UMX, a recreation studio primarily based in Saudi Arabia, has raised $4.5 million from Jetapult, an funding firm backed by Accel Companions.
Jetapult, an India-based international strategic funding firm within the gaming panorama, stated the funding was an all-cash transaction.
Along with buying fairness, Jetapult will present capital to help the enlargement of UMX’s present portfolio, develop its audiences throughout international markets, and construct video games in new genres.
Ali Alharbi, founding father of Riyadh-based UMX, stated in a press release, “This significant investment from Jetapult not only marks a milestone for UMX Studio but also heralds a new era for the Saudi Arabian gaming industry. We are thrilled to partner with a globally recognized leader in the gaming investments space. This collaboration will not only accelerate our expansion but also empower us with advanced tools and expertise.”
This will likely be Jetapult’s first funding within the (Center East/North Africa) MENA area, with additional investments deliberate in markets like South East Asia and Europe.
Jetapult’s workforce of world gaming specialists, will assist catalyse the studio’s capabilities to reinforce person acquisition, scale monetization efforts, and undertake cutting-edge analytics and AI instruments by way of their “Invest & Operate” (I&O) mannequin.
Sharan Tulsiani (former head of Google Play Video games in India and Australia/New Zealand) and Yash Baid (former principal at 3one4 Capital) based Jetapult with backing from Accel Companions, Hearth and JetSynthesys, amongst others.
The corporate goals to help recreation studios with a scientific strategy to sustainable progress in markets akin to Southeast Asia, MENA, Jap Europe, and Latin America, by way of a $100 million dedication over the following 5 years.
Origins
UMX Studio, based by Ali Alharbi in 2014, is without doubt one of the first homegrown recreation growth studios established in Saudi Arabia. The studio develops high-quality cell video games that includes beautiful graphics, participating gameplay, and suitability for all ages. Whereas it has been round for a decade, that is the primary time that the corporate has raised cash.
Saudi Arabia is now a thriving marketplace for esports and informal players. One of many gaps within the ecosystem was a scarcity of high quality native recreation growth capabilities to construct culturally nuanced titles for the passionate players within the area. UMX has been addressing this and has constructed its firm profitably, concentrating on Arabic customers that search resonating content material like sand dune-bashing, automotive modification, together with their total love of racing.
The corporate’s video games have garnered over 70 million downloads until date, and the corporate has proven constant year-on-year progress, pushed by a portfolio of video games that persistently high the Apple and Google charts within the area. UMX has 72 staff.
UMX studio has a historical past of constructing top-charting video games on Google and Apple within the racing style. Probably the most notable being King of Steering, with a profitable title named DriftX set to launch earlier than Ramadan 2025. King Of Steering is the top-rated racing recreation within the MENA area – it has a number of recreation modes together with multiplayer racing, free-roam drifting, and stunt driving. It’s MENA-domiciled maps and Arabic optimized social layers drive client satisfaction.
Climbing Sand Dune Offroad pioneered a extra relaxed gameplay amenable to MENA audiences by permitting them to free-roam desert landscapes in off-road automobiles. It additional allowed gamers to improve vehicles, SUVs, and 4x4s in drag races, climbing sand dunes, and accumulate treasures with pals.
Jetapult’s view of MENA
The funding comes within the context of the exponential progress of the gaming and esports sector within the MENA area with Saudi Arabia representing 39% of the Center East’s gaming income from client spending and is the fastest-growing market within the area, in keeping with Sensor Tower, 2024.
Jetapult stated it’s dedicated to UMX’s imaginative and prescient of fostering the Saudi Arabian market to turn into a hub for recreation growth by harnessing Jetapult’s strategic experience and UMX’s native expertise and cultural nuance.
Tulsiani, CEO of Jetapult, stated in a press release, “Jetapult’s investment in UMX goes beyond providing capital; we bring a wealth of proven gaming expertise and cutting-edge technology to this partnership with an aim to enhance gaming experiences across the Middle East’s emerging development ecosystem.”
Jetapult is an make investments and function firm backed by VCs like Accel & Hearth and a strategic investor like Jetsynthesys. The corporate’s major operate is to speculate and scale cell gaming studios in rising recreation growth markets like India, MENA, SE Asia, Jap Europe, and LATAM. It has been operational since 2023 with a dedication of $100 million into investing and scaling cell gaming studios.
Barath Shankar Subramanian, accomplice at Accel, stated in a press release, “Jetapult’s investment in UMX Studio marks a significant milestone in expanding its presence in emerging markets like MENA, where gaming and game development is rapidly gaining momentum. Jetapult’s unique ‘Invest & Operate’ model, which was the core of our investment thesis, has the potential to transform the global gaming ecosystem, enabling growth for gaming studios and the exploration of new gaming genres.”
