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Dream11 – Altering Dreams to Reality

MARY KMENLANG KHYRIEM — Fri, 16 Jul 2021 12:35:08 +0000

Often, an idea is easier to perceive than being actually inculcated into becoming a reality. This is the story of one such idea, which was relatively easier to conceive but vastly challenging to be implemented.

The journey dates back to 2008, when two 22-year-olds – Harsh Jain and Sanghvi Bhavith Seth – took their common love for sports, which went beyond playing their favourite English Football Fantasy leagues every weekend, to the next level of creating India’s first fantasy sports start-up – Dream 11.

‘Young and Restless’: Building a Personal Project

Online fantasy sports have seen a massive adoption and immense market growth in India from the early 2010s due to large-scale availability of smartphones and high-speed internet.

And with the above as reference, we can see how the brand Dream 11 is the culmination of a personal project born out of sheer love for sports with young and restless entrepreneurial energy. While Jain was working as a marketing manager at an infrastructure and real estate company promoted by his father, Seth was testing the field with different jobs. The duo went on to complete their MBAs together in the US and decided to launch their start-up in 2008.

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Fantasy sports came into existence in early 2000 in the US and Canada. The ‘dream’ of launching a fantasy sports gaming platform in India was perceived parallely with the onset of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Its introduction to the Indian market was in 2008 during the first season of the IPL. With the launch of Dream 11, Harsh Jain and Sanghvi Bhavith Seth wanted to cash in on market opportunity and gain the early entrant advantage.

But before Dream11 came into the picture, ESPN-Star’s joint venture in the fantasy gaming segment called Super Selectors was set up as the first fantasy gaming company in the country in 2001. Joy Bhattacharjya led the company. Super Selectors was a fantasy cricket game that was run by ESPN and Star Sports. It held contests ranging from a month to the duration of an entire series.

The Super Selectors concept involved picking a team of 11 players within a fixed budget where a set number of substitutions were allowed throughout the tournament and points were awarded based on players’ performances on the field. Players also had the ability to form mini-leagues with their friends. But despite good traction, the company was shelved in 2003. And fantasy sport ceased in India even before it could take off.

Things stayed that way for five years until two fresh college graduates, Harsh Jain and Bhavish Sheth, resurrected the segment through Dream11.

The Pivot

In 2008, Dream11 was launched as a free-for-all sports app where users discussed sports via community platform, read blogs and played fantasy games based on sports seasons. However, this ad-based and season-long format did not find much traction among users and lagged in growth. Besides, the scalability of the model was also under question.

In 2009, the start-up was running out of funds to sustain operations. The founders did not want to go back to their parents for money, and this was a make or break stage for the business. The company needed outside capital, which was a tough task for the founders as they were new in the market. Owing to meager revenues and low user interest, the company lost money for the first three years between 2008 and 2011.

In 2010, the duo ventured into a digital and media agency – Red Digital – on the sidelines of Dream 11. Out of 50 employees of Dream11, 40 were enrolled under Red Digital and asked to work in the new company. The decision worked in their favour as the duo managed to generate money to finance Dream 11 and resume its operations. In 2013, Red Digital was sold to Gozoop for approximately Rs. 7 crores.

During this period, the founders also got back to the drawing board to rethink Dream11 from the ground-up.

The real journey of the start-up began in 2012 with the launch of its freemium model, where users accessed free features up to a point, after which they were asked to pay. The primary focus was shifted towards daily matches. The users were able to put money on a team/player of their choice before the start of the match. Based on performances, points were accumulated and teams/players were ranked at the end and money was made by participants from the pool.

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Dream11 model charged an entry-level fee from the participants in paid contests besides taking a cut (commission) on the money made by the participants which accounted for about 15-20% of the total pool.

Another source that was expected to earn revenues was advertisement. However, the traffic to the website was minuscule besides the low rates. It did try on Google AdSense initially, but dropped the same for user convenience as it was already challenging to convert a free user into a paid one.

The Legal Hurdle

Dream11 faced a series of challenges for its legality in the courts of India. Avinash Mehrotra, a financial consultant, filed in demanding the Supreme Court to clarify regulations on governing fantasy sports, online gambling and betting websites. To date, Dream11 has overcome various legal challenges by gaining a series of state court rulings finding it to be safe within “skill gaming” protections.

For example, the Bombay High ruled in April 2019 that success in Dream 11 “depends upon the user’s exercise of skill based on superior knowledge, judgment, and attention… It is undoubtedly a game of skill and not a game of chance.” The Supreme Court later backed this ruling. Gambling laws in India are largely left to the discretion of each state, though most states have based their laws on the Public Gambling Act of 1867.

Over the years, fantasy sports have captured the Indian market by attracting consumers and affecting the different sectors of the market. It has also changed the psychology of the people towards e-sports. The sudden growth of sensation in viewers for fantasy sports increased the interest of people in watching different sports, which resulted in the enhancement of the importance of the online gaming industry and fantasy sports companies.

The ‘Real’ challenge

Dream11 faced a lot of challenges finding a reliable source of funding. In an interview, Jain had mentioned that they had approached more than 150 investors who refused to commit, before hitting the first funding.

Dream11 began its fantasy sports business with only a few thousand dollars, but it quickly expanded and acquired a series of angel investor investments. The amount of money needed to run the company was extremely high. But, thanks to their negotiating abilities, they were able to find some decent investment opportunities.

Nevertheless, they learned something new from every rejection which helped the founders make better decisions and use each penny wisely. According to Jain, the success of a business depends more on the execution of an idea than the idea itself.

During this time, the traction for fantasy sports was also picking up in the Indian market. And by the end of 2013, the duo managed to get their first round of funding Kalaari Capital.

Over 10 years, Dream11 has built the category from scratch in India and reaped the benefits of it. And today, it is the largest and most recognized OFS player in India with over 70 million users (a little more than 75% of the users of all other OFS players combined). In 2019, Dream11 generated a revenue of around Rs. 775 crore ($103 milion), a 250% growth over 2018 revenue of Rs. 224 crore ($30 million). Along their journey, the company was backed by marquee investors like Tencent (WeChat owner), Kalaari and Steadview Capital. In Apr 2019, Dream11 was catapulted into the ‘Unicorn Club’ when Steadview Capital invested 60 Million.

Business Model

Today, the company follows the same business model (freemium), as 85% of the players are free users, and the rest 15% are paid users, with Rs 25 as the average investment into the games. It can go as low as Rs 11, and often it can cross thousands as well. The combined winning pot of all winnings is often more than Rs 1 crore, depending on the game, and trends. 15% of its 50 crore users, i.e. 7.5 crore users, pay Rs 25 per month on an average, which becomes revenues of more than Rs 187 core.

Hitting the Jackpot: IPL Sponsorship

In 2020, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) went looking for a home-grown entity as the title sponsor for the 2020 edition of IPL to replace Chinese smartphone brand Vivo which had bagged the sponsorship rights for Rs 438 crore a year. Dream11 got that chance to hold the title sponsor banner.

