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<ul><li><keyword id="6357332" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gaming">Gaming</keyword> company <keyword id="125145" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nazara-Technologies">Nazara technologies</keyword> plans to invest $20 million in <keyword id="6362513" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="startups">startups</keyword> next year. </li><li>In the last two years, Nazara invested $50 million in gaming technology startups.</li><li>In 2019 alone, Nazara has made over 5 acquisitions. </li></ul>Indian gaming company Nazara technologies said that it plans to invest $20 million in startups next year. “Looking at the explosive growth in the interactive entertainment and sports ecosystem, Nazara has decided to up its aggression on investing in the emerging market ecosystem and support early stage startups accelerating the growth of these companies and the industry at large,” said Nazara Technologies CEO, Manish Agarwal. Nazara holds the license mobile gaming rights of popular cartoon characters like Chhota Bheem, Motu Patlu and Shikari Shambhu. It has also established itself in 64 countries across Africa, Middle East, South East Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. In the last two years, Nazara invested $50 million in gaming technology startups and more. In 2020, it plans to invest in startups from not just India, but Africa and the Middle East as well. In 2019 alone, Nazara has made over 5 acquisitions. In October, it acquired a 51% stake in Paper Boat Apps, a Mumbai-based indie studio for ₹83.5 crore. In September 2019, Nazara acquired majority stake in Sports Unity, the creator of multiplayer quiz called Qunami, for ₹7.5 crore. In August, Nazara also bought 67% stake in Sportskeeda for ₹44 crore. In May, Nazara invested in local languages gaming platform Bakbuck. It had also bet on a fantasy gaming platform Halaplay with an investment of ₹40 crore in March.

Nazara plans to invest $20 million in startups across India, Africa and Middle East

<ul><li>The <keyword id="3351303" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gaming-startup">gaming startup</keyword> has announced a secondary investment from <keyword id="6497288" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="steadview-capital">Steadview Capital</keyword>. </li><li>The 11-year-old <keyword id="138263" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="startup">startup</keyword> has over 50 million users and aims to have 100 million by the end of 2019. </li><li>Its existing investors include <keyword id="1397792" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kalaari-Capital">Kalaari Capital</keyword>, Think Investments &amp; Multiples Equity.</li></ul>Indian gaming startup <keyword id="6214644" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Dream11">Dream11</keyword> has entered the prestigious <keyword id="152045" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Unicorn">unicorn</keyword> club. The startup announced a secondary investment from Steadview Capital, an Asia-focused alternative asset manager. Steadview Capital comes on board by buying secondary shares from Dream11’s existing investors Kalaari Capital, Think Investments &amp; Multiples Equity. The existing investors will continue to stay on board. Secondary investments are when the new investor purchases shares from sources other than the issuer (employees, former employees, or investors). India now has over 15 unicorns, which are startups with the valuation of over $1 billion. The new additions include Delhivery and BigBasket. The 11-year-old startup has made it big in the Indian gaming space with over 50 million users and is also the official partner of the Indian Premier League - the cricket league which brought them most of their users. According to the company’s official release, Dream11’s user base has grown at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of about 230% over a period of three years. “Providing great returns to our shareholders, whether investors or Dreamsters (employees), is very important to us and further reinforces their belief in Dream11. We will keep working hard and are targeting to end the year with 100 million users,” said Harsh Jain, CEO and Co-Founder, Dream11. The startup has a busy time ahead with the ongoing IPL and the upcoming cricket World Cup. At Dream11, it was a dream come true after multiple years of hard work. In an earlier interview with Business Insider, Bhavit Sheth, COO and co-founder, Dream11 had spoken about their journey so far. “As 22-year-olds we started this business, engineers who didn't know anything about business. We didn't even in our wildest imagination think that we will have over 52 million users in such a short time, with only a team of over 200 managing them and be at this scale,” said Sheth. See Also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/dream11-is-eyeing-the-unicorn-tag-riding-on-ipl-and-cricket-world-cup-in-2019/articleshow/68458528.cms">2019 may be the biggest year for this 11-year old Indian gaming startup</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/gaming-startup-dream11-strikes-gold-as-the-official-partner-of-ipl/articleshow/68426121.cms">Gaming startup Dream11 strikes gold as the official partner of IPL</a>

