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Rise of Fearless secures $1 million to build a gaming franchise
Rise of Fearless raises $1 million from Epic Edges Capital to build a gaming franchise
Key points
- Epic Edges Capital, a Dubai-based investment firm, provided the $1 million through a SAFE.
- Africa's gaming market is projected to generate $1.98 billion in revenue in 2026, according to Carry1st and Newzoo.
- The free-to-play game is based on Ethiopia's 1896 Battle of Adwa and has over 15,000 total downloads.
Why it matters. The deal highlights growing investor appetite for African gaming ventures, though the company did not disclose its valuation or the precise equity terms.
Rise of Fearless, an African-owned battle royale mobile game, has raised $1 million from Dubai-based Epic Edges Capital through a Simple Agreement for Future Equity (SAFE). The funds will go toward game development, infrastructure, marketing and community-building. Founder Kanessa Muluneh said the game must reach 100,000 active players within one year to meet agreed milestones. The game has recorded over 15,000 total downloads, according to Muluneh.
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Rise of Fearless secures $1 million to build a gaming franchise
Rise of Fearless, the African-owned battle royale mobile game, has raised $1 million from Epic Edges Capital, a Dubai-based investment firm, through a Simple Agreement for Future Equity (SAFE), to expand its audience and build a commercially sustainable gaming franchise. The fresh capital will fund game development, infrastructure, marketing, and community-building, while bringing experienced international gaming executives and developers into the project. The investment comes amid growing investor interest in Africa’s gaming industry, fuelled by an expanding player base and demand for locally developed games. Africa’s gaming market is projected to generate $1.98 billion in revenue in 2026, according to a report by gaming tech startup Carry1st and research firm Newzoo. Mobile gaming is expected to account for nearly 82% of that revenue. Launched in 2025 , Rise of Fearless is a free-to-play battle royale game based on Ethiopia’s 1896 Battle of Adwa , where players can choose avatars and weapons and compete in a peer-to-peer survival match. The game, available on Google Play Store and the App Store, has recorded over 15,000 total downloads, according to its founder, Kanessa Muluneh. She said the investment marks a shift from experimenting with a gaming product to building a business capable of competing internationally. “Launching a game is really not the hardest part,” she told .