African-owned battle royale Rise of Fearless has raised US$1 million from advisory firm Epic Edges Capital, in what the studio describes as a pivotal moment for the bootstrapped company. The investment is structured as a Simple Agreement for Future Equity (SAFE). It will fund hiring, technology, infrastructure, marketing and community-building, with the aim of growing the game’s audience beyond its current markets.

Launched in 2025, Rise of Fearless takes its narrative cue from the Battle of Adwa in 1896, when Ethiopian forces defeated an invading Italian army. The game’s characters, environments, hairstyles and clothing are designed to reflect African identities, offering an alternative to the Western-centric settings and visual tropes common in mainstream shooters.

The free-to-play title is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play. It has passed 15,000 downloads, with its biggest player communities in Nigeria, Ethiopia and South Africa. Alongside the funding, Rise of Fearless has assembled a group of partners with senior experience across development, publishing, marketing and investment.

“We couldn’t be more excited about our new team taking an African-owned gaming franchise to international distribution and commercial scale,” said Kanessa Muluneh, founder of Rise of Fearless.

“The launch of Rise of Fearless filled a gap in the gaming space, but it has also forced us to think beyond game downloads, shifting our focus towards a much wider African gaming ecosystem where African intellectual ownership and talent development are key,” she said. “As a bootstrapped company, this investment is pivotal to our ambitions and the future of African gaming. We are grateful to partner with Epic Edges to support us on this exciting journey.”

The studio also plans to use its growth to tackle some of the structural hurdles facing African games companies, including access to reliable technology, servers and cross-border payments. It wants the international expertise it is bringing in to help build up local capabilities.

Remco Coerman, founder of Epic Edges Group, said the game fits the kind of culturally rooted IP the firm wants to back. “Rise of Fearless represents the kind of ambitious, culturally rooted IP that has the potential to resonate far beyond its home market,” he said. “We believe there is a significant opportunity for African creators to build globally relevant gaming experiences that reflect the continent’s stories, identities and talent. We’re proud to invest in the game as it strengthens its team, scales its development capabilities and continues building an ecosystem where African and international talent can collaborate and create for a global audience.”

Rise of Fearless is available on both the App store and Android stores.