Dream11 becomes India’s first gaming unicorn

<ul><li>Newly launched startup <keyword id="7750611" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="apne11">Apne11</keyword> has roped in <keyword id="1229" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kapil-Dev">Kapil Dev</keyword> to be its brand advisor. </li><li>The Indian fantasy gaming market is a hot one right now with the ICC Cricket World Cup going on.</li><li>Startups like <keyword id="6214644" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Dream11">Dream11</keyword> and Mobile Premier League have already become established names in the sector.</li></ul>As the fantasy gaming industry in India grows along with the World Cup fever, more and more startups are entering the industry. A newly launched startup Apne11 has roped in former Indian skipper Kapil Dev to be its ‘brand advisor’. “I am thrilled to be associated with Apne11 as it will present an open opportunity for millions to compete against one another and have the chance to connect with sports on an even deeper level than before,” said Dev. Apne11 follows the same mantra as most fantasy gaming startups – users get to choose their own team on the platform from amongst the players on the actual field and be awarded points in accordance with the performance of the selected team combination. Growing market The Indian fantasy gaming market is projected to touch $5 billion in the next two years, according to Roland Landers, CEO, All India Gaming Federation. However, this sector already has the presence of the likes of Dream11, which has over 60 million users and is also associated with major cricketing events like the Indian Premier League and the ICC World Cup along with having <keyword id="6354832" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="ms-dhoni">MS Dhoni</keyword> as its brand ambassador. Dream11 also became India’s first gaming unicorn in April 2019. Another player in the same field is Mobile Premier League which got 20 million users within seven months of its launch along with a funding of $35.5 million from Sequoia India. MPL has current Indian skipper <keyword id="6354486" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="virat-kohli">Virat Kohli</keyword> as its brand ambassador. See Also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/icc-cricket-world-cup-2019-star-network-and-hotstar-viewership/articleshow/69719956.cms">ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 viewership so far on Hotstar is far from the IPL peak</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/icc-cricket-world-cup-2019-dream11s-userbase-can-hit-90-million/articleshow/69580087.cms">As England vs South Africa game kicks off, the World Cup is fuelling Dream11's dream run in 2019</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/mobile-premier-league-raises-series-a-funding-of-35-5-million-from-sequoia-india-times-internet-and-goventures/articleshow/69017909.cms">This 7-month old startup has $35.5 million funding from Sequoia and Virat Kohli as its brand ambassador</a>

This 1983 cricket World Cup star just turned brand advisor for India’s latest fantasy gaming startup

Dream11, lists out five questions startups should ask themselves before they go global

<ul><li>The <keyword id="6370199" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Federation-of-Sports-Gaming">Indian Federation of Sports Gaming</keyword> (IFSG) is the country’s only self-regulatory industry body.</li><li>It has appointed former <keyword id="137646" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Supreme-Court-judge">Supreme Court judge</keyword> <keyword id="798960" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="AK-Sikri">AK Sikri</keyword> as its Ethics Officer. </li><li>The Indian <keyword id="6370198" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="fantasy-gaming">fantasy gaming</keyword> market is projected to touch $5 billion in the next two years with players like Dream11, Mobile Premier League leading the industry.</li></ul>As the fantasy gaming market grows in India, The Indian Federation of Sports Gaming (IFSG), which is the country’s only self-regulatory industry body, has appointed former Supreme Court judge AK Sikri as its Ethics Officer. Sikri, as the Ombudsman, will be responsible for investigating queries/complaints raised by users. “The sports gaming industry provides an untapped opportunity for sports lovers to showcase their sports knowledge and come closer to their favorite sport. As the industry prepares for the next wave of sports enthusiasts, as a self-regulatory industry body it is important to protect and educate operators and users about the industry and its best practices,” said Justice A K Sikri, Ombudsman, IFSG. IFSG currently has 32 members across fantasy sports operators and sports analytics firms. The Indian fantasy gaming market is projected to touch $5 billion in the next two years and has players like Dream11, Mobile Premier League leading the industry. Dream11, which has over 60 million users is associated with major cricketing events like the Indian Premier League and the ICC World Cup. MS Dhoni is its brand ambassador. Dream11 also became India’s first gaming unicorn in April 2019. Another player in the same field is Mobile Premier League which gained 20 million users within seven months of its launch. It also raised $35.5 million from Sequoia India. MPL has Indian skipper Virat Kohli as its brand ambassador.

