wait, there’s more! Join our talent network to connect with innovative startups shaping the future of gaming: https://bit.ly/3SQZiXp

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