Why can’t games reward developers and players with real money?
How Skillz Works
Skillz is the world’s first cash tournament SDK, designed to make gaming more fun and game development more profitable. Skillz can be integrated into almost any mobile game, enabling an added layer of tournament play which allows gamers to play their favorite games for cash and prizes.Developers integrate Skillz into their existing games in under an hour
Gamers create a Skillz account which works across all Skillz games
Players can compete in a variety of free or cash tournaments
Developers earn revenue on every cash tournament and players can withdraw winnings at any time
About Us
In 2012, the top 25 development studios earned more than half of all mobile revenue, while 80% of developers couldn’t make enough money to survive as businesses. Unfortunately, the numbers show that mobile ads and in-app purchases aren’t enough to support a thriving developer community.
We want to change that.
We see a world where studios of all sizes can flourish. That’s why we created Skillz, the world’s first cash tournament SDK. Skillz enables new direct revenue for game developers, while enhancing the existing monetization tools inside most mobile games. Unlike ads and offer walls which can interrupt the user experience, Skillz improves gameplay by tapping into gamers’ fundamental desire for meaningful competition.
Skillz games currently reach more than 25 million mobile gamers. Our offices are in Boston and San Francisco, and our team comes from companies like Google, Atari, and Electronic Arts. We’ve created award-winning video games, top 20 shopping apps, and the world’s first mobile self-checkout system. Skillz is built, tested, and trusted by gamers.
Andrew Paradise / Founder
Andrew is a serial entrepreneur with a successful track record. He founded AisleBuyer, which was sold to Intuit in April 2012. Prior to AisleBuyer, Andrew was the founder of Photrade, a web 2.0 digital media and advertising company. He has also worked in venture capital and private equity investing for Fort Washington Capital Partners and The Watermill Group. He learned to program at age 7 by hacking a video game with a hex editor and later writing his first game in Pascal.
Casey Chafkin / Founder
Casey is a Harvard MBA and an expert in mobile payments. He was the fourth employee at AisleBuyer (sold to Intuit Inc), overseeing the company’s strategic partnerships and brand-oriented solutions. Prior to AisleBuyer, Casey worked at CarMax (NYSE KMX) where he re-launched the company’s consumer offer and headed their loyalty research. Outside of the office, Casey puts his degree in economics (Duke ’06) to work as a hobbyist statistician, an avid poker player, and a co-author on a recent paper covering quantitative trading strategies within sports wagering markets.
Ahmed Abdalla / Head of Engineering
Ahmed is a software guy who loves code. He was previously VP of Engineering at Pubget, a highly scalable distributed search application that helped hundreds of thousands of scientists find papers fast. Before Pubget, Ahmed was a developer and team lead at The MathWorks where he designed and implemented the core user interface infrastructure for Simulink which is used by millions of engineers worldwide. Ahmed has a BS in biomedical engineering from Boston University and a MS ECE from Georgia Tech and his experience ranges from building development organizations to implementing back-end desktop infrastructures.
Jason Petralia / Head of Product
Jason leads all product efforts at Skillz. Most recently, he was VP of Product at Raizlabs, a mobile technology powerhouse where he elevated the company to national notoriety by rocketing several mobile applications to the very top of the mobile ecosystem. Prior to Raizlabs, Jason built a rocking 3D mobile games studio from the ground. Jason joined Skillz in January 2013 and remains focused on pushing emergent mobile technologies to the next level.
Anthony Jacobson / Head of Business Development and Publisher Relations
Anthony, a game industry veteran, was most recently SVP of Business Development at videogame publisher Atari where he was instrumental in a wide variety of projects including establishing pipelines of mobile, social, console, and PC titles. Before Atari, Anthony was an SVP at G-Cluster, an early, game streaming service owned by Softbank. Additionally, Anthony was the Founder and CEO of Shanghai game developer, Spicy Horse Games, as well as TMIEC, one of the video game industry’s first production company focused on outsourcing original intellectual property for multi-platform development. Anthony’s taste for entrepreneurship began early in his career culminating in the sale of Goodstory.com to Creative Planet.