Indian regulatory body for fantasy gaming appoints former Supreme Court judge AK Sikri as its Ethics Officer

<ul><li>BCCI has announced <keyword id="6214644" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Dream11">Dream11</keyword> as the official partner for the <keyword id="6354831" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="indian-premier-league">Indian Premier League</keyword>. </li><li>Dream11 will also take over <keyword id="6354312" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="IPL">IPL</keyword>’s official fantasy game. </li><li>The startup which is on the brink of becoming India’s first <keyword id="7430106" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="gaming-unicorn">gaming unicorn</keyword> has 51 million users currently.</li></ul>The Indian Premier League is just around the corner and Indian gaming startup Dream11 has hit the ball out of the park. The Board of Control for Cricket in India has announced Dream11 as the official partner for the IPL. In a four-year exclusive contract, Dream11 will also take over the official fantasy game of IPL. Dream11 has IPL to thank for, for increasing its users over the years. The startup has grown from 300,000 users in 2004 to 51 million users today. Just during last year’s IPL, the gaming startup gained over 20 million users, Bhavit Sheth, COO and co-founder of Dream11 told Business Insider. Now, with the official partnership the numbers are only set to grow. “Dream11 is deeply integrating with the IPL, which is set to grow from its 1.4 billion TV impressions and 200 million online viewers in 2018, to achieve our goal of growing from 51 million users to 100 million users in 2019,” said Harsh Jain, CEO and co-founder of Dream11. The startup which is on the brink of becoming India’s first gaming unicorn has been around for 11 years, although it saw its popularity reach the peak with last year’s IPL. The startup also brought on board former Indian cricket team captain MS Dhoni to be its brand ambassador. According to the 2019 IFSG - KPMG report, fantasy cricket is the most widely played (71% respondents) online fantasy sports game and the primary motivation (72% respondents) for playing fantasy sports is fun and excitement. See Also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/heres-why-indian-brands-can-no-longer-ignore-the-countrys-women-during-ipl-matches/articleshow/68153213.cms">Brands can no longer ignore Indian women during the country's most popular sporting event</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/mobile-premier-league-signs-virat-kohli-as-brand-ambassador/articleshow/68266803.cms">It’s Virat Kohli Vs MS Dhoni in the Indian e-gaming space</a>

