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Finnish game companies make noise with major deals
Noice has a team of 70 employees.
NoiceFinnish game companies are on a roll, with Noice closing a 19.6-million-euro funding round and Nitro Games signing an approximately 9-million-euro deal with Netflix.
In total, Noice has raised close to 25 million euros to develop its next-generation multiplayer platform, which combines livestreaming with multiplayer gaming. The focus is on engaging viewers as active participants in the gameplay experience, said Jussi Laakkonen, CEO and co-founder of Noice, in an interview with GamesBeat. A closed beta was rolled out on 21 November.
Behind the funding round are professional investors and some familiar names from the Finnish tech scene, such as Supercell co-founders Ilkka Paananen and Mikko Kodisoja and Wolt co-founder Miki Kuusi. Noice will use the funding to market and develop its platform and grow its team.
“Livestreaming is expensive, both from operating the platform but also coming into market as an unproven entity,” Laakkonen told GamesBeat. “You have to make sure that people can trust you, which means potential minimum guarantees or commitments for creators to try out a new plan. So it’s marketing, these type of guarantees, development and operating costs.”
Noice was founded in 2020 by Laakkonen, Jenni Wilson and Jaakko Lukkari. The company has a remote-first work culture and a team of 70 people working in various countries. Still, most of the operations and 50 employees are located in Helsinki, Finland.
Jussi Tähtinen and Antti Villanen founded Nitro Games in Kotka, Finland.
Facebook / Nitro GamesMore good news came from mobile game developer Nitro Games, which is working on an unannounced game project with Netflix. The approximately nine-million-euro deal covers multiplatform game development and post-launch live services.
The project is expected to be completed in 2026. It follows the 2007-founded company’s strategy of providing its services to selected customers.
”We are excited to start our collaboration with Netflix. This project is a good match with our capabilities and well aligned with our vision and strategy,” said Jussi Tähtinen, CEO of Nitro Games.
The announcements follow a sleet of good news in the Finnish games industry. Metacore recently expanded to Berlin, GraphoGame won a prestigious UNESCO award and Supercell and Rovio placed high in a global mobile game ranking.