Rise of Fearless, an African-owned mobile battle royale inspired by the continent’s history and folklore, has raised US$1 million in funding from advisory firm Epic Edges Capital. The capital injection, structured as a Simple Agreement for Future Equity (SAFE), marks a critical milestone for the game as it prepares for international distribution and technical scaling.

The funds are earmarked for talent acquisition, technology, infrastructure, marketing, and community-building initiatives designed to expand the title’s footprint beyond its current primary hubs in Nigeria, Ethiopia, and South Africa.

Launched in 2025, Rise of Fearless draws core narrative inspiration from Ethiopia’s 1896 victory against colonial forces at the Battle of Adwa. Characters, environments, hairstyles, and attire throughout the game are tailored to reflect authentic African identities and historical narratives.

Currently available as a free-to-play title on the Apple App Store and Google Play, the game has surpassed 15,000 downloads.

Alongside the fresh capital, Rise of Fearless is assembling an advisory and development coalition of global industry veterans across publishing, analytics, and franchise design:

  • Miniboss Solutions: Serving as an embedded publishing partner to lead marketing strategy, headed by Managing Partners Adam Krause (formerly of Ubisoft, 2K/Take-Two, Capcom, and Striking Distance Studios) and TJ Consunji (formerly of PlayStation, Striking Distance Studios, and Krafton).
  • IDG Intelligence: Providing market research, analytics, and strategic advisory, led by President and CEO Yoshio Osaki.
  • Trick Question Studios: Directing IP franchise definition and narrative strategy, led by Founder and CEO TQ Jefferson (formerly of Disney, Marvel, Pixar, 20th Century Fox Games, and Survios).
  • Spectra Entertainment: Bringing full-stack, AAA-caliber art and technical art development.

“The launch of Rise of Fearless filled a gap in the gaming space, but it has also forced us to think beyond game downloads, shifting our focus towards a much wider African gaming ecosystem where African intellectual ownership and talent development are key,” Muluneh noted. “As a bootstrapped company, this investment is pivotal to our ambitions and the future of African gaming.”