Metica, a cutting-edge technology company building AI-driven customer engagement and personalization solutions for the gaming industry, has announced the successful raise of $9 million seed round. The round was led by top-tier venture capital firms Play Ventures, 13books, and Firstminute Capital, with participation from renowned angel investors including Riccardo Zacconi, founder and ex-CEO of King (makers of Candy Crush), Caro Krenzer, CEO of Trailmix, Klaas Kersting, CEO of Phoenix Games, Michail Katkoff, Founder of Deconstructor of Fun,  Roland Rudd, Chairman of FGS Global, Nigel Morris, former CEO of Dentsu, and René Rechtman, founder of Moonbug Entertainment. 

Metica is on a mission to help games grow faster by uniting user acquisition (UA), in-game monetization, and AI-driven personalization. Founded by serial entrepreneurs Phil Mohr and Puli Liyanagama, Metica marks their third successful venture together. Their previous startups include Comufy, acquired by King, and DataTiger, acquired by Apple. Drawing from their extensive experience at King, Apple, and beyond, the duo has assembled an exceptional team—many of whom have worked with them across multiple companies. This team brings deep expertise in building scalable AI solutions that transform customer engagement and drive growth.

Metica addresses three critical challenges in the gaming industry:

1. Bridging the Gap Between UA, Marketing, and Monetization: These traditionally siloed areas are seamlessly connected by Metica’s platform, creating a powerful growth loop that drives engagement and revenue.

2. Delivering True In-game Personalization: AI optimizes player experiences and monetization strategies in real-time, going beyond outdated testing approaches.

3. Providing Growth Funding: Metica’s real-time ad cohort predictions offer unique insights that enable the underwriting of UA growth funding for games that are ready. To determine readiness, developers can request a free analysis via Metica’s website. For games that aren’t quite there yet, Metica provides UA and LTV optimization services to help them reach the funding requirements.

   
   

“We’ve seen a massive opportunity in connecting user acquisition, marketing, and in-game monetization, areas that have long existed in silos,” said Phil, Co-Founder of Metica. “With the emergence of advanced AI technologies, we’re moving the gaming industry to a continuous optimization and personalization mindset, unlocking new potential for growth. Add to this UA growth funding, and we help games supercharge their growth in a long-term sustainable way.”

Metica’s innovative platform is already live and has attracted interest from many customers who recognise its potential. “The early adopters have been pivotal in shaping the company’s success and we are very grateful for their trust and support”, said Puli, Co-Founder of Metica. “We are also deeply grateful to our incredible VC and angel investors for their unwavering support and belief in Metica’s vision. Their expertise and guidance have been instrumental in helping us build a company that is redefining how games approach engagement and monetization.”

The team has attracted an impressive CAP table. Riccardo Zacconi, ex-CEO of King shared that “Phil and Puli have consistently demonstrated their ability to identify critical gaps in the gaming industry and deliver solutions that add extraordinary value. While CEO at King, we acquired their first start-up Comufy which fundamentally changed how we marketed to users, enabling personalization at scale. With Metica, they’ve built on that foundation to create a product that blends their deep expertise in AI and personalization with the needs of today’s gaming market. They are an incredible team, and the work Metica is doing is redefining how games should bridge the gap between UA, engagement and monetization. I couldn’t be more excited to support them on this journey as a mentor, investor and friend.”

Harri Manninen, Co-Founder of Play Ventures added “Phil and Puli are visionary founders with a proven track record of delivering impactful ML and AI technologies. Having worked with them since their previous successful start-ups, we’ve seen firsthand their ability to innovate and execute at the highest level. The opportunity to combine in-game monetization and UA optimization in a seamless growth loop, powered by AI, is a massive gap in the gaming market, and Metica is the best team to address it. We’re absolutely delighted to partner with them and support their mission to supercharge the gaming ecosystem.”

Spencer Lake, partner at 13books, commented "Phil and Puli are seasoned founders who have built a novel solution to enhance the gaming experience and allow the studios and advertisers to better understand and monetize the user experience and lifetime value. Metica's ability to finance these studios through technology is a good example of finding FinTech at the intersection post of the gaming industry. We're thrilled to partner with them." 

Also from 13books, Matt Frenchman, who brings both his years of financial experience and UA funding expertise highlighted, "The gaming industry has long faced a significant gap in user acquisition (UA) funding, with traditional financial institutions often hesitant to support game studios due to perceived risks. Recognizing this challenge, Metica has developed a data-driven platform leveraging real-time analytics to reduce the risk and offer fully automated financing solutions tailored specifically for game and app developers. This empowers studios to scale efficiently without relinquishing equity. The potential for growth in this sector is immense, and with this unique approach, the team is poised to revolutionize how developers access the capital they need to succeed."

With this funding, Metica is set to redefine gaming growth by enabling studios to create personalized player experiences, drive sustainable engagement, and access the capital they need to scale successfully.