Direct-to-consumer (DTC) platform Appcharge revealed today that it has raised $26 million in its Series A round. The platform, which offers solutions in mobile games, has grown in popularity as a partner, especially as DTC becomes a viable revenue stream. According to Appcharge, it plans to use the funding to “hyper-scale [its] custom white-label offerings” to support increasing demand for an all-in-one payment solution that increases revenue and engages players.
Appcharge allows studios to sell items and currency to players, by way of branded web stores, global payment systems and SDKs for in-app payments. According to the company, its solutions help studios scale paid user growth, increase user retention and maximize profits; Appcharge supports 500 payment methods and 80 currencies. Companies like Appcharge make for appealing partners to mobile game developers as their services spare the studio itself from having to create DTC solutions in-house.
Creandum led the round, with Supercell, BITKRAFT Ventures, and Moneta Ventures participating with existing investors Play Ventures, Glilot Capital and angels. Carl Fritjofsson, Creandum general partner, said of the investment, “Appcharge is the Robinhood of mobile gaming, redistributing revenues from the giants of Apple and Google into the hands of games developers and app creators. With over 3x sales growth in the last quarter alone, Appcharge is a rocketship that is perfectly placed to benefit from mounting regulatory pressures on the App store duopoly.”
A recent report from Mistplay suggested that DTC is one of many alternative monetization options that mobile game companies will explore in 2025. In its report, players surveyed say they will leave a game because it has poor balance between gameplay and in-game ads (one source of revenue) or overly aggressive monetization — a game that “feels too pay-to-win.” A DTC solution can eliminate some of the headaches associated with these “traditional” forms of monetization by offering a more straightforward form of revenue.
Maor Sason, Appcharge CEO, said in a statement, “The gaming industry is undergoing a major transformation as DTC models gain momentum, driven by new regulations targeting traditional app stores along with rising user acquisition costs. Today’s publishers have a need to go direct-to-consumer. Everybody wins. Players get more value for their money and an experience that compliments gameplay, and publishers increase revenue and form stronger connections with players. Appcharge is pioneering the future of publishers retaking control.”