Edgar Ejercito / Head of Finance and Administration
Edgar leads finance and administration at Skillz. Most recently, he was the director of strategic planning at Gree International, a mobile gaming and platform company. He combines his experience in both finance and strategy having worked at such companies as Amazon.com, RealNetworks, and Booz and Company. Edgar received a BSE in Materials Science Engineering from Northwestern University and an MBA from The Kellogg School of Business. Prior to business school, Edgar proudly served five years as a nuclear engineering officer in the United States Navy submarine force.Software Development Manager
Location: Boston, MA
Type: Full Time Experience Min. Experience: Manager/Supervisor
You’re excited to lead a team of developers to build out an amazing product for the video game industry. You take pride in doing things the “right” way and you’re willing to build and mentor a talented development team. You’re excited to play a key role in product development and you’re eager to work closely with both the product team and a beta-user community to make the product perfect. You love the idea of working at a startup because it means your fingerprints will be on everything we build.
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Digital Marketing Manager
Location: San Francisco, CA
Type: Full Time Experience: Mid Level
You are an expert in digital marketing, user acquisition, and audience retention. You know how to build and scale complex marketing campaigns, and you have the analytical expertise to optimize performance and drive ROI. You are exceptionally quantitative and more than capable of personally handling complex performance analyses. You believe in a strong testing framework, and know how to drive volume efficiencies when you find something that works. You love video games and believe that playing for cash makes things just a bit more interesting.
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Software Engineer – Mobile
Location: Boston, MA
Type: Full Time Experience: Mid Level
You love games and software, have side projects that you can’t wait to show off and are looking for a place where your contributions matter. You welcome the challenge of writing responsive mobile apps that use many device features without killing device resources. You take pride in doing things the “right” way and you’re excited to play a big role on a small team.
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5/21/2013 – Bezinga
Skillz Invites Skilled Players to Compete for Cash
“Serial entrepreneur Andrew Paradise is taking a stab at mobile game tournaments with his new company, Skillz. Described as a multiplayer network for Android games (and eventually iOS games), Skillz allows users to gamble with their gaming skills. Players can enter various game tournaments and compete for cash prizes for as low as $0.25.” Read More5/14/2013 – AllThingsDigital
Skillz Says Real-Money Betting in Mobile Games Is Paying Off
“Fill in the blank: “This videogame gets more out of its players by allowing real-money ___. This is interesting because many popular multiplayer mobile games are already games of skill, or close enough to the legal definition that they could be tweaked to be in the clear.” Read More5/14/2013 – Official Press Release
Play Mini Golf Star: Putt Putt Game on Android Smartphones to Win $1,000 Cash Prize
“Mobile game development studio, skillFrado, has partnered with Skillz, the first company to enable betting in mobile games in the U.S., to kick off a $1,000 mini-golf tournament. Now through May 25, aspiring putting pros can play Mini Golf Star: Putt Putt Game on their smartphones, and for just $2, take a shot at winning $1,000 in cash.” Read More5/8/2013 – International Digital Times
Skillz Real-Money Android Game: Co-Founder Casey Chafkin Talks Legal Issues, New Features
“While Skillz has only been out for a little over a week now, they’ve been very satisfied with the reception they’ve been getting. Response from both gamers and Android game developers have so far been enthusiastic…Overall, the future of competitive Android gaming looks promising and may soon become a major industry, potentially making Skillz a real trail-blazer.” Read More5/6/2013 – iGaming
Skillz brings real-money mobile gambling to America
“Mobile games development firm Skillz Incorporated has launched an open beta version of its new multi-player skill-based free-play and real-money tournament platform for US-based players.” Read More5/6/2013 – Forbes
Real Money Gambling on Mobile Games Is Here
