News
Startup Pitch at SiGMA this November
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This November, SiGMA will have the pleasure of hosting Malta’s largest gaming exhibition and 2017 takes the cake as the biggest one yet. Eleven conferences and a large sold out floor plan are bringing a multitude of people this year so expect a crowd at the Malta Fairs and Conventions Centre from the 22nd-25th of November. Main executives and exhibitors showcasing here will include of Mr. Green, Blexr, Bet365, William Hill, Better Collective, Poker Stars, Catena Media, Malta Gaming Authority, Cherry, Microgaming, XLMedia, Ladbrokes, and many, many more.
Amongst the lavish networking dinners and appealing conferences that will be taking place throughout the week, an exciting startup pitch will be drawing eyes and attention for the second year in a row. After a successful first run in 2016, SiGMA’17 is coming back with sixty startups and several investors all under one roof. All sixty startups will be awarded with a booth at SiGMA, invitations to networking events, SiGMA PR, free office space to use at SiGMA’s Gaming Hub, as well as free consultancy and potential leads from leading industry veterans. However, only ten of these innovative startups will have the chance to present their pitch to a panel of investors. In a Dragon’s Den-like environment, each startup will have three minutes to present their project. Following the pitch, a Q&A session will allow the investors and the audience to get involved.
Of the investors, Morten Klein Founder and Chairman of Klein Group will be sharing his intelligence as “one of the 50 most significant people in the world within the gambling industry.” Klein Group consists of a group of companies with different investments within the iGaming industry, e-commerce, real estate and venture companies.
Another significant mind, present at the Startup Pitch will be Carla Maree Vella, CEO/COO of Optimizer Invest. With ten years of experience in online marketing and five years in iGaming, Vella’s entrepreneurial drive serves her well and her opinion will be strongly valued on the investor panel.
Another businesswoman on the panel of investors will be American entrepreneur, Julie Meyer. Meyer is the Founder and CEO of Ariadne Capital as well as Managing Partner at the Ariadne Capital Entrepreneurs (ACE) Fund, Ariadne Ecosystem Economics™ Fund and the Founder of EntrepreneurCountry.
In addition, we will have the pleasure of seeing innovator, Mark Blandford, considered by many to be one of the founders of the developed online gaming industry. Blandford was the owner of a betting shop chain when the Internet began proving its potential. In 1998, he launched his first interactive betting service from Alderney and was one of the first to see the significance and growth potential in online gaming.
Entrepreneur, Robin Reed, has a real heart for startups and will take a place on the investor panel at SiGMA this year. Together with Frode Fagerli, Reed founded Gaming Innovation Group (GIG) in 2008. As a rapidly growing technology business, the Group offers cutting-edge Cloud based services and Performance Marketing through its three B2B products.
Another investor, Simon Collins, is Founder of both Gaming Realms and Cashcade Ltd. and will be scrutinizing the startups at this year’s lineup. Gaming Realms is a bingo based consumer preposition, which publishes and licenses next-generation mobile gaming content. Similarly, Cashcade Ltd is an online bingo focused gaming business.
Roger Walker, a Partner with Partis Solutions, provides direct support to board execs and corporate development teams from some of the largest gaming industry operators and investors and will be offering his support to the lucky ten startups this year. Walker’s clients range from publically listed £multi-billion operators and B2B suppliers, investment banks, private equity/venture capital houses to smaller private firms and early stage entrepreneurial start-ups.
Industry expert, Ory Weihs will have a seat on the panel as one of the investors analyzing the startups at SiGMA. As one of the Founders and the CEO of XLMedia Group, he is responsible for business development and strategy, focusing on technical abilities and expanding the Group’s reach.
Rickard Vikström, Founder and Chairman of Polarbear Group, works with sales and product development and will also be critiquing in this year’s Startup Pitch. Vikström is no stranger to starting a company as he has founded and sold several in the last decade. He will be a strong force in the panel of investors this year.
There is still time to get your foot in the door if you wish to attend. For more information on the show or to book your tickets, please log in to www.maltaigamingsummit.com or send an email to [email protected].
