Unfold.vc with another investment in Pixel Perfect Dude
Polish game producer, Pixel Perfect Dude, has just received PLN 0.9 million from investors. In addition to Unfold.vc, two angel investors have also contributed funds to the development of the startup. So, our fund decided to increase its capital commitment in the company to PLN 1.3 million. The Polish game developers will be allocating new financing to the development and improvement of their flagship games “Ski Jump” and “#DRIVE”, and also begin working on a new production from their premium segment.
Pixel Perfect Dude is a Polish studio creating games that are currently available on most of the most popular platforms. The company’s portfolio includes award-winning titles: “#DRIVE” with downloads reaching 11 million, as well as the popular “Ski Jump”, which won the hearts of players at the beginning of 2014 as the most frequently downloaded Polish game. The jumping simulator also has a version for VR technology.
We noticed the potential of the gaming industry and the growing popularity of multi-platform games a few years ago, and we invested in Pixel Perfect Dude for the first time in 2020. As a result of the last recapitalization, the total value of the investment from Unfold.vc reached PLN 1.3 million.
“When we first invested in Pixel Perfect Dude, it was a one-man company with two mobile titles with several million downloads. At the time, we had certain expectations for the team’s growth, the acceleration of their work pace and about expanding the product to new platforms. Our next investment was the result of achieving these goals” emphasizes Rafał Sobczak, managing partner at Unfold.vc. “Additionally, thanks to the success of games like PUBG, Fortnite, Call of Duty and Rainbow Six, we know that today one title can appear on all available platforms. Pixel Perfect Dude can also achieve this level of success, as the team has a great sense of current trends. That is why we want to support the company as it grows and help bolster its development”, adds Rafał Sobczak.
Over the past year, with the introduction of effective new user support tools, Pixel Perfect Dude has recorded a fourfold increase in actively participating players. Now, the company is looking to gain even more momentum. They plan to spend the funds that they have just acquired on improving and updating their two flagship games, so as to attract the interest of the next generation of players. Pixel Perfect Dude has also announced the premiere of a completely new title for their premium segment with the potential for millions in profits. By developing products in new areas, incl. the economy and meta-design, Pixel Perfect Dude ultimately wants to diversify its portfolio. For this purpose, the team has been strengthened with new experienced developers and designers.
“We are glad that investors have put their trust in us once again. This is proof that over the last year, we managed to do more than was originally predicted and, in addition to the expansion of our team, we also developed a workflow for the next few months. We want to build a larger number of independent teams producing multiplatform games and providing users with many years of support, along with the delivery of new content. We are currently focusing on implementing new free-2-play mechanisms and redesigning the economy in #DRIVE. We are also planning new functionalities to monetize the game even more effectively. At the same time, we are also working on another title, with the alpha version planned for Q4 2022. This is to be a springboard for our leap forward” says Dariusz Pietrala, president of Pixel Perfect Dude.
Global scaling and even more achievements
The potential of the Polish game studio has been well-observed in the industry. Pixel Perfect Dude has won numerous awards, including Google Play Best Indie Game 2019, Mobile Trends Awards 2019 Best Game, and MTA 2019 Best Polish Game for #DRIVE, which debuted in 2021 and is also available on the Nintendo Switch console. Last year, the game was also named by Apple in their “Ones To Watch” campaign. The Polish game occupied the top spots on the lists of racing games in as many as 86 countries. As the creators have emphasized, #DRIVE is regularly being updated and developed, and has a community that has gained significant growth since the game’s release. According to industry analyses, the gaming sector is valued at $173.7 billion and is expected to reach a value of $173.7 billion by the end of 2026 — and $314.4 billion, registering a CAGR of 9.6 percent, by 2026.