Anton Backman

General Partner at Play Ventures

📍 Helsinki, Southern Finland, Finland🔄 Updated September 2026💼 12 investments📅 10 years investing🗓 Last invested May 2025
VC🌍 Finland
12
Total investments
6
Early stage
2
Mid stage
1
Late stage
10y
Years active

Portfolio

12 investments · sorted by recency
All investments
Early stage
Mid stage
Late stage
Board Observer
May 2025
Eloelo is redefining how users and creators interact, engage, and connect! As a new-age Live Media & Entertainment platform, we seamlessly blend interactive live streams, chats, and creator tools to create a vibrant, engaging experience. Tailored for young Indians, Eloelo bridges communication through video and audio formats across multiple Indian languages. Ranked among the top in the Entertainment category on Google Play Store, we are setting benchmarks in the creator economy. Fueled by a total funding of $38 million, including a recent $22 million Pre -Series B led by Courtside Ventures and Griffin Gaming Partners, Eloelo is backed by leading investors like WaterBridge Ventures, Kalaari Capital, and Lumikai. This support amplifies our mission to empower creators and redefine live entertainment for a rapidly growing audience. With Eloelo, live entertainment, interactions, and community are just a tap away—24/7. Our culture thrives on innovation, hustle, and a commitment to going above and beyond. As a team, we take ownership, collaborate fearlessly, and push boundaries to shape the future of live entertainment. Join us on this transformative journey and be part of the revolution shaping the next generation of live media!
Board Member
Sep 2023
Welcome to the future of betting. Midnite is everything your current betting app isn’t, taking Sports & Casino into a new era. For starters we’re not your grandad’s bookie, we’re putting an end to the era of old school betting apps that are crap to use and stuck in a rut. Instead of making another boring app you’ve seen a thousand times before, we figured it’s time for change. Let’s face it, even your grandad would give us the thumbs up. We hold our fans and players in the highest esteem. There’s nothing we won’t do to provide our kin with a casino and sportsbook that we wouldn’t rep ourselves, so here’s a betting app that finally deserves a place on your home screen. We cover all bases with passionate individuals who go on to form stellar teams, go getters ready to build experiences that help indulge your love of the game. Were going against the grain to make the betting industry up its game. We want you to bring a freshness like no other, a drive that can spark a change in your field. If youre ready to build a new breed of betting app, we say welcome to Midnite. Betting done better.
Board Member
Sep 2022
Ray is an AI browser that turns your digital life into small, personal apps. People want tailored experiences. Not one size fits all. Thats why were building a browser that makes your data work for you—not against you. What started as the fastest gaming browser (30% faster than Chrome) is becoming something bigger: a browser built for a personal internet. Connect your favorite services—Instagram, Strava, Calendar, Notion—and create apps that actually understand your life. Turn saved recipes into meal plans. Build fitness dashboards from your sleep and workout data. Combine X, Threads, and Bluesky into one feed. No coding. Share anything you create with a simple link. Built by a team of 12 from Supercell, Disney, Apple, Samsung, and Nokia. Backed by a16z Speedrun, Samsung Next, Play Ventures, Spatial Capital, and FOV Ventures.
Board Member
Mar 2022
Tribo Games is a new mobile-first Web3 studio founded by a group of industry veterans with over 60 years of combined experience. We have worked at major publishers and studios such as King, PopCap, Rovio, Wooga, Kopla and Flaregames to name a few. Our expertise has helped build and ship successful titles such as Plants Vs Zombies 1 & 2, Angry Birds, Candy Crush, Knighthood, Nonstop Knight franchise, Switchcraft and many more.
early stageComputer Games
Board Member
Feb 2022
We are Black Block An international team of games industry veterans with offices in Helsinki, Finland. Our mission is to push the boundaries of online worlds. Open Worlds Are In Our DNA We’ve worked on some of the highest grossing open world games of all time and are putting it to good use in our upcoming web3 online world, The Sprawl. Our experience ranges from mobile free-to-play to AAA console, at some of the most well-known game development studios in the world. Our Creative Pillars Underlining everything we do are our creative pillars. These give us the foundations that support all of our key decisions. 1. Fun First, Always We love what we do and we want our players to love what we create. Fun is the key principle that governs our games above all else. 2. Ride The New, New Wave In short: innovate. Operate on the bleeding edge and embrace the unknown. We see risk as playing it safe. 3. Trust In Each Other Our mission is to push the boundaries of online worlds… we empower our team members to be as autonomous as possible to help us get there. 4. Work Without Borders We’re building online worlds and do not allow ourselves to be hampered by the physical limitations of the meatspace. Our Founders Robin Squire Chief Executive Officer Formally Marketing Director at Rovio and Director of Business Development and Marketing at PlayRaven, Robin has a passion for MMO experiences since the early days of Everquest. Paul Kurowski Chief Product Officer Years of experience working at famous studios such as Rockstar North, Psygnosis, Realtime Worlds, Crytek and more. Paul has worked across design, art and production on some of the biggest game franchises of all time. Stanislav Semakin Chief Technology Officer Stanislav has 20+ years of tech experience, working on high-concurrency realtime applications from games to finance and more. Matthew Wilson Advisor & Chairman An early Black Block supporter and board member from day one, Matthew established Rovio's publishing and
Board Member
Oct 2021
Trailblazer Games, the creators of the Eternal Dragons game series, is on a mission to revolutionize entertainment by bringing together the best of gaming and Web3, delivering never-before-seen experiences for its community of players and content owners.