It is evident that bagging the title sponsorship of IPL made Dream 11 a household name. It managed to bag the title sponsorship of IPL 2020 for Rs 222 crore. The sponsorship for IPL 2020 was up for grabs as the erstwhile title sponsor, Vivo, decided to take a break from the tournament during that season amid calls for boycotting of Chinese goods in the wake of a standoff between Indian and Chinese soldiers in Ladakh since June 2020.

The road to IPL title sponsorship, however, wasn’t all smooth for Dream11 who also had to fend off some anti-China sentiments because of its connection with Chinese technology giant Tencent. The fantasy sports platform’s top bosses, however, managed to convince the BCCI of their ‘all-Indian identity’ by suggesting that Tencent was only a minority shareholder in the company.

Dream11’s association with sports has grown over the years and it is presently partnering a total of 19 sports leagues along with 6 Indian Premier League Franchises

In June 2021, the iconic cricketer and former Indian cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was announced as Dream11’s brand ambassador. With MS Dhoni becoming the new face of Dream11, multi-channel marketing campaigns and brand engagement activities were aimed to surge ahead and strengthen its leadership position in the online fantasy sports industry.

With Dhoni as its face, Dream11 instilled the aspiration of sporting expertise into its users by employing the same kind of thinking prowess that Dhoni is the master of.

Cashing in on the Boom

The localisation of content to reach out to players online not only helped Dream11 expand its market and enhance revenue but also to develop brand recall in a crowded market and better user experience.

Growth amid a pandemic

With the World Health Organization (WHO) prescribing video games as a healthy social pastime to combat social isolation during COVID-19, it became a win-win situation for the gamers as well as the e-sports and fantasy gaming platforms.

Under the WHO-backed campaign called #PlayApartTogether launched on March 18 this year, world’s biggest gaming industry leaders promoted the cause with a message to avoid spreading the coronavirus, while still being connected with each other remotely.

Indian Gamers

A 2019 KPMG and IFSG report outlined the key categories of e-sports gaming in India, with a focus on understanding the fantasy sports consumer. These were some of its findings:

75% of respondents played fantasy sports one to three times a week, with the majority engaging in it once a week. A significant 20 per cent reported playing more than five times a week.

85% of all respondents played fantasy games on mobile apps.

54% played for free; 46 per cent have played paid contests at least once in the last 12 months.

The playing frequency was fairly consistent across the age groups of 18-24 and 25-36 with nearly 75-80 per cent of the respondents playing one to three times a week. Nearly 50 per cent in the 37-50 age group reported playing fantasy games more than four times a week.

72% of the respondents considered ‘fun and excitement’ as the primary motivator for engaging in fantasy sports platforms.

71% of the respondents played Fantasy Cricket and 54 per cent Fantasy Football. Other sports such as kabaddi, basketball and hockey were less popular among the respondents.

When asked to recall the names of platforms that came to the respondents’ mind, 60 per cent referred to Dream11, followed by official websites of Premier League Football/English Premier League (EPL) and the IPL.

Future for Fantasy Sports

According to the ‘The Evolving Landscape of Sports Gaming in India’ report, the gaming industry is already worth around Rs. 90 billion rupees and is said to reach Rs. 118.8 billion by FY23 with a growth rate of CAGR 22.1%. The report adds that fantasy sports are different from betting and can potentially aid in slowing down illegal betting in the long run. Fairness, legality, and the safe and secure nature of transactions are aspects that draw users to play these fantasy sports platforms.

India has made exponential growth in terms of its digital infrastructure. Growing affordability of smartphones, expansion of the internet user base, and plummeting data price are resulting in such growth. Therefore, the growth of fantasy sports seems very likely to increase in the future.

Though Dream11 success was not an overnight result, it was rather a reflection of hard work and consistency in the founder’s efforts and team’s mettle in building Dreamsters, the Dream11 community. With all the internal and external factors faced by Harsh Jain and Sanghvi Bhavith Seth in turning their vision into reality, their success story is an inspiration to many pudding faces. Overcoming every hurdle with the strength to oversee through the risk and by not accepting failure with the endurance helps entrepreneurs to move forward.

The story of Dream11 sounds like an inspiring movie but it is a real story of two young minds making their dreams possible. From starting as a fantasy gaming platform to being named as the title sponsors of IPL, Dream11 has come a long way over the years and it does not seem to stop but aims bigger.

For more inspiring stories like this, read our Inspire Section!

The post Dream11 – Altering Dreams to Reality appeared first on Dutch Uncles.

WinZO Becomes Griffin’s First Investment in India

Anju Nambiar — Thu, 08 Jul 2021 08:35:05 +0000

WinZO is a Gaming start-up founded in the year 2018. They have a pure ‘Made in India’ product which is a vernacular Android app available in 12 languages with a curated portfolio of more than 70 games. It is India’s largest social gaming app which creates competitive multi-player gaming experiences. They have a vast influencer network of 50 million registered users and are targeting largely underserved demographics in India.

They partner with leading game developers and third-party game studios providing in-game integration of their social gaming framework. WinZO hosts their partners’ games on their app. In turn, gamers on WinZO can enjoy a Netflix-like multiplayer user experience.

WinZO and Griffin Gaming Partner’s unification

Griffin Gaming Partners is uniting with WinZO through the latter’s recent Series C funding round valued at $65 M which was led by Griffin. As part of this deal, Griffin’s co-founder ‘Phil Sanderson’ will be inducted into WinZO’s Board of Directors. This fundraise will be Griffin’s maiden investment in the Indian mobile gaming market.

Griffin is headquartered in California, and they were attracted by WinZO’s management team as well as the extraordinary vision they held for their product. Their interest was also piqued by WinZO’s incredible retention and monetisation metrics.

WinZO, on the other hand is all set to disrupt the Indian gaming ecosystem by using the experience and insights into the global media and entertainment landscape which Griffin brings with it through their unification. This funding deal has taken the total valuation of investment raised by WinZO so far to $90 M.

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As part of this deal, Griffin’s co-founder ‘Phil Sanderson’ will be inducted into WinZO’s Board of Directors.

What’s in it for me?

WinZO announced a ten-fold increase in its revenue within a span of 12 months. The gaming industry has experienced a boom and WinZO tapped into this at the most opportune time. WinZO has catered to the varying tastes of Indian gamers by offering games from different genres on its platform including casual and card games, esports and battle royale. This variety and diversity is their winning mantra.

There are a staggering 2.5 Billion microtransactions occurring monthly on WinZO’s platform, and the massive user base of 50 million which is wholly attributed to their vernacular consumer base. These metrics have contributed to their success in a span of just 3 years.

The fact that the company currently does not have competitors for its horizontal marketplace platform has also contributed to its immense growth. They also have an amazing retention rate which has also led to their explosive growth.

The gaming industry in India and worldwide is growing rapidly. Institutional investors are increasingly interested in funding start-ups like WinZO which are targeting a huge market like India. Game-tech is the next best investor favourite after the EdTech industry especially in India.

The post WinZO Becomes Griffin’s First Investment in India appeared first on Dutch Uncles.

