*Famed crypto investor and rap star Nasir Nas Jones has joined hands with the tech giant Google, Riot Games, Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) and others to raise $20 million for Carry1st, a South African mobile gaming startup company. The company now employs at least 35 people across 18 countries. Some of the games released by Carry1st are Mine Rescue, Football Clash, SpongeBob: Krusty Cook-Off, Match League, among others.
Other investors who participated are Konvoy Ventures, TTV Capital, and Avenir. Based in Cape Town, Carry1st serves the gaming needs of the first generation of African smartphone users. Already, it has millions of users across the continent.
“We’re pleased to join with this world-class group of investors who provide expertise across gaming, fintech, and web3 in addition to capital,” said Cordel Robbin-Coker, co-founder and CEO of Carry1st, a company founded in 2018.
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According to THR, a 2021 report by Carry1st has predicted that the number of games in sub-Saharan Africa would increase by 275% in the next decade. That could mean a nearly 800% increase in revenue for the company.
Carry1st plans to use the extra funds to build its product, growth teams and engineering while also expanding its outreach by recruiting millions of new users. The company enjoys 96% monthly revenue growth. Meanwhile, it has collaborated with other leading game studios on creative concepts.
Apart from music, Nas, a Grammy winner, has started venturing into several businesses such as Queensbridge Venture Partners, PillPack, Lyft, and Robinhood.
“When I heard the word ‘investment’ in school, I was hooked,” Nas once told FastCompany in 2014. “You invest your time, you can invest money, and it was just a matter of time before it all fell into place for me. That’s one of the things that I thought a lot about as a young kid—the guys behind the scenes who make things happen, help build people up, make dreams come true.”
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