“For anyone who’s been waiting years to make a dollar from the hundreds of hours spent honing their skills on phone games, the moment has arrived. A new San Francisco startup called Skillz just launched the US’s first platform for real-money gambling on mobile games, and it could be the start of an industry worth tens of billions, if not more.” Read More5/4/2013 – Mobile Commerce Press
Real-Money Prizes May be Coming to Mobile Games
“A new mobile games platform for Android developers has launched this week. The platform comes from a company called Skillz, which is a startup based in San Francisco, California, and the platform puts a new twist on mobile games and their monetization. According to Skillz, the platform introduces real-money prizes into mobile games, quite literally enabling consumers to win cash for playing the games making use of the platform.” Read More5/2/2013 – BostInno
AisleBuyer Founder’s New Startup Helps Mobile Games Monetize With Cash Tournaments
“Back in November I wrote about AisleBuyer founder Andrew Paradise’s new company, Lookout Gaming. The firm – which has since dropped that name – raised $1.25 million, but it wasn’t clear what they were working on. Now we know. Yesterday, Paradise announced the launch of the company, now called Skillz, as a mobile gaming and betting platform.” Read More5/2/2013 – International Digital Times
Skillz Real-Money Gaming: How Android Users Can Win Money Competing Against Each Other
“Everyone’s heard of competitive Starcraft in South Korea but most people don’t imagine Android gamers to be competitive hard-nosed gamblers. That’s about to change, as Skillz, a multiplayer tournament platform for Android allowing players to wager real money on skill-based games, is now in open beta. This opens up a brave new world of competitive gaming for Android users.” Read More5/1/2013 – SmartBrief
Skillz says real-money gaming increases retention 4% to 18%
“The Skillz application is allowing players to compete for real money instead of virtual currency. So far, 10 games have integrated Skillz accounts, including Bubble Shooter and Apache Strike. Such real-money gaming is legal in 36 states, covering about 75% of the population, Josh Ong writes. Skillz CEO Andrew Paradise says adding the module to a game will increase retention from 4% to 18%.” Read More5/1/2013 – MobileMarketing
Skillz Brings Tournaments to Mobile Gaming
“Back in November I wrote about AisleBuyer founder Andrew Paradise’s new company, Lookout Gaming. The firm – which has since dropped that name – raised $1.25 million, but it wasn’t clear what they were working on. Now we know. Yesterday, Paradise announced the launch of the company, now called Skillz, as a mobile gaming and betting platform.” Read More5/1/2013 – Develop
Skillz SDK supports real money gaming
“A new mobile SDK will give developers the chance to host real money tournaments on Android devices. The Skillz SDK hopes to boost player engagement by giving them the chance to win real money in skill-based games.” Read More4/30/2013 – VentureBeat
Let’s put a dollar on it: Skillz brings real-money cash wagering to Android
VentureBeat’s coverage of our launch. “The potential for developers is clear: Skill-based gambling can attract an audience while simultaneously monetizing the most engaged players.” Read More4/30/2013 – gamesindustry.biz
Mobile skill-based gaming: Another way for devs to monetize
“A new company called Skillz is introducing real-money gaming to mobile Android titles in the US. The open beta, available initially for the Android platform, enables game developers of skill-based titles to host cash competitions in 36 US states, while free and virtual currency tournaments can be created worldwide. Players can enter cash tournaments with as little as 25 cents.” Read More4/30/2013 – Inside Social Games
Skillz brings real-money gaming to the U.S.
“Real-money gaming is now reality in the U.S. with Skillz, a first-of-its-kind multiplayer tournament platform, whivh gives players the chance to compete for real money and virtual currency in mobile games of skill. The platform launched today in beta for Android.” Read More4/30/2013 – TheNextWeb
Skillz enters beta with an Android gaming platform that let players compete for real money
“For those tired of competing just for points and virtual currency in mobile games, a new startup, Skillz, is about to ramp things up with its new platform for adding real-money tournaments to Android games.” Read More4/30/2013 – Polygon
Skillz introduces real-money, skill-based Android gaming to U.S.