PlaySimple The Gaming Development Startup

Vaishali Das — Wed, 07 Jul 2021 08:44:31 +0000

PlaySimple is a Bengaluru-based mobile gaming development startup, founded in 2014. With an aim to create a web of social word games, it has developed games like WordJam, WordTrek, WordTrip, solitaire and daily-themed crosswords. This is a rapidly growing and a highly profitable game studio which has established its position in the market as a leading global developer of free-to-play games.

The startup has a portfolio of nine casual games covering over 75 million downloads with 7 million active users on a monthly basis. The platform is ruled by mostly the women players covering around 80% of its total player base. It also has 1.9 million active users on a daily basis.

Swedish Gaming Firm MTG Acquires India’s PlaySimple

Sweden-based Modern Times Group (MTG) acquired PlaySimple for $360 million. This acquisition is based on the startup’s exponential growth in the fast-growing mobile words game genre in the global market. This free-to-play word games platform is an exciting new genre for MTG.

MTG, in their 100% acquisition of the startup PlaySimple, will be providing them 77% of the acquisition amount in cash and the rest of the amount will be paid in the form of MTG class B shares. Apart from the acquisition amount, there will also be performance based earn-outs of around $150 million for this Indian gaming firm.

This acquisition is one of the largest cash exits for an Indian startup after Byju’s who bought WhiteHatJr for $300 million. This acquisition is profitable for both the companies:

For PlaySimple, this will give them creative freedom and new opportunities from the GamingCo.
PlaySimple is also lined up to produce four more new games, two of which will be card games, bringing a new genre for the company.
For MTG, this acquisition will provide them to build a diversified gaming vertical with new gaming genres.
Another benefit for MTG is that PlaySimple’s impressive user base will bring more female gamers to MTG’s platform.

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Gaming startups can look for simpler ways of developing games and as PlaySimple did with their user base being highly covered with 80% of females this is indeed a great strategy to work with.

The State of Gaming Industry In India as well as In Global Market

India’s mobile gaming market is still at nascent stage, estimated to be at $40-$50 million but it has been growing rapidly at a CAGR of 50%. This is due to the rise in digital infrastructure quality and engaging gaming content.

Moreover, because of increase in the number of smartphone users, gaming developers are looking further to explore the gaming sector more. At a global level, the worth of gaming market is over $100 billion which is more than the movie and the music business combined.

What’s in it for Gaming Startups?

The major takeaway from PlaySimple gaming development firm is that they use a data-driven operating model which allows them to develop multiple games especially popular with a growing global audience of female gamers.

This acquisition of PlaySimple by MTG, marks an important step in building a diversifying gaming vertical with the top-notch companies and in return will provide a more stable business for the Swedish firm.

Gaming startups can look for simpler ways of developing games and as PlaySimple did with their user base being highly covered with 80% of females this is indeed a great strategy to work with.

The post PlaySimple The Gaming Development Startup appeared first on Dutch Uncles.

Indian Esports Start-up MPL’s International Ambitions

Shalmoli Sarkar — Tue, 06 Jul 2021 05:35:04 +0000

With lower out-of-home consumption during the pandemic, the new means of recreation has found its place in an individual’s laptop or PC. Esports has witnessed an increase in customer base. Here, the key factor is a visible shift in user psychology – a switch from playing casual games to professional video gaming.

The immense popularity of esports can be well understood from the numbers reflected in the joint report of FICCI-EY titled ‘Ready. Set. Game On!’ which says that the industry is worth Rs 3 billion in FY2021 and expects to touch Rs 11 billion by FY2025.

Esports companies that earlier were limited to their independently organised world championships have received a never seen before inclusion in the world’s most coveted sporting event – Tokyo Olympics 2021. The International Olympic Committee has launched the virtual Olympic series in five disciplines of physical sports:

Motorsport
Cycling
Baseball
Sailing
Rowing

Though currently a non-medalled event in the Olympics, it will soon be recognised as a legitimate sport.

Speaking of Esports gaining a global status, we cannot deny the popularity of Indian gaming and Esports platform Mobile Premier League (MPL) which enjoys a user base of 60 million and 5 million in India and Indonesia respectively. The gaming platform is looking to foray into the international markets as well as gain international status.

Mobile Premier League: The International dream

After gaining a firm foothold in the Indonesian market since mid-2019 with more than 5 million registered users in the country, it is planning to step into the US market that is the world’s largest mobile market.

Mobile Premier League, in the US, wants to gain standalone status in the gaming market by becoming a ‘super app’. It will roll out new game formats such as synchronous gaming for the American populace in games like baseball, solitaire, bowling, various puzzles, etc.

Knowing that competitive gaming or Esports is already validated in the country, tapping the US market will benefit the company as there is no other equivalent platform offering a similar value proposition, currently operating there.

Mobile Premier League is inching closer to building its international presence with the recent sponsorship deal worth Rs 8 Crore with the Indian Olympic Association till the end of 2022 covering the major events in the period.

This deal will make Mobile Premier League come onboard as the principal sponsor for the Indian contingent at the Tokyo Olympics, 2022 Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.

The recent Series D funding of $95 million in Feb 2021 from Composite Capital and Moore Strategic Ventures has increased Mobile Premier League’s valuation to $945 million, soon to gain the unicorn status after Dream 11. The funds collected will be utilised to expand its business overseas and grow its Esports portfolio by conducting tournaments at national and international level.

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According to the joint report of FICCI and EY, the emergence of Esports gaming platforms is estimated to generate more than 11000 jobs and add Rs 100 billion to the economic value of India in investments, in-app purchases, winnings, taxes and related consumption.

How Will Esports Platforms Benefit Indians?

According to the joint report of FICCI and EY, the emergence of Esports gaming platforms is estimated to generate more than 11000 jobs and add Rs 100 billion to the economic value of India in investments, in-app purchases, winnings, taxes and related consumption.

New income streams will emerge in event management, ethical and legislative laws, game design, Esports marketing and league management. It will open a new career path for the Indian developers who will develop games suitable for world Esports tournaments.

Learnings for New Start-ups in Esports Space

Esports is a booming sector in India with smartphones becoming ubiquitous. According to an EY India survey on smartphone users, out of every eight people, one user participates in Esports tournaments for every six people who play social games. This makes the space lucrative.

Capitalising during IPL

Mobile Premier League striking sponsorship deals – T20 league and IPL 2020 – helped gain maximum reach that resulted in daily app installations up by 100 percent and increased the number of fantasy gamers by 7 times.

It engaged more users in the IPL season by organising new in-app features, sign-up bonuses, virtual meet-and-greet sessions with cricketers and contests.

Acquire local gaming platforms

On acquiring Delhi-based Esports gaming platform GamingMonk, Mobile Premier League has not only gained its 1.3 million users but has brought key national, regional and global tournament IPs ( intellectual property) and has developed a full suite of Esports and broadcasting capabilities.