Gaming startup Dream11 strikes gold as the official partner of IPL

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>British tech startup Hadean has built a simulation engine that it says could handle a battle royale-style fight with 10,000 concurrent players.</li><li>It will put its Aether Engine to the test in March to hold a massive space fight with 10,000 players.</li><li>The company has just raised $9.1 million to build out its "operating system for the cloud."</li><li>The company says its software has much bigger applications than gaming, and could help developers write and ship applications at scale and aid medical research.</li></ul>British startup Hadean claims to have created a new simulation engine that would allow thousands of gamers to participate in a battle royale-style fight simultaneously.Hadean will put its Aether Engine to the test on 9 March, and has partnered with Eve Online maker CCP Games to host a massive space fight involving 10,000 players.The company has posted a demo of a 10,000-person dogfight on YouTube, though some of the footage is rendered:CCP Games currently holds the record for the largest number of players in a single battle, at 6,142 players through EVE Online.Underlying Aether Engine is Hadean's core product, a cloud operating system called HadeanOS. Aether Engine isn't a game engine to rival Unity or Unreal, but plugs into these third-party engines and handles the simulation side of games. Game engines handle the graphics side, among other functions.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/unity-improbable-feud-ends-2019-1?r=US&amp;IR=T">High-flying gaming startups Unity and Improbable have ended their feud peacefully after a very public battle that involved the creator of 'Fortnite'</a>Some of this may sound familiar given rival UK startup Improbable offers SpatialOS, another platform for running huge simulated worlds. Improbable is backed by SoftBank, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/improbable-is-now-worth-2-billion-after-netease-investment-2018-7">has partnered with Chinese gaming giant NetEase</a>, and has at least one deal with the US military. But the startup ran into some trouble in January after gaming engine provider Unity <a href="https://www.businessinsider.my/improbable-dispute-with-unity-spatialos-game-license-2019-1/">complained that SpatialOS violated its terms of service</a>.<h2>Hadean raises $9.1 million</h2>While Aether Engine could make sense for game studios looking to create seamless, massively multiplayer online games, Hadean believes its software will eventually have much bigger applications than gaming. It's worth noting that the startup is at an early stage and, according to LinkedIn, currently has fewer than 30 employees.Hadean says its software is good not just for simulations, but for building applications that might require processing huge amounts of data. It says Aether Engine is used for handling simulation, and that it's compatible with Unity and any other gaming engine, which render the graphics.The startup has just raised £7 million ($9.1 million) in a fresh round of funding led by Draper Esprit, with Aster, London Venture Partners, Luminous Ventures, and Entrepreneur First all participating.And it is already working with biomedical research centre the Francis Crick Institute to simulate cancer cells undergoing metastasis. The idea is to understand how cancer cells migrate to different parts of the body."Technology companies today are hampered by their ability to scale their platforms to meet demand and exploit data," said Hadean CEO Craig Beddis in a statement. "Our technology, which was derived from first principles, eliminates the significant manpower and time wasted on engineering and DevOps. I am excited to have an investor of the calibre of Draper Esprit on board, with its proven track record in deep tech investment leading this round."<div></div> <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-not-paying-taxes-trump-bezos-2018-4">Amazon will pay $0 in federal taxes this year - here's how the $793 billion company gets away with it</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

This tiny gaming startup built a simulation engine that can handle a 10,000-player battle royale

