PlaysOut completes $7 million seed round to target mini-game market

PlaysOut recently completed a seed round of $7 million, with a post-investment valuation of $70 million. The multi-engine mini gaming platform has received support from well-known investment institutions such as OKX Ventures, KBW Ventures and Pacific Century Group, and is actively deploying a market estimated to be worth $6 billion to $10 billion. In this article, co-founder Jassem Osseiran shared the significance of this round of financing and shared PlaysOut’s plan for the future development of embedded games.

Osseiran said this round of financing is a "key step" taken by PlaysOut, and the funds will be used in three core directions: expanding the mini-game ecosystem, establishing strategic partnerships, and opening up high-growth markets such as the United States, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and Asia.

“This funding allows us to focus on creating high-quality mini-games, expanding the ecosystem and reaching key collaborations with super apps,” Osseiran notes. “We are building a seamless, immersive interactive way to allow users to easily experience mini-games in apps that are used every day. This round of financing will accelerate this process.”

Strategic investment beyond capital

This round of investors not only provides financial support, but also brings strategic advantages to PlaysOut in different regions and industries.

“OKX Ventures helps us dive into the Web3 space, optimize token strategies, and reach a large crypto-native user base,” Osseiran said. “KBW Ventures strengthens our MENA market, while Pacific Century Group creates important opportunities for us in the technology and media sectors in Asia.”

With the support of these strategic investors, PlaysOut is expected to effectively respond to industry challenges and accelerate scale expansion.

Sleeping Giant: The Rise of Mini Games

PlaysOut bets mini games will become a new high ground for digital entertainment. In China, WeChat mini-games have generated billions of dollars in revenue, but the global market still lacks the corresponding infrastructure to achieve seamless expansion.

“At present, there is no mature infrastructure around the world except China, which allows developers to easily release, monetize, and provide incentives for users,” Osseiran said. “This is exactly where PlaysOut’s opportunity lies.”

PlaysOut plans to empower platforms such as Telegram, Discord, YouTube, etc., allowing developers to reach a large number of users at low cost and promote the global development of the mini-game ecosystem.

Osseiran compares PlaysOut to "Steam for a mini-game version", and its embedded SDK simplifies the access process of developers and provides the platform with tools for monetization and user interaction. “For developers, PlaysOut provides a global audience, simplified integration and powerful monetization capabilities; for the platform, it’s a solution to increase user engagement and generate new revenue without reshaping the architecture.”

Connecting Web2 and Web3

Although Web3 has higher ownership attributes and monetization potential, most players do not care about blockchain technology. PlaysOut's strategy is to achieve seamless integration of blockchain functions without affecting the gaming experience.

“Most players focus on game quality rather than Web3 technology,” Osseiran notes. “Our goal is to ensure that the user experience is smooth, intuitive and fun.”

PlaysOut embeds blockchain technology into the underlying architecture, allowing players to truly own game assets while optimizing the in-game economic system without directly contacting complex encryption mechanisms.

PlaysOut's rapid expansion is due to cooperation with Web2 and Web3 giants such as Tencent Cloud, OKX, Aptos, and TON. “Tencent Cloud provides us with technical support for global deployment, while Web3 partners bring community resources and blockchain infrastructure,” said Osseiran. “We are not only pursuing cooperative brands, but also looking for strategic partners that can truly accelerate our growth.”

The future layout of PlaysOut

Against the backdrop of giants such as LinkedIn, Meta and Netflix that have increased their gaming business, PlaysOut hopes to become an infrastructure provider that supports seamless integration of games for all applications.

“We are redefining Game as a Service (GaaS)," Osseiran said. “Our platform is able to redistribute successful games to the best scenarios for them, allowing any application – regardless of size – to increase user engagement and commercialize them.”

PlaysOut plans to launch its SDK in May, allowing developers to build and release games more easily. In addition, the platform's token issuance (TGE) will further optimize the incentive mechanism and drive growth.

“Our commercial products have been tested on the Android side, and iOS users are about to experience it through TestFlight,” Osseiran revealed. “We are advancing at an extremely fast pace, and this is just the beginning.”

With the support of strong investors, PlaysOut is step by step in innovation in the mini-game ecosystem, reshaping the global interactive entertainment experience in a seamless and integrated way.