South African Mobile Gaming Startup Carry1st Raises USD 20 Mn Series A

South African mobile gaming startup Carry1st has raised a USD 20 Mn Series A extension round from investors including Andreessen Horowitz, Avenir and Google to help it scale across Africa. The round also features participation from Avenir and Google, as well as a number of prominent angel investors, including Grammy winner and renowned crypto investor Nas and the founders of Chipper Cash, Sky Mavis, and Yield Guild Games. Investors from Carry1st’s May 2021 Series A are backing the company again, namely Riot Games, Konvoy Ventures, Raine Ventures, and TTV Capital.

Carry1st is a mobile games publisher serving the first generation of African smartphone users, which has so far reached millions of users across the region with games such as Mine Rescue and SpongeBob: Krusty Cook-Off. The startup has also launched a proprietary payment and online marketplace to better monetize content.