French start-up RIVRS, specializing in the creation of UGC video games, announces its first round of funding of €4M. Exclusively led by Pléiade Venture, this financing should enable it to multiply the creation of games on Roblox, Fortnite, Minecraft and other platforms, as well as prepare its international expansion.
Founded in 2021 in Rennes by Romain Hubert (23 years old) and Loïc Deffains (41 years old), RIVRS has rapidly established itself as a major player in the UGC games sector. In 2023, RIVRS doubled its sales and now intends to compete with the Anglo-Saxon leaders (Voldex, Gamefam...).
RIVRS is capitalizing on the emergence of a very large market (+$2.7 billion generated by UGC game creators in 2024 on the 3 main platforms). UGC (for user generated content) is radically transforming the video game industry, enabling hyper-diversification of content at lower cost, while building loyalty among the gaming community.
Most UGC creators come from the platform-game community, and are mostly young, suffering from weaknesses in terms of structure, experience and economic rationalization. This is where RIVRS changes the game.
To date, no other player on this scale combines the ability to produce in-house on several UGC platforms with professionalization of the business, from game design to distribution. The average production time for RIVRS is just two months.
The start-up has already developed ten successful games, some of which have generated significant revenues, reaching nearly €500K for a single title. These productions bring together hundreds of thousands of players, and its business model is based on in-game purchases and game subscriptions.
Romain Hubert, co-founder and CEO of RIVRS, comments: “Our proven business model and our ability to create quality games at a rapid pace put us in pole position to capture a significant share of the global UGC video game market. This round of financing marks a key milestone in our history, and enables us to realize our ambition of becoming the world leader in UGC video games in the coming years.”
In addition to the complementary skills of its two co-founders, gaming expert Romain Hubert and Loïc Deffains, serial entrepreneur and founder of startup studio Unitee, RIVRS' growth is supported by a diversified, experienced team of talented individuals from the video game and tech industries. Among the historic investors who continue to support the company's growth are leading gaming influencers such as FuzeIII (5.4M subscribers) and LeBouseuh (4.3M subscribers).
“RIVRS perfectly matches Pléiade Venture's 3 investment criteria: innovation, growth and operational excellence. RIVRS generates strong self-financed growth, a rapid ROI on each game and solid processes. We are convinced that Loïc and Romain will be able to build a world leader in the fast-growing UGC game market,” says Constance Rietzler, Associate Director at Pléiade Venture.
Pléiade Venture is a French venture capital company. It invests for the long term, with no predetermined exit horizon. It supports innovative companies in all sectors, except biotech. It has over €130 million in assets and invests between €0.5 and €5 million per deal. Pléiade Venture is also active in secondary investment, acquiring holdings or portfolios of holdings from institutional investors. Pléiade Venture is financed by entrepreneurs who, on the strength of their experience, wish to actively contribute to new successes. It is managed by a team in close contact with around a hundred contributing entrepreneurs.
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