Hoora Raises €1.1 Million Seed Round to Launch “TikTok for Gaming” Platform
Paris‑based gaming startup Hoora has successfully closed a €1.1 million (about $1.3 million) seed funding round to accelerate its vision of becoming a “TikTok for gaming” — a mobile platform where users discover and instantly play games without downloading them. The financing marks a major milestone for the company, which launched in 2023 and has quickly gained traction with tens of thousands of downloads across several European countries.
The funding round was led by Kima Ventures, a prolific French seed fund known for backing early‑stage European technology startups, particularly in consumer and mobile sectors. Alongside Kima Ventures, the round attracted a diverse group of angel investors and industry veterans drawn to Hoora’s unique approach to mobile game discovery and social engagement.
Among the strategic backers participating in the round are long‑time gaming and tech experts such as Mathias Salanon, whose background spans product leadership roles at major gaming companies following his tenure at Ubisoft and Voodoo; Nicolas Steegmann, an investor and entrepreneur with ties to Stupeflix and GoPro exits; and Jean‑Guillaume Kleis, founder of tech venture Keleops. The round also saw participation from emerging media and influence professionals like Arthur Kannas, Sophie Noël of Hopscotch fame, and Guillaume and Maxime Doki‑Thonon, founders of Reech / Dekuple — all bringing diverse expertise in entertainment, digital communities and content creation to support Hoora’s growth strategy.
In addition to these contributors, well‑known creators and influencers including Charles Philip, Dany Graells Lehoucq (also known as Unchained) and Johan Lelièvre (Jojol) joined the round, while Hoora’s founder Romain Mussault — together with early supporters such as Owen Simonin and Hector Sohier of Initial Agency — strengthened their positions in the company. This blend of traditional and creator‑centric investors reflects Hoora’s ambition to blur the boundaries between gaming, social interaction and digital entertainment.
Founded by Mussault with co‑founders Nicolas Marchal (COO) and Flavien Marianacci (CTO), Hoora aims to redefine how players discover mobile games amid an increasingly crowded market. Instead of requiring players to download individual titles, the app presents an endless feed of instant‑play games that launch with a single tap, mirroring the smooth, scroll‑first behaviour popularised by social media platforms. Early deployments in test markets including France, the United Kingdom, Belgium and Switzerland have already shown promising engagement metrics and user acquisition rates well below average industry costs.
“We designed Hoora so that each game launches instantly, redefining how people play on mobile,” said Marianacci, emphasising that the platform’s technology meets the habits of today’s mobile users — fast, frictionless and content‑rich. The fresh capital will be used to accelerate product development, scale user acquisition efforts across Europe, and prepare the company for an eventual expansion into the United States, where initial tests have shown strong interest.
The round comes at a time when the European gaming ecosystem continues to attract investor interest across diverse segments — from game creation tools and developer support platforms to innovative consumer‑facing entertainment formats. Hoora’s funding complements larger regional rounds and underscores the appetite for mobile entertainment solutions tailored to younger audiences that favour instant access and social interaction over traditional download‑driven gaming.
In just over two years since its inception, Hoora has surpassed 100,000 app downloads, demonstrating that there is demand for new paradigms in mobile game discovery and play. The company’s freemium model combines ad‑supported access with premium features, designed to create a sustainable ecosystem that benefits both players and developers alike.
Looking ahead, Hoora plans to deepen its technological offerings and expand its footprint in key markets, using its newly raised funds to invest in engineering talent, marketing and partnerships that can support broader adoption. With a diverse base of investors aligned behind its mission, the startup is positioning itself to reshape how global audiences find, interact with and enjoy mobile games in an era where user expectations are rapidly evolving.