News
Already Media opens new Warsaw headquarters
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Already Media, the tech-driven affiliate and media company, has opened its new headquarters in the Polish capital of Warsaw.
The office will initially house more than 20 members of Already Media’s 250-strong global team, with a focus on C-suite positions including CEO, COO, CLO, CFO, as well as senior SEO department heads.
Officially opening on July 1, the office provides a base for the company as it continues to pursue a primarily remote-work strategy, hiring on-the-ground talent worldwide, particularly in the emerging markets it focuses on.
Alina Famenok, CEO of Already Media, said: “It’s a proud moment to open our new headquarters in Warsaw. We’re excited to tap into the city’s thriving tech and start-up scene, as well as adding to our team from the huge amount of local talent here. Already Media has expanded rapidly over the last couple of years, and this HQ positions us well to continue what has been a remarkable journey so far.”
Members of the Already Media team – whether they work remotely or are based in Warsaw – enjoy a wide-range of benefits, with a focus on professional growth, health and work-life balance.
The approach has helped the company build a unique culture which contributes significantly to maintaining its edge when it comes to innovation.
It has been a busy few months for Already Media. In March, it acquired iconic affiliate asset PokerListings. In the months since, PokerListings has already significantly ramped up its video content output and launched into additional markets.
News
SiGMA East Europe edition moves to Budapest with Affiliate World
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SiGMA East Europe will hold its third event for the Balkan-Slavic markets in Hungary this September. Powered by Soft2Bet and taking place at the Hungaro Expo in Budapest from the 2nd to 6th of September, the event is expected to attract a 9,000-strong crowd to the expo’s Pavilion E arena.
The event will also be held back-to-back with Affiliate World, which takes place on the 5th and 6th of September in Budapest – making SiGMA East Europe a must attend for operators.
This unique partnership promises an unrivalled networking environment, offering operators the chance to connect with top tier affiliates from a diversity of sectors. With an estimated 5,000 new affiliates expected to participate, this collaboration is set to elevate opportunities for operators and suppliers alike, while also bringing many of the world’s top affiliates closer to the iGaming community. Affiliate World also took place alongside the SiGMA Eurasia event, held in Dubai earlier this year.
Affiliate Announcements
Stase Blitz: ‘For PIN-UP Partners, iGB L!VE is a trove of opportunities and sets the tone for the rest of the year’
![Stase Blitz: ‘For PIN-UP Partners, iGB L!VE is a trove of opportunities and sets the tone for the rest of the year’](https://gamblingaffiliatevoice.com/wp-content/uploads/Ya8Mtl9QccOLxbIwhMmeFCuTLjPmg1ig9AUHWpfa-1.jpg)
PIN-UP Partners will be attending iGB LIVE 2024 with a mission to be at the vanguard of the affiliate sector and a pledge to set new trends as the industry prepares to bid farewell to Amsterdam ahead of iGB L!VE’s relocation to London in July 2025.
PIN-UP Partners will be using its iGB L!VE presence to build new partnerships and find affiliates as CMO Stase Blitz confirmed: “For PIN-UP Partners, iGB L!VE is a trove of opportunities, as the event brings together the best and the brightest of the iGaming industry. Every year, iGB L!VE delivers for the business, and our team leaves the event with hundreds of new contacts that have the potential to really propel our business forward.”
Looking ahead to what she believes the industry will experience at the show she noted: “We can expect to be part of what will be the biggest edition of iGB L!VE there has ever been which would be the best possible way to say a big thanks to Amsterdam in advance of the move to London in 2025.
“Like everyone in our field we are always looking to identify new affiliates and iGB L!VE provides us with the perfect platform to do exactly that. For our part we will be using our presence on booth 11-D50 to launch amazing terms for our offers alongside some catwalk-worthy merch!”
She added: “One of our goals is to build a strong community: harnessing the power of people who are the greatest influence on any industry – but in particular ours! At iGB L!VE we are planning to host a grand event where we can gather our friends and partners for networking and so much more, so don’t forget to stop by our booth!
“The PIN-UP Partners team is delighted to be a part of the iGaming industry’s greatest event.”