Nicosia, Cyprus [20.07.2026] — Vyking Ventures, the investment arm of Vyking, has added Animo Studios to its portfolio, backing the independent fast-growing gaming technology and content supplier as it develops entertainment-first experiences for the live gaming sector.
The investment reinforces Vyking Ventures’ commitment to funding companies at the intersection of gaming, technology and next-generation player engagement. Following significant research, development and testing, Animo is now preparing for its commercial launch and wider activation through operator, distribution and content partnerships.
Animo is building the technological backbone for a new generation of live gaming experiences by combining live entertainment, gaming, performance art and real-time technology. Its platform transforms real human dealers into any character in real time while they continue interacting with physical gaming equipment, allowing trust and game integrity to remain fully intact. Free from many of the limitations of traditional live studios, Animo's technology unlocks a new level of scalability and customisation for live experiences.
The technology is built to support the full spectrum of live game formats, from game shows and card games to completely original concepts. Rather than offering operators a fixed catalogue of identical games, Animo enables them to create exclusive live experiences built around their own brands, intellectual property, themes and ambassadors.
Each activation can operate as a fully customisable, always-on branded venue, giving operators new ways to create entertainment, marketing campaigns, promotions, events and shareable moments that cannot be directly replicated by competitors. This positions the technology as both a content proposition and a tool for player acquisition, brand differentiation and market penetration.
Animo was founded by Harley Fresh, Australia’s most-followed Twitch streamer, who has built a combined social reach of more than 20 million. His background spans live entertainment, esports, content creation and marketing for major global brands, bringing a creator-led understanding of how audiences engage with personalities, communities and interactive entertainment.
The investment aligns closely with Vyking’s experience in iGaming, platform engineering, game aggregation and player-led entertainment models. For Vyking Ventures, Animo represents an opportunity to support a differentiated technology business as it moves from extensive R&D into commercial launch and international growth.has announced a strategic investment in PlayAIO, an iGaming data and AI company focused on making complex data simple, clear, and actionable for operators, suppliers, and industry partners.
The investment reflects Vyking Ventures commitment to backing high-potential companies building the next generation of iGaming infrastructure, intelligence, and automation. As part of Vyking’s wider ecosystem across platform technology, casino aggregation, payments, fiat, and crypto solutions, Vyking Ventures supports businesses that can help operators move faster, make better decisions, and unlock new forms of commercial growth.
Commenting on the new partnership, Franz Gerhart, CEO of Vyking said:
“Live gaming has become crowded with experiences that often look, feel and play in very similar ways. Animo is approaching the category from a completely different direction. Its technology gives operators the ability to transform their own brands, IP and ambassadors into exclusive live entertainment while retaining the trust, integrity and human energy of real dealers and physical equipment. Harley and the team combine a deep understanding of content, community and digital entertainment with a genuinely differentiated technology platform. That combination makes Animo exactly the kind of ambitious, category-shaping company Vyking Ventures wants to support as it moves from R&D into commercial launch and international growth.”
Harley Fresh, founder of Animo Studios, added:
“Across live suppliers today, too many products blur into one. The tables look the same, the games play the same, and even dedicated and branded tables are often identical outside of interchangeable logos. Operators are left fighting to stand out through huge marketing spend, promotions and sponsorships built on top of games their users can play everywhere. We are not here to recreate live games. Animo enables them to become genuine entertainment-first products the industry has never seen, allowing each operator to bring exclusive, identifiable experiences to life in ways their competitors cannot replicate. We turn an operator’s brand, IP or ambassadors into true live gaming attractions for players. Animo unlocks a 24/7 branded portal for completely bespoke viral moments, marketing campaigns, events and promotions. As we enter our next phase of growth after significant R&D, we are glad to bring Vyking Ventures on board. Its deep knowledge across so many corners of the industry is exactly what we want alongside us as we prepare for hard launch and activation across all distribution and content channels.”
Through this strategic investment, Vyking Ventures will support Animo as it advances towards commercial launch, develops new operator and distribution partnerships and scales its entertainment-first live gaming technology across international markets.
***ENDS***
About Vyking Ventures
Vyking Ventures is the investment arm of Vyking, backing high-potential companies at the intersection of gaming, Web3, and financial technology. Built on Vyking’s deep industry experience in iGaming, platform engineering, and crypto-native infrastructure, Vyking Ventures supports founders creating the next generation of player experiences, digital entertainment models, and gaming technology.
About Animo Studios
Animo Studios is a next-generation gaming technology and content supplier bringing entertainment-first content to the live gaming sector by merging live entertainment, gaming, performance art and technology in ways not previously possible. Animo transforms real human dealers into any character in real time while they interact with physical gaming equipment, ensuring trust and game integrity remain fully intact. Its platform enables operators to launch exclusive live experiences built around their own brands, intellectual property and ambassadors. Following extensive testing and R&D alongside strategic operator and creator partnerships, Animo is preparing to launch across international markets. For more information, visit animo.net or reach out via info@animo.net.