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The evolution of tech and media is creating opportunities for innovation in sports.</li><li>Sports betting has also added new facets to the industry in the US.</li></ul>The sports industry has exploded in recent years as technology and consumer habits change.The expansion of legal sports betting in the US ushered in one of the biggest transformations. It's opened up a new market not only for sportsbooks like DraftKings, but for the ancillary businesses that support betting — be it platform providers, data companies, media partners, geolocation and compliance suppliers, or others.Venture capital poured about $330 million into early-stage <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sports-betting-online-gambling-companies-raising-most-money-vc-funding-2023-8?r=sports-pitch-decks">US sports betting and online gambling companies</a> last year, despite the current macroeconomic struggles, according to PitchBook. That was down from the previous year but more than the year before.In college sports, student-athletes are finally allowed to profit from their name, image, and likeness, after a 2021 rule change. Student-athletes have since become <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/college-athletes-are-best-performing-influencers-for-brands-data-2022-9?r=sports-pitch-decks">one of the most engaging influencer groups</a>, earning anywhere from a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-king-d3-nil-jack-betts-has-earned-in-2022?r=sports-pitch-decks">few hundred dollars</a> to six figures from brand deals. This has opened the opportunity for <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nil-companies-helping-student-athletes-colleges-collectives-2023?r=sports-pitch-decks">startups to build marketplaces or creator tools</a> to help student-athlete creators. Technology has also changed the way leagues and teams operate and how fans consume sports. Uplift Labs has partnered with leagues like the NBA for its technology that analyzes player movement through smartphone cameras.Stadium Live, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/startup-targeting-gen-z-sports-fans-fundraise-metaverse-app-2022-10?r=sports-pitch-decks">which has raised $13 million in funding since 2020</a>, created a fan-engagement app for Gen-Z audiences, who founder Kevin Kim said are paying less attention to TV screens during live sports. Kim said investors even chased him down on platforms like Twitter and Discord, gaining interest in Stadium Live's unique position in sports media."Every time an investor or potential people would look at [Stadium Live], they were like, 'Oh, this has a unique vibe that we have not seen before in any other apps,'" Kim told Business Insider.Whether in sports tech, betting, or consumer products, the sports space has become a world of opportunity for startups to create the next big company.BI spoke with 17 sports companies that have pitched investors about their process. They broke down the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-make-a-pitch-deck-strategies-nasa-equinox-gap-2022-10?r=sports-pitch-decks">pitch decks</a> they used to secure millions of dollars in funding. Read the pitch decks that helped 17 sports-focused startups raise millions of dollars (in alphabetical order):<ul><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pitch-deck-ballislife-basketball-media-company-pitch-deck-2023-11?r=sports-pitch-decks">Ballislife, a basketball media brand: $2.7 million (12 pages)</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/curastory-pitch-deck-to-raise-seed-round-lightspeed-techstars-2021-9"></a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/beyondplay-pitch-deck-teaser-video-gambling-startup-raise-first-funding-2022-7?r=sports-pitch-decks">BeyondPlay, a mobile gaming and online-gambling app: $1.7 million (90-second video)</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/curastory-pitch-deck-to-raise-seed-round-lightspeed-techstars-2021-9"></a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/brag-house-pitch-deck-example-college-esports-platform-2021-11?r=sports-pitch-decks">Brag House, an esports social platform for college gamers: $5 million Series A round (24 pages)</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/startup-pitch-deck-example-fantasy-sports-social-gaming-champions-round-2023-4?r=sports-pitch-decks">Champions Round, a social-gaming startup catering to Gen-Z audiences who want shorter, faster play: $7 million Series A (13 pages)</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/compliable-pitch-deck-for-sports-betting-suppliers-raise-2021-10?r=sports-pitch-decks">Compliable, a tech company helping with the sports-gambling licensing process: $3.6 million seed round (4 pages)</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/curastory-pitch-deck-to-raise-seed-round-lightspeed-techstars-2021-9?r=sports-pitch-decks">Curastory, a video-making startup for sports creators: $2 million seed round (27 pages)</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/curastory-pitch-deck-to-raise-seed-round-lightspeed-techstars-2021-9"></a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pitch-deck-slides-sports-creator-economy-startup-grandstand-subscription-fans-2023-10?r=sports-pitch-decks">Grandstand, a sports creator economy startup: $2.75 million (15 pages)</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pitch-deck-example-smart-basketball-hoop-huupe-ai-technology-2023-9?r=sports-pitch-decks">Huupe, an interactive smart basketball hoop: $8 million seed round (5 pages)</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kero-sports-pitch-deck-slides-helped-gaming-startup-raise-1m-2022-3?r=sports-pitch-decks">Kero Sports, a startup that powers free-to-play games in sports apps: $1 million seed round (6 key pages)</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/golf-betting-startup-loopgolf-pitch-deck-slides-newsletter-community-fundraising-2023-10?r=sports-pitch-decks">LoopGolf, an on-course betting app that lets golfers wager with their friends: $2 million (9 pages)</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pitch-deck-sports-startup-mojo-raise-money-secure-deal-nflpa-2022-11?r=sports-pitch-decks">Mojo, a sports-betting app where bettors can invest in the careers of athletes (11 pages)</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/overtime-deck-how-it-reaches-sports-fans-raised-80-million-2021-4?r=sports-pitch-decks">Overtime, a social media outlet target ting the Gen-Z market that has launched a basketball league (33 pages)</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pitch-deck-pro-league-network-startup-raises-niche-sports-betting-2024-5?r=sports-pitch-decks">Pro League Network develops "made-for-wagering" sports like CarJitsu and slapfighting: $2.2 million (20 pages)</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pitch-deck-wnba-seattle-storm-investors-headquarters-womens-sports-2023-10?r=sports-pitch-decks">The Seattle Storm, a WNBA team: $21 million (14 pages)</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sports-startup-pitch-deck-sobet-raises-millions-seed-round-2024-4?r=sports-pitch-decks">SoBet, a sports startup for bettors and creators: $3.7 million seed round (10 pages)</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pitch-deck-golf-startup-raise-10-million-series-a-funding-2022-9?r=sports-pitch-decks">Stix, a golf startup aiming to make quality equipment more affordable: $10 million Series A (14 pages)</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pitch-deck-sports-tech-startup-raise-5-million-seed-funding-2022-8?r=sports-pitch-decks">Uplift, a sports tech startup using biomechanics to improve performance and physical health: $5.5 million seed round (14 pages)</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pitch-deck-golf-startup-raise-10-million-series-a-funding-2022-9"></a></li></ul>This story has been updated with additional details.

