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Slay has secured $5 million in funding to develop its social gaming platform, building on the success of its popular Pengu virtual pets game.
Slay’s games and apps have garnered widespread acclaim, attracting over 2.5 million monthly active users, 650,000 daily active users, and more than 10 million downloads. CEO Fabian Kamberi reported that Slay’s 2024 revenues have already increased tenfold compared to 2023.
On the social platform, users become ambassadors for Pengu content, sharing their experiences with friends and seeing what others are up to.
“We’re focused on creating an immersive social gaming platform,” Kamberi said. “Our vision is to let users fulfill their narratives with Pengu’s virtual pets and other characters, offering unlimited engagement opportunities.”
Accel led the funding round, with participation from Laton VC, HYBE America CEO Scooter Braun, King cofounder Riccardo Zacconi, Popcore cofounder Johannes Heinze, Supercell cofounder and CEO Ilkka Paananen, and Tripledot cofounder and CEO Lior Shiff.
The funds will be used to enhance Slay’s social gaming platform, allowing users and developers to create content and engage more deeply with Pengu. The company is also developing an AI platform and expanding Pengu’s global reach, with 80% of users currently in the U.S.
“We ensure a smooth onboarding experience for users and their friends,” Kamberi said. “You can feed penguins, play mini-games, earn coins, and share rewards with friends, fostering a sense of accomplishment together.”
Slay aims to promote continuous engagement and positive play, allowing friends and families to enjoy the game together.
Founded in 2022 by Fabian Kamberi, Jannis Ringwald, and Stefan Quernhorst in Berlin, Slay’s mission is to build positive social gaming experiences that bring people together and unleash creativity. The company has released successful titles like frfr, an AI voice messaging app for Instagram stories, and W, an app featuring mini-games and anonymous polls.
Pengu, Slay’s most successful title, lets users raise digital penguins, play mini-games, and socialize with friends and family. Since its late 2023 launch, Pengu has rapidly grown, attracting over 500,000 daily active users and close to 100,000 App Store ratings.
Recognizing Pengu’s organic traction, Slay is enhancing the user experience with customizable games and characters. New features will also improve user interaction and socialization, including AI tools for communicating and playing with other players’ Pengus.
Slay is providing a developer platform for users and studios to create content and worlds within Pengu. The game has already attracted significant interest from developers, leading to integrated games and ongoing negotiations with other studios.
In 2024, Slay introduced AI chat features for Pengu, allowing users to converse with their virtual pets and create game cosmetics using AI. The company is also launching a developer relations program to help studios create casual content for Slay to publish.
Started in December 2022, Slay has raised $7.7 million to date and employs 14 people. The company is hiring.
Slay combines social and deep content to facilitate organic distribution. Multiple mini-games are associated with Pengu, enhancing its appeal.
“Accel was our first investor and has been an excellent partner,” Kamberi said. “Our ambition is to turn Pengu into a platform and introduce more characters.”
Kamberi believes the viral nature of social gaming platforms aids discovery and engagement, leading to monetization without the need for paid distribution. Despite challenges in the mobile market, Kamberi is optimistic about creating meaningful experiences for users.
“My conviction is that we can succeed,” he said.
The Berlin-based gaming startup scene is small but growing. Kamberi hopes Slay can lead a resurgence, building on the legacy of successful companies like Wooga.
“We have the right people to learn from,” Kamberi said. “There have been good companies. I hope we can double down on this.”
Source: Pengu creator Slay raises $5M for social gaming platform
Slay’s games and apps have garnered widespread acclaim, attracting over 2.5 million monthly active users, 650,000 daily active users, and more than 10 million downloads. CEO Fabian Kamberi reported that Slay’s 2024 revenues have already increased tenfold compared to 2023.
On the social platform, users become ambassadors for Pengu content, sharing their experiences with friends and seeing what others are up to.
“We’re focused on creating an immersive social gaming platform,” Kamberi said. “Our vision is to let users fulfill their narratives with Pengu’s virtual pets and other characters, offering unlimited engagement opportunities.”
Accel led the funding round, with participation from Laton VC, HYBE America CEO Scooter Braun, King cofounder Riccardo Zacconi, Popcore cofounder Johannes Heinze, Supercell cofounder and CEO Ilkka Paananen, and Tripledot cofounder and CEO Lior Shiff.
The funds will be used to enhance Slay’s social gaming platform, allowing users and developers to create content and engage more deeply with Pengu. The company is also developing an AI platform and expanding Pengu’s global reach, with 80% of users currently in the U.S.
“We ensure a smooth onboarding experience for users and their friends,” Kamberi said. “You can feed penguins, play mini-games, earn coins, and share rewards with friends, fostering a sense of accomplishment together.”
Slay aims to promote continuous engagement and positive play, allowing friends and families to enjoy the game together.
Founded in 2022 by Fabian Kamberi, Jannis Ringwald, and Stefan Quernhorst in Berlin, Slay’s mission is to build positive social gaming experiences that bring people together and unleash creativity. The company has released successful titles like frfr, an AI voice messaging app for Instagram stories, and W, an app featuring mini-games and anonymous polls.
Pengu, Slay’s most successful title, lets users raise digital penguins, play mini-games, and socialize with friends and family. Since its late 2023 launch, Pengu has rapidly grown, attracting over 500,000 daily active users and close to 100,000 App Store ratings.
Recognizing Pengu’s organic traction, Slay is enhancing the user experience with customizable games and characters. New features will also improve user interaction and socialization, including AI tools for communicating and playing with other players’ Pengus.
Slay is providing a developer platform for users and studios to create content and worlds within Pengu. The game has already attracted significant interest from developers, leading to integrated games and ongoing negotiations with other studios.
In 2024, Slay introduced AI chat features for Pengu, allowing users to converse with their virtual pets and create game cosmetics using AI. The company is also launching a developer relations program to help studios create casual content for Slay to publish.
Started in December 2022, Slay has raised $7.7 million to date and employs 14 people. The company is hiring.
Slay combines social and deep content to facilitate organic distribution. Multiple mini-games are associated with Pengu, enhancing its appeal.
“Accel was our first investor and has been an excellent partner,” Kamberi said. “Our ambition is to turn Pengu into a platform and introduce more characters.”
Kamberi believes the viral nature of social gaming platforms aids discovery and engagement, leading to monetization without the need for paid distribution. Despite challenges in the mobile market, Kamberi is optimistic about creating meaningful experiences for users.
“My conviction is that we can succeed,” he said.
The Berlin-based gaming startup scene is small but growing. Kamberi hopes Slay can lead a resurgence, building on the legacy of successful companies like Wooga.
“We have the right people to learn from,” Kamberi said. “There have been good companies. I hope we can double down on this.”
Source: Pengu creator Slay raises $5M for social gaming platform