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How Mobile Premier League (MPL) is Leveraging Mobile Gaming Boom in India

Erica DSouza — Thu, 10 Jun 2021 03:35:03 +0000

Who said mobile games are a waste of time? The rapid adoption of smartphones, digital payment systems and cheaper internet plans have played a significant role in the rise of the gaming services industry in India. Seeing its potential, companies in the sector have capitalised heavily, raising large amounts from investors.

According to a KPMG report, the fantasy sports industry user base grew 165.9 per cent during 2016-2020, from 2 million in June 2016 to 100 million in 2020.

Sports in India has always been in the spotlight. If not all sports, cricket stands out as a fan favourite. Now, what if you could play numerous sports from your couch, desk or while waiting in line and earn rewards? Crazy, right? Well, a powerful duo went ahead and created a business model based on this idea.

MPL Descends Into Fantasy Sports

Mobile Premier League (MPL), founded by Srinivas Kiran Garimella and Shubham Malhotra, is one of the leading players in the Indian fantasy sports market. This Bengaluru-based startup was founded in 2018. Galactus Funware Technology Private Limited, incorporated on 22 May 2018, is the parent company to MPL.

MPL is an application that provides a platform for users to participate in skill-based sports and win real rewards. Within seven to eight months, MPL was called the country’s fastest-growing e-sports platform and the fastest-growing application in the country.

In February 2021, the online gaming platform Mobile Premier League (MPL) was valued at $945 million.

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A platform for users to participate in skill-based sports and win real rewards.

Satisfying the Gamer Within

The co-founders identified the unquenched thirst for interactive gaming. So while pro-gamers need the right equipment to get going, users on MPL need just three things- a handset, data/internet and accessible modes of payment.

The MPL app is a publishing platform for other gaming firms. MPL does not develop games in-house. Instead, it hosts about 60+ games.

What Makes MPL a User Favorite?

The upside that MPL offers their users is unlimited and instant withdrawals and a simple KYC process.

Another plus point in MPL’s basket is that it offers a more diverse range of games than its competitors. MPL’s success could be attributed to this variety offered from fantasy sports to e-sports. Fantasy sports refers to participants assembling imaginary teams online to play professional sports virtually.

Srinivas Kiran Garimella, the Co-founder and CEO of Mobile Premier League, highlighted that they want to focus on distribution. MPL’s goal is to offer multiple games and formats to users on the MPL platform. It certainly helps that MPL’s design and features are easy to use, keeping a user’s spirit of playing high and free of distractions.

What makes MPL unique is that people can compete with one another. MPL already has multiple forms of monetisation. For example, ahead of the IPL T20 season, MPL sold tickets at Rs. 99 where users just needed to buy it once and could play fantasy for free for all matches. Otherwise, charges for each gaming event varied between Rs. 2 and Rs. 30. However, MPL is looking at one of these becoming a long-term source of monetisation while keeping a high level of engagement.

In 2019, MPL was recognised as the ‘Best Fantasy Sports Operator’ by the India Gaming Awards.

A Game-Changing Revenue Model

MPL charges an entry fee from the players when they participate in any game. In addition, the tournaments retain a hosting fee amounting to 20 per cent of the total raised from the participating players. MPL’s gaming apps also earn revenue through advertisements and in-app purchases.

Happy MPL Players

A large portion of MPL’s customer base comes from referrals. This could be a sign of happy customers. MPL also focuses on customer satisfaction through smoother API response and performance. Every millisecond is critical in gaming, be it Temple Run for a Quiz. To foolproof the application so that players do not experience any lag, MPL has maintained an API response time of 30 milliseconds or less since launch.

The decision to add quiz games to the array was to increase the platform’s variety and attract youngsters. Generally, gaming is either thought to be for the professionals or “timepass”. MPL changed this for its customers. MPL added a value that reflects, more than you bet, straight into your account!

MPL Ranks High on the Leaderboard

MPL launched in 2018 and successfully raised 250 crores during Series A funding. Investment firm Sequoia Capital was leading in the funding process, followed by Times Internet, GoVentures, RTP Global, BeeNext, Base Ventures, and Venture Highway. This funding certainly acted as a power-booster for the seven-month-old mobile gaming platform. In 2020, MPL sponsored two Indian Premier League (IPL) teams, namely Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders.

From Fantasy Sports to On-the-Field

Just ahead of IPL 2019, Sportskeeda reported that MPL roped in Team India captain Virat Kohli as its brand ambassador in a deal valued at Rs 12 crore.

In 2020, MPL was the presenting sponsor of the hit reality television show Big Boss. The reality show’s tremendous popularity possibly elevated MPL’s reach to a wider audience.

In 2021, MPL raised $95 million in funding. The round of investments was led by Composite Capital and Moore Strategic Ventures

MPL “Just Did It” Instead of Nike

2020 yet again brought about another business opportunity when the BCCI formally announced MPL Sports apparel and accessories as the official kit sponsor and merchandise partner of the National men’s and women’s teams as well as the U-19. Succeeding Nike, who had a five-year deal from 2016 to 2020 worth rupees 370 crores, MPL Sports signed a three-year agreement from November 2020 to December 2023.

MPL Sports offers a wide range of sportswear and cricket equipment with accessories like masks, wrist bands and other gear. The winning streak for MPL does not stop here. Apart from manufacturing Team India jerseys, they also sell licensed Team India merchandise.

MPL, being a startup established in 2018, dethroned a player as big as Nike, proving that entrepreneurs have the potential to emerge the winner too.

Juggling Advertising

MPL thrives on digital mode. Equipped with the knowledge that gamers and mobile users have their eyes trained on a screen, MPL advertises on television as well as digital ads to create good value. Sports sponsorships are also an avenue of advertising that MPL strongly pursues. By shooting the ball through various advertising mediums and strategies, MPL increases brand awareness and presence in the customer’s eyes.

In 2020, MPL began focusing on targeting YouTube to increase brand awareness as it recently crossed 1.2 million subscribers on its channel. Amit Bhadana happens to be one of India’s biggest Youtube stars and has also been associated with MPL, having featured the company in many of his sketches.

MPL went a step ahead and brought YouTubers Ashish Chanchlani and Elvish Yadav on board to launch marketing initiatives. After collaborating with cricketer Virat Kohli and actor Tamannaah Bhatia, MPL has been on the lookout for young digital influencers to pump presence and multiply the consumer base.

From the marketing strategies, it is evident that MPL understands where their audience is and the best way to tap their attention.

MPL: Acquisitions upon Acquisitions

Mobile Premier League (MPL) acquired Pune based Crevise Technologies in May 2019 within 8 months of starting operations. Crevise Technologies, formed in 2016, provided end-to-end product engineering consultation. A collaboration between the two has happened in the past to improve MPL platform performance and operational efficiency.

In 2021, MPL added GamingMonk to its list of acquisitions. GamingMonk hosts esports tournaments across multiple platforms that include PC, consoles and mobile phones. GameMonk creates an integrated platform where publishers and gamers come together. The acquisition could boost key national, regional and global tournament IPs and allow MPL to develop robust esports and broadcasting capabilities.

Given that MPL is a platform that hosts fantasy sports, smoother user experience, multiple game options, and the best of back-end engineering are crucial.