Read the pitch decks from sports and gaming startups that helped raise millions of dollars

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>Nikki Lannen left a steady job as a Facebook marketing executive in 2014 to launch a gaming startup called WarDucks.</li><li>Five years on, she has raised more than $5 million and is developing an augmented-reality game that will aim to emulate the success of Niantic's blockbuster hit "Pokémon Go."</li><li>She told Business Insider that her ambition is to create games that force people to use their imagination.</li></ul>For many people with an interest in a tech career, a job at Facebook would be the pinnacle. So when Nikki Lannen left her role as a high-level marketing executive at the company's Irish office in 2014, you'd be forgiven for wondering why.The answer to that question is twofold. First, Lannen's role at Facebook sparked a hidden passion for game development. Second, her time at Facebook helped her to see how smaller companies, building titles aimed at more casual gamers, could flourish.On Thursday, her startup <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ex-facebook-employee-nikki-lannen-raises-millions-warducks-2019-3?r=US&amp;IR=T" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WarDucks raised $3.7 million in a funding round led by EQT Ventures</a>, supplementing a previous raise of $1.8 million last year. Building on titles including "Sneaky Bears" and "Rollercoaster Legends," WarDucks is now working on a new augmented-reality title that will aim to emulate the success of Niantic's blockbuster hit "Pokémon Go."<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div>In an interview with Business Insider, Lannen detailed her unusual career path from Facebook marketeer to games developer."When I first joined Facebook, we hadn't created a games team, and in the Dublin office, there were perhaps fewer than 100 people. But one of my first clients as a marketing executive was a game developer. Games were my main vertical," she said.Read more:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/unity-improbable-feud-ends-2019-1?r=US&amp;IR=T">High-flying gaming startups Unity and Improbable have ended their feud peacefully after a very public battle that involved the creator of 'Fortnite'</a>Lannen's brief was to market up-and-coming developers who were making games for Facebook, whether for mobile or for desktop. She soon discovered it was something she enjoyed - so she took one of the biggest risks of her career and founded her own startup."There was one client I had at Facebook, an Israeli gaming startup, and their growth really sparked my interest in game development," Lanned said. "When I started WarDucks, a lot of [the Israeli company's employees] went on to become the first WarDucks employees.""Leaving Facebook was risky, all right. But I had worked on both sides of the games industry - marketing and development - and I was able to leverage my Facebook contacts."In a nod to her Facebook days, WarDucks' games are pitched at the casual gamer. One of its recent VR titles, "RollerCoaster Legends II: Thor's Hammer," was a top ten bestseller in the European and Latin American PlayStation VR charts last year."With WarDucks, we wanted to create something that was fun and in-house," said Lannen. "AR, by its very nature, it makes for immersive experiences, without being too immersive. And with VR, not everyone wants that super-realistic feeling. Sometimes it's better to create something that forces you to use your imagination."Lannen said it's a shame that the world of gaming development is dominated by men, but said her experience has been "relatively plain-sailing" and she is hopeful for the future. "In the development side of the games industry there are very few women, and in the more senior management roles. It's disappointing, but it will change," she said.With the investment behind her and a new "Pokémon Go"-style game in development, Lannen's career change may just encourage other women to take the same risk she did five years ago.<div></div> <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bpa-plastic-containers-bad-health-risks-obesity-heart-disease-diabetes-2019-2">A molecular biologist warns chemicals in plastic can seep into food and lead to major health effects like obesity, heart disease, and diabetes</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

