Dublin games company Jamango completes fresh funding round

Company aims to simplify games development by allowing users to instantly create and play online

Jamango offers creator tools that combine block-based building and a no-code editor that allows budding developers to create games for the fast-growing browser games market
Jamango offers creator tools that combine block-based building and a no-code editor that allows budding developers to create games for the fast-growing browser games market

Dublin-based games company Jamango has raised $2.5 million (€2.3m) in funding to help further develop its browser-based games platform.

The company, founded by Adam Dalton, Richard Whelan and Jeremy Klarenbeek in 2021, aims to simplify games development by allowing users to instantly create and play games online. It offers creator tools that combine block-based building and a no-code editor that helps budding developers create games for the fast-growing browser games market.

The pre-seed funding round was led by Elkstone and Delta Partners, with angel investors also contributing, including Scale Ireland chair Brian Caulfield, Figma’s vice-president of product Brendan O’Driscoll, and CKS Finance founder Conor Sheahan. Mr Sheahan has also joined the company’s board as chairman.

The funding will be used to accelerate platform development and broaden its team, with Jamango currently recruiting for growth and engineering roles. The company employs about 10 people, and is planning to double that number this year.

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Mr Dalton said Jamango was a “natural next step” for him after exiting Robotify, an edtech start-up he cofounded. The company was sold to Imagine Learning in 2021 in a deal worth almost €20 million.

“We see a major opportunity to bring user-generated content to the browser at a time when the market is signalling a surge in demand for the browser game category. We’ve developed a proprietary engine that turns the creative process of building worlds and making games into a simple, fun and social experience that’s instantly accessible to anybody who has access to a web browser.”

The company is currently testing out the platform with a group of creators, and is targeting a global launch in the fourth quarter of this year.

“We’ve an active community, and technically we are live already,” said Mr Dalton. “This is browser native platform, accessible by link, and we want to lean into that. We are solving a problem for creators. People are really connecting with it.”

Mr Dalton said Jamango had “big ambitions” and would target further rounds in the future.

“Delta is excited to be supporting the Jamango team on their mission to bring a new UGC Instant gaming platform to life,” said Rich Barnwell, investor at Delta Partners. “Inspired by platforms such as Roblox and games like Minecraft, we believe Jamango has a new unique proposition that their players and creators alike will love.”

Ciara O'Brien

Ciara O'Brien

Ciara O'Brien is an Irish Times business and technology journalist