On the 11th of March 2022 investors gathered to listen to Olivier Madiba, the CEO of Kiro’o Games give a presentation on their growth strategy. Olivier calls their growth strategy, “Building an African Gaming Unicorn by 2030.”

It was inspiring to listen to how he described the company’s history. The period between 2003 and 2005 saw them learn on the internet while developing Aurion. In 2013 they approached Venture Capitalists (VCs) but the VCs did not trust them. So they invented their own way to fundraise with equity crowdfunding. That is how they were able to deliver their first-ever African fantasy game Aurion Legacy of the Kori-Odan in 2016.

Olivier spoke of how the game has been appreciated a lot in terms of reviews by players. They have been the most respected African Studio since then and have had articles written about them by The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes Afrique and Jeune Afrique. 

On top of that, they also have received lots of awards and recognition through The Electronic and Video Game Festival of Abidjan (FEJA) and Games Industry Africa (GIA) such as the 2021 Team of the Year and Most Impactful Mobile Game.

In 2019 they decided to create a cross-media company. They started to raise one million USD for a 15% stake but then again classic investors told them they were too ambitious for young Africans. So they decided to go on their own again.

They have already raised half of their target. Olivier explained what they intend to do with the remaining amount (USD 532,000) once they raise it. One of the major uses of the funds will be to market their products. They will acquire players by using Google Ads, social media marketing and remarketing. They also intend to reward players who bring their friends on board.

So far they have managed to maintain quality of 4.4 stars on both Le Responsable and Aurion. They have built their own technology to monetize games and manage their customers in Africa. They have been able to monetize Aurion Kajuta Gems Fighter with 138K Global downloads and a 40% retention rate. They have had huge conversion rates in France, Cameroon and Canada.

They are planning to scale more in the Canadian market as it had the highest conversion rate of 20% because the Canadians paid in the game a lot. 

Kiro’o Games wants to be a brand for the entire family. They want to make an experience that will connect people together in the digital and real world. They want to be a part of someone’s life from the age of 6 to 70. They will do so by delivering fun, fantasy and education in their early years and fun, chill and inspiration in their older years.

Jack Ma says, “ If you want to win in the 21st century, you have to empower others, making sure other people are better than you are, then you will be successful.” We wish Olivier and the Kiro’o Games team all the very best as they work towards building the African Gaming Unicorn.