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Users on MPL need just three things- a handset, data/internet and accessible modes of payment.

What’s in a Game: Challenges and Competition

Since mobile gaming and fantasy sports took off in India, MPL’s biggest challenge is standing out from the competition right now, because competitors like My11Circle, BalleBaazi.com, and RummyCircle have also been actively advertising.

When MPL secured the apparel sponsorship for IPL, Dream11 replaced Vivo as the title sponsor of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020.

In April 2021, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) was set to permanently ban all gaming transactions under Rs 50 on its popular Unified Payments Interface (UPI) channel. This move was said to favour banks that face processing loads but posed a major problem to real-money gaming platforms running on microtransactions. Apps that charged players as and when they played over a fixed subscription faced this challenge.

Google’s Play Store does not host games or apps that urge users to bet money towards a prize pool. This happens to be the foundation model for many fantasy games. Therefore, Indian fantasy gaming companies need users to visit their official website and download APKs (Android Application Package). MPL is not the only player operating outside the Google Play store. But by being on Google Play Store, a seal of “trust” is stamped on the hearts of users. Google Play Store allows companies to host APK links by providing good software solutions.

Gambling and money sports have also been up for debate when it comes to their legality in India. MPL app is legal in India and is certified by MasterCard and Visa as a secure platform. On MPL, players can bet and engage in a duel. It comes very close to betting and gambling. Hence, while most states allow games like rummy, poker and fantasy sports, deeming them to be games of skill, Telangana, Orissa, Assam, Sikkim and Andhra Pradesh have banned these games under anti-gambling laws. If other states in India view it the same way, then MPL’s goal to gain from this model could face significant roadblocks in the long run.

Recently, real-money gaming advertisements warn customers of the risks involved through disclaimers. This could make eager players pause and rethink their choice to download and participate in fantasy sports.

Unlike online gaming, fantasy sports are linked to live sports. When major sports events are cancelled or rescheduled, the revenue stream from fantasy sports is affected. This was visible when the pandemic hit in 2019. With the Indian Premier League (IPL) suspension in 2021, sponsors face an immediate impact. The FIFS (Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports)-KPMG report reveals that due to Covid-19, fantasy sports might face a 20-22 per cent decline in GMV (Gross Merchandise Value) in FY21 compared to FY20.

What Does the Future Hold?

Sensor Tower, an application intelligence firm, revealed that India tops the list for the biggest global markets for mobile game downloads in the first nine months of 2020. This accounts for close to 17 per cent of all global downloads.

MPL has over 60 games and is a blend of content and gaming, from casual online games such as rummy and ludo to fantasy gaming, including cricket and football.

MPL crosses over numerous boundaries from online gaming, fantasy sports to possible online gambling. However, its USP includes “skill-building gaming”, which could evade pressure from regulatory frameworks.

The platform claims to have witnessed 3x-4x growth from the pre-covid period, with the user base being a melting pot of working professionals, homemakers, students and retired senior citizens. The co-founders believe that e-sports could make it to the Olympics very soon because it is already a part of the Asian Games. This could set a winning streak for online and fantasy gaming in the near future.

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How Krikey ‘Augmented’ the Mobile Gaming Arena in India

Keegan Kennedy — Fri, 21 May 2021 10:30:10 +0000

The next time you are trying out new filters on Snapchat or Instagram, be sure to keep in mind that you are partly responsible for taking the world deeper into the realm known as Augmented Reality (AR). Krikey, (pronounced Cry-Key) is a gaming application that allows you to experience a world quite different to the one you’re living in, with the help of just your smartphone camera. From genres like action-adventure, to wildlife and even horror, this San Francisco-based gaming startup has had quite the run since its initiation in 2017.

Available on both Google Play Store and iOS app store, Krikey allows its users to perceive real world elements in a virtual environment. The app features three map-based games, namely Yaatra, Wingspan and Gorillas. Users can choose to play at home or explore the outdoors. Either way, the gaming experience is nothing short of an adventure!

Krieky Mate! The Come up

Despite having worked with some big names, the startup did have humble beginnings. Sisters Jhanvi and Ketaki Shriram co-founded Krikey Inc. in January, 2017 out of a one-bedroom apartment in San Francisco, while they lived in the apartment next door. Over the following year, the two experimented with a different software and produced a range of games and virtual objects, mainly animals like humpback whales and lions amongst others. After almost 3 years of hard work and dedication, they shifted their startup to a legitimate office in the Financial District and have a team of 30 full-time and part-time employees.

Jhanvi, who is the CEO of the company, holds a BA and an MBA from Stanford and an MFA from USC whereas Ketaki, the CTO, holds a BA, MA and PhD in virtual reality and game development from Stanford. Ketaki went on to be included in the ‘Forbes 30 under 30’ list for gaming in 2020. Krikey also made it to ‘The Fast Company’ list of Best Apps and Games of 2020. Even though the two have had experience working at tech-oriented companies like YouTube, Facebook’s Oculus and Google X, the approach taken by them was unlike any other gaming startup at the time.

To understand what Krikey is all about, we need to first understand their area of interest better. The AR foundation tool kit used by Krikey is vital for creating games that function cross-platform, at scale. They use dynamic ground plane detection and camera transition to enable users to interact with the real world. Augmented reality is halfway between virtual reality and reality itself. Instead of having a completely virtual world around you, in an augmented environment, you can interact with virtual objects in a physical setting. Krikey allows its users to experience a world which they can control without having to go through the hassle of buying expensive gear that most virtual reality games require. By simply downloading the application, Krikey users are free to enter three different worlds using just their smartphone cameras.

The gaming industry is not short of cut-throat competition. The stereotypes of a ‘gamer’ portrayed by pop culture are quite accurate. The latest consoles, graphic chipsets, keyboards, headsets and other gaming gear without a doubt leave the average consumer’s pockets lighter. Even mid-range smartphones these days are focusing on improving the gaming experience because the market calls for it. So, how does Krikey plan to keep up with the likes of PUBG Mobile and other big names in the industry?

Krikey: More a Platform than a Game

Like many founders, Ketaki and Jhanvi weren’t exactly sure what their product would be at first, however, they did know that they wanted to create a platform that dealt with how immersive virtual experiences could affect people and change human behavior. Unlike most gaming applications, Krikey is not offering a video game as their end-product. There are no complex storylines or missions or even a point system per se. Users get to choose from a variety of different simulations that change as per their surroundings. To put it in technical terms, the startup is targeting the augmented reality market rather than the gaming one. This means that user experience takes the front seat.

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CEO, Jhanvi Shriram hopes to use Krikey as a virtual window to the real world to induce behavioral changes, and amplify the concept of conservation in people through their interactions in different ecosystems

The thing about AR is that it is interesting to non-gamers as well. A report by Ericsson ConsumerLab shows that 35 per cent of non-gamers have shown interest in AR gaming. This is a significant amount as 23 per cent of AR consumers are, in fact, non-gamers. Furthermore, 6 out of 10 AR gamers have expressed that the sole reason for gaming is the experience AR platforms bring to the table. So, with augmented reality being in the hot seat, and the market lacking a semi-immersive gameplay platform, it only made sense to strike while the iron was hot.

