Vela Games: A story of success in Dublin’s thriving gaming sector

t’s no secret that Dublin is home to some of the biggest tech names in the world. Nor is it unknown that it is also a popular location for startups, including those from the world of online gambling. Vela Games is a name that keeps popping up, so let’s see what all the fuss is about!

Who are Vela Games?

Vela Games are a game development studio, formed in 2017. According to their site, they “strive to create service-based games for enthusiast gamers that deliver genre-defining experiences.” The name ‘Vela’ comes from a constellation, a part of the Argo Navis which was the name of the ship that transported Jason and the Argonauts to get the golden fleece. According to them, the name represents their astronomical journey and also their ability to forge their own legends.

Based in Dublin, Ireland, their team includes veterans and gaming fans and was founded by Travis George, Brian Kaiser, and Lisa Newon George.

How did they get there?

Created out of a desire to build quality, fun, and engaging games, particularly multiplayer games, their short history has been full of success.

In July 2019, they announced that they had secured EUR 3.4 million in seed funding, allowing them to kick off the development on their first title. Investors involved in this round of funding included Enterprise Ireland and Dermot Desmond’s IIU. The first title developed by Vela described as a “genre-defining multiplayer” and called a “Multiplayer Online Co-Operative” (MOCO) by the company.

Then on 8 April this year, Vela announced the closure of a new round of seed funding for a total of EUR 2.5 million. This time a new investor, Lvp was onboard as were existing partners IIU. The money will be used to continue the development of the MOCO which they say will enable co-play games to reach new heights.

When asked why they picked Ireland as the perfect place to set up, they said it was due to the talent available locally. In addition to this, the thriving tech industry was a big draw. The strategic location of Ireland meant that they were able to tap into the US and the EU talent pool, as Ireland is a fully-fledged EU Member State. On a personal level, Newon George said it offered a high quality of life and a decent work-life balance.

The iGaming scene in Ireland

Ireland is a hub of tech, gaming, and eSports. After the UK’s departure from the EU it is also expected to continue to develop as a hub for innovative businesses. Dublin, the capital city is home to the so-called “Silicon Docks” area. This strip is the location of around 7000 technology companies covering industries such as gaming, betting, fintech, crypto, and internet.

eSports, a billion-dollar global industry is on the rise in Ireland, particularly in the last few months. Betting on the outcome of tournaments and individual matches is also becoming popular so operators are demanding new platforms to keep their customers happy.

Ireland is also becoming a popular location for iGaming licensing as providers want to stick with an English-speaking country, but want the benefits of EU membership.

Let us not forget that Dublin is also home to the EMEA headquarters of Google, Facebook, Slack, Dropbox, Zendesk, and LinkedIn, as well as countless start-ups. Overall, Dublin and Ireland are becoming important players in the global tech hub world, particularly when it comes to online gambling and gaming.

How do they stack up against the competition?

Vela Games’ rise to success may have been pretty impressive thus far, but they still have a way to go to reach the dizzying heights of NetEnt slots, for example. One of the largest online casino studios in the world, NetEnt provides some of the most well known and most played online casino games of today.

In addition to slots and live dealer games, they create table and other casino games as well. Their titles feature on some of the biggest online casinos in the industry, such as LeoVegas.

But even NetEnt had to start somewhere. Founded in 1996, the company was there at the dawn of the online gambling industry at the time when the first online casino licenses were issued. After several years of hard work behind the scenes, the first NetEnt casino was launched in 2002, quickly followed by the first deliveries to clients in 2003. Since then, they have gone from strength to strength.

With a history stretching back over 20 years, they now employ over 1000 staff, 200 plus gaming clients, and 200 different games.

This kind of success might well be a long way off for Vela Games, but so far, they have shown the innovation, attitude, and determination that is required to make it in the industry. Watch this space for further updates and hopefully more expansion into the sector in Ireland.