Fungies.io, a startup based in Poland with incorporation in the US, has successfully closed its Pre-Seed funding round with investments from several prominent firms, including Depo Ventures, Czechfounders.VC, Necto Labs, CV VC, Outlier Ventures, Tatum, and StartupYard. The company aims to empower the rapid commercialization of indie game studios by providing them with a no-code SaaS platform to set up their own customizable Web Storefronts within minutes.
The gaming industry is experiencing significant growth, with over 3.22 billion players worldwide, and the market is projected to reach $521.6 billion in 2027. The indie gaming sector, in particular, is witnessing a surge with over 1,200 games released daily by more than 50,000 game developers and publishers. However, small game studios, often comprising fewer than 10 employees and lacking dedicated marketing departments, face challenges in self-publishing on platforms like Steam, Epic Games Store, and GOG.com.
Fungies.io aims to address this issue by offering a no-code SaaS platform that simplifies the process of setting up Web Shops for game studios, enabling direct game sales to players without intermediaries like Steam. The platform provides extensive customization options, seamless integration with payment systems like Stripe, and access to critical customer data, allowing studios to enhance sales and reduce costs.
By bypassing the hefty commissions charged by industry incumbents and providing a user-friendly interface to set up Web Shops quickly, Fungies.io empowers studios to take control of their distribution and publishing channels, leading to increased profitability. Additionally, the platform plans to integrate with third-party apps and support mobile game studios in selling in-game items and currencies through their Web Shops.
Fungies.io is not positioning itself as a direct competitor to Steam, but rather as an alternative and additional game distribution channel offering unique benefits. The company aims to onboard 2,000 game developers and publishers within the next 12 months and plans to launch the first version of its platform by the end of September 2023.