This tech executive left a steady job at Facebook and switched careers, raising more than $5 million for a gaming startup

<ul><li><keyword id="6214644" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Dream11">Dream11</keyword>, an Indian gaming and sports startup is redefining the human resource function — adopting a rare culture. </li><li>The gaming startup focuses on the designation of employee and not his remuneration at the previous company while extending job offers and compensation to its employees. </li><li>Every quarter, the employee is judged by some 25 coworkers based on the company’s core values — data, ownership, performance, user and transparency. </li></ul>Dream11, an Indian gaming and sports startup is redefining the human resource function - paving the way for a new culture. It not only allows employees to set targets themselves but also offers them the flexibility to do what they want to do, as long as they bring in the results. The company follows a pod structure — called a ‘dream team’ where product, tech, marketing, business analytics, and all other teams work together in pods — which refers to a group having a shared purpose. The employees can introduce their own ideas and set targets. “We don’t believe in bell curve. The culture and philosophy of how we work is completely different. We don’t have things like OKR, KRA and KPI individually set across the organisation. We only have one thing, which is a team target. Either the entire company achieves the target or we don’t,” <keyword id="2598207" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Harsh-Jain">Harsh Jain</keyword>, Co-Founder and CEO at Dream11 told Business Insider at the <keyword id="8514289" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="tie-global-summit-2019">TiE Global Summit 2019</keyword>. Salary hikes and appraisals The 11 year old gaming startup also breaks many traditional molds when it comes to appraisals. “From 15% to as high as 270% appraisals, we pay top of markets,” Jain said. “Everything is data driven for us. We do benchmarking of competitive companies which can poach from us. We see what they pay and then we pay at the 99th percentile,” he said. For new employees too, it focuses on the designation and not the remuneration at the previous company. The company has 200 employees. In fact, the drill to decide on appraisals isn’t the same either. It doesn’t let only managers rate the performance and make decisions. Every quarter, the employee is judged by 25 coworkers based on the company’s core values — data, ownership, performance, user and transparency. “If they get less than 7/10 rating on an average, they are given a warning. Two quarters in a row, final warning. Three quarters and you are out,” Jain said. <div type="Youtube" id="AVXqxHY4vV4" title="Dream11, an Indian gaming and sports startup is redefining the human resource function" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/AVXqxHY4vV4/mqdefault.jpg"></div>

 See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/dream11-will-sell-sports-merchandise-and-game-tickets-on-fancode/articleshow/72066243.cms">Dream11 backed Fancode will sell sports merchandise and game tickets</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/dream11-founder-tells-how-he-struggled-before-his-first-funding/articleshow/72057606.cms">‘I heard 150 noes before first funding’- reveals one of India's newest unicorns Dream11</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/dream11-is-eyeing-the-unicorn-tag-riding-on-ipl-and-cricket-world-cup-in-2019/articleshow/68458528.cms">2019 may be the biggest year for this 11-year old Indian gaming startup</a>

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