“San Francisco-based company, Skillz, launched the open beta for its real-money, multiplayer tournament platform today, making it the first service of its kind to allow developers to host both free and cash multiplayer tournaments inside their Android games.” Read More4/30/2013 – SF Business Times
Skillz enables wagers on games of skill
“Skillz Inc. plans to launch a new digital platform today on which mobile gamers can rate themselves against competitors – with the standard of measurement not badges or leaderboards, but cold hard cash.” Read More4/30/2013 – San Francisco Chronicle
SF startup adds real-money prizes to mobile games
“Skillz came out of stealth mode Tuesday with the beta launch of a platform for game developers to add a real-cash component to their existing games of skill. Game makers are looking at real-money games as a new and potentially lucrative revenue stream.” Read More4/30/2013 – VentureFizz
Skillz (Formerly Lookout Gaming) Launches Out of Beta with a New Competitive Gaming Platform
“Creating a tournament system that’s part of your favorite games is the next step in mobile gaming. Skillz looks to be a major disruptor the ongoing innovation of mobile monetization, but it also has the improvement of mobile gaming at heart.” Read More4/30/2013 – Xconomy
Stealthy No More, Skillz Brings Cash Tournaments to Mobile Games
“Andrew Paradise is at it again. Scarcely a year after confirming he’d sold his last company, AisleBuyer, to Intuit, the Boston-area entrepreneur and angel investor is taking his latest company out of stealth mode. Skillz (fka Lookout Gaming), which has offices in Boston and San Francisco, is trying to make a splash in the mobile gaming world by enabling game developers to host tournaments in which players compete for cash or virtual currency.” Read More4/30/2013 – Boston Business Journal
Skillz, from AisleBuyer founder, to enable mobile games played for cash
“Skillz, a Boston and San Francisco startup launched by AisleBuyer veterans and formerly known as Lookout Gaming, said Tuesday it has launched in beta with a platform for hosting mobile games that can be played for cash.” Read More12/20/2012 – StartupBeat
Lookout Gaming is disrupting indie games by helping developers generate more revenue
“A Q&A with Lookout Gaming co-founder Casey Chafkin. The Boston–based company was founded in March of 2012 and closed a $1.3 million Seed funding round in mid-November. Investors include Atlas Venture and Nextview Ventures.” Read More11/15/2012 – TechCrunch
Lookout Gaming Takes $1.3M Seed Round To Accelerate Indie Game Revenues
“Boston-based startup Lookout Gaming has drawn attention to the city’s often-overlooked consumer and mobile gaming community with a $1.3 million seed round from Boston investors Atlas Venture and Nextview Ventures, as well angels, including Mark Jung, former CEO of IGN.” Read MoreOfficial Skillz Launch Announcement
Check out the press release with more details about our launch on April 30, 2013. DownloadSkillz Press Kit
Download screenshots, logos and more information about our company and team. DownloadSkillz Case Study
Skillz drives APRU, Engagement, and Retention in Cave Runner
By harnessing Skillz, 3D Cave Runner offered a way for gamers to play for keeps. Its developers discovered a new way to monetize their game which enhanced existing revenue streams and delivered superlative engagement. DownloadDevelopers & Publishers
Have a mobile game? Discover how Skillz dramatically improves ARPU, drives downloads and boosts player engagement. As a fully managed service, Skillz takes less than an hour to integrate and is completely free for you. We handle all the intricacies of managing tournaments so you can focus on doing what you love: building great games. Here’s what Skillz can do for you:- Deliver direct revenue that is incremental and complementary to other revenue streams like ads and in-app purchases
- Enable turnkey multiplayer functionality encouraging users to invite their friends
- Drive DAU retention, longer sessions, and enhanced app discovery
- Promote the sale of virtual goods with exclusive tournaments
- Tournament creation, management and payouts
- Integrated solution to prevent cheating
- Developer support and system service
- Gamer account creation and management
- Gamer customer support
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