Roro raises €1.5M for its new gaming studio by Toca Boca and Mojang veterans

Gaming veterans from Toca Boca and Mojang are teaming up to build a new studio called Roro and have raised their first external capital. 

The studio is focused on players seeking a positive, non-toxic creative outlet in open-ended experiences with no rules.

CEO William Sampson (previously Toca Boca, Stardoll) leads the Roro team with co-founder Robin Flodin (previously EG7). The former tech director at Mojang Kristoffer Jelbring joins them.

The team has over 50 years of combined experience, working on successful titles relevant to Roro, like Minecraft, Minecraft Dungeons, Toca Hair Salon 4, Toca Kitchen Sushi, Rayman Legends, and Stardoll.

Roro has closed its first external investment of €1.5 million led by node.vc with participation from FOV Ventures, Robin Flodin, and several angel investors, including Craig Fletcher, Nick Button Brown, Luis Villegas, Callum Underwood, and more.

According to William Sampson, co-founder of Roro:  

"The industry has become much more aware of the potential of pure play in the last decade or so, but creative play and self-expression are overlooked with few studios building new quality experiences for our audience.

We believe we've hit on something that just doesn't exist in this space yet, but the audience is clearly there for it.”

Daniela Sjunnesson, investment lead at node.vc shared: 

“Roro truly captivates us, not just for its vision but also for its roots here in Sweden, as we are among the best regions in the world creating games for young audiences. 

The team, hailing from iconic Swedish studios like Toca Boca and Mojang and bringing a wealth of experience, had us hooked from the start.

Their commitment to fostering self-expression and creative freedom aligns perfectly with a growing trend among the younger generation. We are very excited to support Roro on this path."

The new funds will be used to build out Roro's debut product (for mobile –- Android and iOS), introducing a groundbreaking 3D digital dollhouse with an innovative approach, aimed at fostering creativity and self-expression in an industry often dominated by other themes.

Lead image: Roro. Photo: uncredited.