How Krikey is Building an Arsenal

Augmented reality, as a concept, is not particularly a new one. One of the earliest mentions of the concept would probably be in the year 2006. With Sony and Microsoft dominating the market with the PlayStation and Xbox respectively, Wii by Nintendo proved to be revolutionary. While its counterparts washed Wii when it came to computational power and graphics, Wii brought something new to the table – Immersive gameplay. Users could now make their characters mirror their actions through the Wii console. Games like Wii Sports, Mario Kart Wii and Wii Play changed the way people looked at gameplay for the years to come.

It was in 2016 that AR gaming got propelled back into the mainstream. Pokémon GO, an extremely popular AR game, was making headlines for different reasons. Developed by Niantic in collaboration with Nintendo, Pokémon Go allowed players to catch and explore their favourite Pokémon in real locations like your everyday Spencer’s or Starbucks. Players could also meet other Pokémon enthusiasts through the game. Even though the game’s popularity grew exponentially since its launch, there were rising concerns about how addictive the game had become. Incidents of children meeting with accidents while being engrossed in the game went viral and the game was even banned for a period of time. With the dos and don’ts of AR gaming laid out to them on a silver platter, the duo decided to make.

Their presence felt in the years to come. Any up and coming startup is incomplete without a unique branding strategy. The inspiration behind the name ‘Krikey’ comes from a popular Australian slang Crikey! , which is supposed to indicate surprise and delight, a feeling sisters Jhanvi and Ketaki hope their users experience through the platform.

Using Emotion As a Tool

The year 2018 saw the launch of Krikey’s flagship game, Wingspan. In collaboration with the National Audubon Society, the game was essentially Google maps had virtual birds layered over it. Users could explore different areas and virtually birdwatch. The game was inspired by a board game that already exists. The sisters went on to explain that the intention behind launching a game like Wingspan was to encourage people to appreciate nature and wildlife more. Birdwatching can be a painfully boring activity but with the aid of Wingspan, Krikey made it an easy and even educational process. Users play an ornithologist and collect different bird species while exploring different ecosystems.

After launching Wingspan, the start-up experienced a jump in user retention rates. In addition to that the application seemed to be getting a lot of traction. Even though the team refused to disclose official numbers, it was safe to say that Krikey had laid a solid foundation for future endeavors.

Another game that the application offers is Gorillas. Developed in partnership with The Ellen Fund, Gorillas is an augmented reality game that allows users to interact with the critically endangered mountain gorillas in Rwanda. Animation and 3D effect aside, the game encourages people to learn the lives of such endangered animals and interact with them.

Emotion is the one key factor that separates Krikey from its competitors. All of their games are designed to have an effect on the user’s behaviour. Through their platform, one not only gets the whole AR experience, but also learns something new about nature and the environment. The goal is to spread positivity through virtual interactions. Having said that, their platform is far from experimental. From user friendliness to accessibility to being up to date with the latest tech, Krickey checks all the boxes.

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Why travel the globe when you can have experience it in the comfort of your home? Akash Ambani, Director, Jio invites all jio and non-jio users to experience AR gaming with the launch of long awaited game, Yaatra

Krikey’s Journey to the Big Leagues

Having two nature and wildlife-oriented games under its belt, it was time for Krikey to experiment with the genre of storyline gaming with the help of none other than Reliance Jio. In 2020, Krikey launched a mobile game by the name ‘Yaatra’ or journey. Users play Princess Maya’s sibling as she makes her way through an enchanted forest to reclaim her rightful place as queen. The game is filled with augmented objects like bows and arrows, lightning bolts, fire, and orbs throughout. Another feature is that the game allows users to personalise their own 3D avatars and share it with their friends.

The Future Outlook

In addition to the already long list of exciting features, Reliance Jio users will get exclusive benefits like complementary gameplay tokens that will allow them to unlock additional weapons and powers, and access to special game levels.

After Reliance Jio led the Series-A funding of the mobile gaming company, the total funds raised by Krikey stands at $22 Million. With a Series-A funding secured and an impressive track record, Krikey’s hold on the ever growing mobile gaming market is inevitable.

Looking at the way the team is progressing, it is clear that Krikey is here to stay. By simultaneously adding new games to their system and expanding their user base, they aim to build a community on the foundation of augmented reality. With the number of smartphone users in India steadily rising and Jio’s drive to make internet services cheaper, it is safe to say that the future of the company is indeed a bright one.

The pros and cons of gaming have always been debated upon, but it was only until recently that the pros gained significant distance over the cons. Gaming has shown to increase positive emotions, improve social relationships and mental health drastically. Keeping that in mind, Krikey has proven to be ahead of the curve when it comes to inducing behavioural changes
through gaming. That being said, the possibility of augmented reality as a way of life in the near future is very likely to buckle up because Krikey is just getting started.

For more inspiring stories, check out our Inspire Section!

The post How Krikey ‘Augmented’ the Mobile Gaming Arena in India appeared first on Dutch Uncles.

Revenant Esports to Become a Rs. 200 Crore Brand By 2022

Aakash Sharma — Tue, 11 May 2021 08:35:03 +0000

Revenant Esports is one of the most prominent esports companies in the country and has grown into a dominant company in the division since its inception. It is a next-generation sports platform dedicated to working with the best gaming athletes in the world. The company intends to continue to improve the value and experience of esports by multichannel collaboration among athletes, brands, content creators and communities.

Revenant Esports: A Prime Habitat for All Esports Players

The recent funding from investor Sajan Raj Kurup in Revenant Esports has taken the company’s goal one step further. Revenant Esports plans to become a Rs 200 brand in the next 18 months. Kurup, a serial marketer and investor, has invested approximately $1 million in Revenant Esports and has a 40% stake in India’s fastest growing gaming company.

Revenant Esports has more than 25 esports under its ambit, including popular mobile games such as Call of Duty: Mobile, PUBG Mobile, Clash of Clans and FreeFire. The injection of the new funding will allow the company to expand its reach to the gaming community and promote a unique consumer experience.

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As the firm has become one of the fastest-growing players in the world, stakeholders are confident that Revenant will grow tenfold in the next two years.

How has Revenant Esports made inroads in the Indian Esports Scene?

Revenant Esports is a destination for both casual and professional gamers and ambitious gaming enthusiasts and content creators. Since its inception, the company has set up significant infrastructure to stream games and esports. The company has charted tremendous progress in the Level 2 gaming market.

With approximately 15,000 active players participating and 20,000 hours of watch time through their content creator network, tournaments and athletes, the company aims to grow further in the field of e-sports.

With around 300 million players, India is one of the top five esports markets in the world. Also, because of COVID-19, online games attracted more attention as people remained home. With the necessity of social distancing, telecommuting has become the new norm, and physical sporting events are remaining limited, boosting e-sports and mobile gaming online events.

