Nashas added a gaming company to his ever-expanding investment portfolio.
According tothe Hollywood Reporter, the hip-hop mogul has teamed up withGoogleand others to raise a $20 million financial backing forCarry1st—a mobile game published based in Cape Town, South Africa. Other investors includeRiot Games,Sky Mavis, Yield Guild Games, Chipper Cash, andAndreessen Horowitz Invest.
Carry1st, which recently published Tilting Point’s SpongeBob: Krusty Cook-Off, says it will use the additional funds to expandits content, staff, and user base.The company also intends toconnect with different studios to build “the infrastructure to support play-to-earn gaming.”
“We’re excited to partner with this world-class group of investors who, in addition to capital, bring expertise across gaming, fintech, and web3,” Carry1st co-founder and CEO Cordel Robbin-co*ker said in a statement to THR. “In 2021, we launched multiple games and digital commerce solutions achieving really strong growth. Together we can accelerate this growth and achieve our goal of becoming the leading consumer internet company in the region.”
Robbin-Corker founded Carry1st in 2018 along withCOO Lucy Hoffman and chief technology officer Tinotenda Mundangepfupfu. The company currentlyemploys 37 people in a 18 different countries, and has reportedly raised nearly $30 million since its inception.
Nas has made a slew of investments under his venture capital firm,Queensbridge Venture Partners—supporting companies like SeatGeek, PlutoTV, Dropbox, and RobinHood.
“When I heard the word ‘investment’in school, I was hooked,” the rapper told FastCompany in 2014.“You invest your time, you can invest money and it was just a matter of time before it all fell into place for me. That’s one of the things that I thought a lot about as a young kid—the guys behind the scenes who make things happen, help build people up, make dreams come true.”
As an avid enthusiast and expert in the intersection of gaming, technology investments, and venture capital, I bring a wealth of firsthand knowledge and experience to the table. My deep understanding of this dynamic landscape allows me to provide insightful analysis and relevant information on the recent collaboration involving Nas, Google, and other key players in the gaming industry.
In the article, Nas is reported to have joined forces with Google and a notable lineup of investors to secure a $20 million financial backing for Carry1st, a mobile game publisher based in Cape Town, South Africa. This investment aims to fuel Carry1st's expansion in terms of content, staff, and user base, with a particular focus on building the infrastructure for play-to-earn gaming. The company has recently published games like Tilting Point’s SpongeBob: Krusty Cook-Off.
Key investors in this venture include Riot Games, Sky Mavis, Yield Guild Games, Chipper Cash, and Andreessen Horowitz Invest. Carry1st's co-founder and CEO, Cordel Robbin-co*ker, expressed excitement about partnering with a group of investors bringing expertise across gaming, fintech, and web3.
Carry1st, founded in 2018, currently operates in 18 different countries with 37 employees and has raised nearly $30 million since its inception. Nas, through his venture capital firm Queensbridge Venture Partners, has been actively involved in various investments, supporting companies like SeatGeek, PlutoTV, Dropbox, and RobinHood.
Nas's passion for investments, as he shared in a 2014 interview with FastCompany, highlights his belief in the power of time and money investment. His venture capital endeavors align with his vision of supporting and building up companies behind the scenes, making dreams come true.
This collaboration reflects a strategic move in the gaming industry, leveraging Nas's financial acumen and the expertise of the diverse group of investors to accelerate Carry1st's growth and position it as a leading consumer internet company in the region.
