Gaming
Nazara Technologies, Delta Corp to invest Rs 40 cr in HalaPlay
MUMBAI: Nazara Technologies Ltd and Delta Corp Ltd, which is India based casino gaming company, together will invest Rs 40 crore as part of Series-A funding round in an online daily fantasy sports platform, HalaPlay.
HalaPlay, launched in 2017, has seen an explosive growth in the user base and total transactions since then. It has in the past received investment from Nazara Technologies, Kae Capital, Angel List and other angel investors. The company has seen 10x user growth in the last 12 months and will exponentially grow with over 1 crore active players to play in upcoming cricket season.
Halaplay CEO Swapnil Saurav said, “Getting funding support from two of India’s largest gaming companies instills faith in us as a team taking us a notch higher in the Indian fantasy sports arena. Fantasy sports has been on the rise with the market being estimated to be $1 billion currently and is expected to go up to $5 billion in the next two years and hence this boost could not have come at a better time ensuring and enabling our growth along with.”
Nazara Technologies Ltd CEO Manish Agarwal said, “Nazara invested in HalaPlay in 2017 and we continue to be excited about the growth story of HalaPlay. We are confident that Halaplay with this fresh round of funds will ride the explosive growth of fantasy sports in India.”
Nazara has been actively pursuing opportunities in the interactive sports vertical categories and has invested in mobile gaming companies like Mastermind Sports Limited and Moonglabs Technologies Pvt Ltd apart from HalaPlay Technologies Pvt Ltd. Nazara has also taken a majority stake in Next Wave Multimedia Private Limited and Nodwin Gaming Pvt Ltd in the e sports arena in addition to recent investments in CrimzonCode and NZWorld (NZWorld Kenya Limited) to set up operations of real money gaming in Kenya.
Delta Corp MD Ashish Kapadia said, “Delta believes in the HalaPlay team and their ability to innovate in the daily fantasy sports industry. Their viral growth is proof that they have been able to build a differentiated product that users love. We are excited by their potential, and are confident that this round of funding will help propel them to even greater heights.”
Gaming
Nodwin Gaming partners with Runestone for esports data and integrity solutions
South Asian esports leader joins forces with Czech tech firm to enhance tournament operations.
MUMBAI: Nodwin Gaming has just levelled up its game by bringing in a specialist to keep the scoreboard honest and the fans fully engaged. The leading South Asian esports and gaming company has announced a strategic partnership with Runestone, a Prague-headquartered esports technology firm specialising in real-time data and engagement solutions for tournament organisers and publishers.
The collaboration aims to strengthen competitive integrity, improve operational oversight, and deliver more interactive viewing experiences across Nodwin’s properties. It will initially focus on the Nodwin Clutch Series for Counter-Strike 2, a Tier 2 tournament that provides emerging teams with consistent competitive opportunities and helps build the talent pipeline.
The latest edition of the series recently concluded with Big defeating ECSTATIC 2–1 in the grand final of the $50,000 online event.
Nodwin Gaming chief business officer at MENA and global head of data monetization Teemu Koski said, “Integrity and transparency are fundamental to sustainable esports ecosystems, especially in Tier 2 competition where the next generation of talent emerges. Runestone’s expertise complements our experience in building scalable esports IPs.”
Runestone head of partnerships Michael Schwartz added, “Nodwin Gaming has built one of the most dynamic esports ecosystems across emerging markets. We’re thrilled to collaborate on supporting tournaments with greater transparency, deeper fan interaction, and scalable tools.”
Both companies are exploring opportunities to extend the partnership across additional titles, including mobile-first competitive ecosystems, and to develop new products for publishers, tournament operators, and event promoters.
In the rapidly growing world of esports, where fair play and fan excitement are equally crucial, Nodwin Gaming and Runestone are teaming up to ensure every match is not only competitive but also transparent and engaging. This alliance could well become a game-changer for Tier 2 tournaments across South Asia and beyond.