Indian Gaming Scene – A Breeding Ground for Opportunities

India’s vast esports and gaming ecosystem has become the world’s third-largest hub, following only the United States and China. An increasing number of gaming firms have entered the unicorn club with over $1 billion valuations after raising large funding rounds.

Esports are a hit in India. According to Venture Intelligence data, venture capital funds spent $438 million on gaming entrepreneurs in India in 2020. The industry estimates that the number of esports players in the country will double to 17 million by 2021.

Moreover, this is the first instance that the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) has considered esports as a sporting event in the 2022 Asian Games. The move has given even more clout to the segment, and opportunities for new start-ups are aplenty.

One thing is clear- as Revenant Esports has got significant backers, the move has opened up roads for new players and start-ups to cover leaps in this highly growing market space.

The post Revenant Esports to Become a Rs. 200 Crore Brand By 2022 appeared first on Dutch Uncles.

How is AR Technology Helping Edtech Start-Up PlayShifu to Leverage STEM Skills?

Aakash Sharma — Thu, 06 May 2021 09:35:03 +0000

Founded in 2016 by Vivek Goyal and Dinesh Advani, edtech start-up PlayShifu is providing an exciting and rich experience for children by building upon early STEM skills. With the improved interactive, reality-based toolbox, the company claims its services are used by more than 600 dynamic users and schools and is growing significantly every year.

The heart of PlayShifu’s technology is Augmented Reality (AR), which is achieved through digital visualisation, audio or other sensory inputs. Augmented Reality is an advanced version of the actual physical world transmitted by technology and is fast catching up in the education technology industry.

PlayShifu’s Fundraising Spree

The start-up has already raised a Series A funding of $7 million. This funding stage was led by VC Chiratae, Inventus Capital and Bharat Innovation Fund (BIF) and IDFC-Parampara Fund. So far, the start-up has accumulated $8.5 million from its significant operations in the United States and India.

Market and Sector Trends

Children are increasingly using apps and e-learning on tablets. Consequently, they spend more time on the screen without indulging in physical exercises or interacting with the real world. In this scenario, PlayShifu provides students with augmented reality solutions focused on science and technology teaching methods to have a real-life learning experience.

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In three years, the company claims to have become a multi-million-dollar company clocking an 8X YoY growth in terms of revenue. Company founders attribute this growth to the company's strategic expansion across nations besides India, as STEM education is being prioritised worldwide.

What Type of Technology does the Company Use?

Firstly, PlayShifu’s uses Shifu Orboot, an AR platform that aims to capture international adventures. It has more than 250,000 children users around the world. The latest addition to the company tech-series series is Shifu Plugo, emphasising classic machines with new digital interactive features.

Today, modern digital coding and tech skills are skills that children start to learn early on. PlayShifu aims to produce a wide range of products for this and focus on skills that can be easily refined in children starting from 12 years of age. AR is the inspiration for PlayShifu’s edtech platform. This product is specially designed for children’s entertainment by helping them develop STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) skills.

In addition to its digital fantasy technology, PlayShifu’s key product component includes augmented reality puzzles and a series of questions. It offers digital board games based on the concepts of physics and chemistry. Its AR-supported magnetic sculptures for space, travel, and animals with AR-compatible flash cards are also a rage.

What can others do in this edtech segment?

Traditional schools and educational institutions worldwide, especially those in emerging digital tech markets such as India, the USA, UK and Canada, are adopting e-teaching and learning methods. In the United States, over 400 schools have educational games in their classrooms.

For edtech companies and mainstream services like e-classes and courses, transferring most STEM skills through AR can help you reach large departments. An essential factor in the development of tech businesses is that education is a critical priority in all countries. This allows educational institutions to invest in digital transformation technology products offered by start-ups.

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Gaming Startups of 2021: Who Will Make it Big?

Shalmoli Sarkar — Thu, 18 Feb 2021 12:35:04 +0000

The online gaming startups which were dormant to date, have experienced a huge influx of downloads owing to slower out-of-home consumption in the pandemic. Apart from OTT for entertainment, gaming is not behind in becoming a popular means of entertainment. The online gaming industry’s growth fuelled by the pandemic might continue to attract millions of dollars and is expected to surpass the previous years’ funding. The data from Tracxn says that the online gaming industry in 2020 raised $174 million compared to $97.2 million in 2019.

The growth of the online gaming startups is propelled by an expanding young population being tech-savvy, affordable smartphones, inexpensive internet plans, and higher disposable income.

The online gaming industry is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 40 per cent to reach $2.8 billion by 2022 according to a report from Deloitte India. The ban of Chinese gaming app PUBG is encouraging more entrepreneurs to foray into the gaming segment. The first three months of lockdown have caused people to be in homes that have catalyzed the download of gaming apps. Against this growth potential, the marquee VCs and large corporates are eyeing the gaming industry to be a profitable one.

Which of them will be entering the big league?

Virat Kohli-backed mobile-gaming startup Mobile Premier League (MPL) is nearing a unicorn status since it recently raised $95 million in a Series D round of funding from Composite Capital and Moore Strategic Ventures. Now the latest valuation of the Mobile Premier league is standing at $945 million. MPL enjoys a fanbase of 60 million users and has over 3.5 million users from Indonesia. It offers 50 games across categories. MPL is planning to expand its esports category and will be organizing various digital tournaments in 2021. It is planning to capture the international audience in 2021.

Amid the political tensions between India and China, its most popular app PUBG bore the brunt that escalated to its ban by the Indian government. FAUG, the Indian alternative to PUBG, was released during this republic day. During its pre-launch, it had received over 1 million registrations on the Google Play store.

India’s first gaming unicorn, a fantasy sports app Dream11 with a valuation worth $1 billion, with its recent association with IPL, is aiming to expand beyond fantasy sports. In a short span of five years, its users have increased from 3 lakh to 8.2 crores. For the next two years, Dream11 is planning to expand aggressively by investing largely in grassroot sports development right from coaching to sports analytics.

The 1983 world cup hero Kapil Dev endorsed Apne11 another fantasy sports startup that is aiming to attract new users mainly from tier-II and tier -III cities by holding small-ticket e-leagues. The entry fee is as low as Rs 5 and offers league prizes of Rs 70. Apne11 is targeting to reach 500,000 users and revenues upto $1 million. Apne11 is yet to expand its prize pool to Rs 10 crore.

The post Gaming Startups of 2021: Who Will Make it Big? appeared first on Dutch Uncles.

The Market of Gaming Startups In India

Shalmoli Sarkar — Wed, 17 Feb 2021 12:35:04 +0000

The love for playing games in Indians begins in the evening or right after dinner, when family members gather around a carrom board or Ludo. Gradually, as families broke into nuclear the carrom boards became a distant memory and soon the games were replaced by PC games which further were replaced by mobile gaming apps, which ushered in the rise of gaming startups in India. A KPMG report projects that the Indian online gaming industry is to get 190 million gamers and become a market worth $1 billion in 2021. According to a report, released by boutique investment bank, Maple Capital Advisors titled ‘Gaming India Story’ the gaming industry will be growing at a CAGR of 22%

The online gaming apps witnessed a meteoric rise during the pandemic. With a work from home model, and no access to clubs, gyms, or other recreational activities the individuals resorted to unrest their thumbs. Though the Tencent-owned game PUBG was dominating the online gaming market, the Indian online gaming apps were no behind. Founded in 2016 by Vikash Jaiswal, Ludo King that is a replica of our favourite childhood board game Ludo, emerged as one of the most installed mobile games in April. As per app intelligence firm, Sensor Tower Ludo King app received download volumes of 48.3 million during April -June that surpassing PubG with 30.8 million new installs.

Sports fantasy gaming apps like Dream11 too became a part of the volume downloads after it sponsored the IPL 2020 after the exit of Chinese firms sponsoring the same. According to a report by KPMG and the India Federation of Sports Gaming (IFSG), there are about 20 million fantasy gamers in India right now, a gigantic jump from two million users of such games in 2016. Dream 11 allows users to earn cash by creating imaginary teams by betting on players actual match performances.

What is driving the online gaming startups in India?

As more and more Gen Z population is entering the workforce, there is a rise in disposable income to own a smartphone. According to a 2019 Bloomberg report, India is projected to have a Gen Z population of 472 million. An average gamer profile in India is of 24 years. The discovery of game apps and their download is largely driven by friends and peer groups. The youngsters’ engagement with online games is to relieve stress and increase interaction.

Gen Z and millennials are tech-savvy and are always connected with their cell phones. As per Neilson’s study more than a quarter of individuals below 24 years are highly inclined towards online gaming and spend an average time of 55 min/day.

Apart from the high penetration of affordable smartphones and internet plans now reaching every part of the country, the future seems bright for gaming startups in India since its introduction of a freemium model that leads to more downloads, creating better economics.

Online gaming startups are also transforming the traditional social Indian games to digital for the masses, which became one of the major reasons for Ludo King’s increased downloads. It transformed a traditional board game into a digital one that encouraged family and friends to play in the same ecosystem. The game was built on nostalgia to which many could connect with it.

Technologies like AI, augmented reality and virtual reality for the gaming startups to build and thrive became affordable, and also the local developer ecosystem is increasing that gives a push to the gaming startups to come up with unique games.

The Rise of Female Gamers

According to a report from Think with Google APAC-Play like a girl report, 2020, The online gaming arena is witnessing a huge influx of female gamers and is rapidly increasing than male gamers. In general, there is a perceived notion that females are shy of playing online games.

Online gaming is also now becoming a lucrative career option. Many professional online gamers are competing on a global level to win prize money from e-sports tournaments, receiving salaries from professional teams, creating content on YouTube channels to give reviews on tournaments, and training aspiring gamers as well.

The creation of content and gaming is expected to add thrust to the gaming industry, hence the future of gaming startups seems bright in India.

The post The Market of Gaming Startups In India appeared first on Dutch Uncles.

Gaming Apps – Dutch Uncles

Dream11 – Altering Dreams to Reality

‘Young and Restless’: Building a Personal Project

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Fantasy sports came into existence in early 2000 in the US and Canada. The ‘dream’ of launching a fantasy sports gaming platform in India was perceived parallely with the onset of the Indian Premier League (IPL).​

The Pivot

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Dream11 model charged an entry-level fee from the participants in paid contests besides taking a cut (commission) on the money made by the participants which accounted for about 15-20% of the total pool.

The Legal Hurdle

The ‘Real’ challenge

Business Model

Hitting the Jackpot: IPL Sponsorship

Cashing in on the Boom

Growth amid a pandemic

Indian Gamers

Future for Fantasy Sports

WinZO Becomes Griffin’s First Investment in India

WinZO and Griffin Gaming Partner’s unification

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As part of this deal, Griffin’s co-founder ‘Phil Sanderson’ will be inducted into WinZO’s Board of Directors.

What’s in it for me?

PlaySimple The Gaming Development Startup

Swedish Gaming Firm MTG Acquires India’s PlaySimple

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Gaming startups can look for simpler ways of developing games and as PlaySimple did with their user base being highly covered with 80% of females this is indeed a great strategy to work with.

The State of Gaming Industry In India as well as In Global Market

What’s in it for Gaming Startups?

Indian Esports Start-up MPL’s International Ambitions

Mobile Premier League: The International dream

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According to the joint report of FICCI and EY, the emergence of Esports gaming platforms is estimated to generate more than 11000 jobs and add Rs 100 billion to the economic value of India in investments, in-app purchases, winnings, taxes and related consumption.

How Will Esports Platforms Benefit Indians?

Learnings for New Start-ups in Esports Space

Capitalising during IPL

Acquire local gaming platforms

How Mobile Premier League (MPL) is Leveraging Mobile Gaming Boom in India

MPL Descends Into Fantasy Sports

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A platform for users to participate in skill-based sports and win real rewards.

Satisfying the Gamer Within

What Makes MPL a User Favorite?

A Game-Changing Revenue Model

Happy MPL Players

MPL Ranks High on the Leaderboard

From Fantasy Sports to On-the-Field

MPL “Just Did It” Instead of Nike

Juggling Advertising

MPL: Acquisitions upon Acquisitions

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Users on MPL need just three things- a handset, data/internet and accessible modes of payment.

What’s in a Game: Challenges and Competition

What Does the Future Hold?

How Krikey ‘Augmented’ the Mobile Gaming Arena in India

Krieky Mate! The Come up

Krikey: More a Platform than a Game

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CEO, Jhanvi Shriram hopes to use Krikey as a virtual window to the real world to induce behavioral changes, and amplify the concept of conservation in people through their interactions in different ecosystems

How Krikey is Building an Arsenal

Using Emotion As a Tool

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Why travel the globe when you can have experience it in the comfort of your home? Akash Ambani, Director, Jio invites all jio and non-jio users to experience AR gaming with the launch of long awaited game, Yaatra

Krikey’s Journey to the Big Leagues

The Future Outlook

Revenant Esports to Become a Rs. 200 Crore Brand By 2022

Revenant Esports: A Prime Habitat for All Esports Players

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As the firm has become one of the fastest-growing players in the world, stakeholders are confident that Revenant will grow tenfold in the next two years.

How has Revenant Esports made inroads in the Indian Esports Scene?

Indian Gaming Scene – A Breeding Ground for Opportunities

How is AR Technology Helping Edtech Start-Up PlayShifu to Leverage STEM Skills?

PlayShifu’s Fundraising Spree

Market and Sector Trends

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In three years, the company claims to have become a multi-million-dollar company clocking an 8X YoY growth in terms of revenue. Company founders attribute this growth to the company's strategic expansion across nations besides India, as STEM education is being prioritised worldwide.

What Type of Technology does the Company Use?

What can others do in this edtech segment?

Gaming Startups of 2021: Who Will Make it Big?

Which of them will be entering the big league?

The Market of Gaming Startups In India

What is driving the online gaming startups in India?

Fantasy sports came into existence in early 2000 in the US and Canada. The ‘dream’ of launching a fantasy sports gaming platform in India was perceived parallely with the onset of the Indian Premier League (IPL).