early stageComputer Games
Board Member
Jun 2021
OUR MISSION We see women bring immense joy and incredible positivity to the lives of everyone around them. At Stellarplay we want to give them a safe and positive environment to have fun and unwind while fostering relationships across the globe. OUR GAMES 1. Light & Social Our games are highly rewarding, easy to pick up and play and help players form connections with players across the globe. 2. Positive & Relaxing Experiences that players can escape to from their stressful days 3. Immersive Worlds filled with lovable characters, and intriguing narratives. OUR STELLAR TEAM Our core value is centered around People. The best talent, empowered to push boundaries as we come together, will help shape the incredible experiences we want to give our players. We are ambitious in the quality of games we want to bring into the world but humble about our journey and developing our skills.
early stageComputer Games
Board Observer
Mar 2021
We deliver smiles & thrills every day through social, multiplayer games on mobile. Deftouch is all about creating original World Class games, curated for a billion Indians. We were founded in Mumbai in 2017 by a couple of guys who were committed to bringing Cricket Fans a realtime multiplayer game that they could call their own FIFA​. This vision was given a great headstart when Nazara Games, Royal Challengers Bangalore & Virat Kohli partnered with Deftouchs Cricket Star​ in 2017 to create one of the hottest games of the year, RCB Star Cricket​. It raced to the top of the Top Free Games​ list in 2 days of release, and remains to this day Nazaras most successful Cricket title in 13+ years. Deftouch is Kalaari Capitals second Gaming investment after Dream11, and were growing rapidly based out of Kstarts fantastic crib Respace​ in Whitefield, Bangalore. We are in pole position to win the worldwide Cricket Gaming market and become the first Global Entertainment behemoth to come out of India. Deftouch was part of the 30 high potential startups featured as Tech30 at YourStorys TechSparks 2019, out of 2500+ that were in consideration. Were on the look-out for outliers in the field of Programming, Game Design, 3D Art, 2D Art, UI/UX design and Animation. If you join us now, youre getting: - A chance to build a billion dollar entertainment company with us, from its growth stage; - An exciting start-up journey from the drivers seat (with all its benefits included), and - Never having a dull day in your time with us. We expect you to be passionate about creativity, originality and to contribute to strategy with your ideas. If this sounds like you, hit us with a message this very second.
Board Member
Oct 2019
Bright Star Studios is a global independent games development studio crafting next generation original MMO game franchise experiences built on its own proprietary engine. Led by a diverse team of award-winning venture founders, former world champion pro-players and entertainment professionals who come with decades of game industry experience, these innovators are carving a new path forward for MMORPGs across PC, Browser, and Mobile. The studio’s mission is to rewrite the games industry with a business model that favors the community through exciting competitive gameplay, instant playability and a leading platform which supports the player economy. Bright Star Studios is developing its flagship game Ember Sword. Ember Sword is a social sandbox MMORPG taking place in a player-driven universe where the adventure finds you. Built by a team of imaginative artists, engineers, and game designers, Ember Sword offers a unique community led and frictionless PvP and PVE player experience, and allows players to trade digital gaming assets using blockchain technology. https://embersword.com/terms-and-conditions
early stageComputer Games
Board Member
May 2017
Quicksave is all about quality, experience, and creativity for web2/web3 games. We have a great and friendly team of experts working together to create the most amazing HTML5 games out there. We are always looking for new members to our creative and curious team. We have built technology to help us develop games with faster iterations and less human errors. This is more enjoyable for the developers but also makes the end products of higher quality and pleasant for the players. You can find more info about us from our website.
Co-Founder & Board Member
May 2016
We are backing the next generation of exceptional founders earlier than anyone else.
Experience · 14 entries
All (14)
Investments (11)
Founder (2)
Board (11)
2025
Board Observer
May 2025
Eloelo is redefining how users and creators interact, engage, and connect! As a new-age Live Media & Entertainment platform, we seamlessly blend interactive live streams, chats, and creator tools to create a vibrant, engaging experience. Tailored for young Indians, Eloelo bridges communication through video and audio formats across multiple Indian languages. Ranked among the top in the Entertainment category on Google Play Store, we are setting benchmarks in the creator economy. Fueled by a total funding of $38 million, including a recent $22 million Pre -Series B led by Courtside Ventures and Griffin Gaming Partners, Eloelo is backed by leading investors like WaterBridge Ventures, Kalaari Capital, and Lumikai. This support amplifies our mission to empower creators and redefine live entertainment for a rapidly growing audience. With Eloelo, live entertainment, interactions, and community are just a tap away—24/7. Our culture thrives on innovation, hustle, and a commitment to going above and beyond. As a team, we take ownership, collaborate fearlessly, and push boundaries to shape the future of live entertainment. Join us on this transformative journey and be part of the revolution shaping the next generation of live media!
2023
Board Member
Sep 2023
Welcome to the future of betting. Midnite is everything your current betting app isn’t, taking Sports & Casino into a new era. For starters we’re not your grandad’s bookie, we’re putting an end to the era of old school betting apps that are crap to use and stuck in a rut. Instead of making another boring app you’ve seen a thousand times before, we figured it’s time for change. Let’s face it, even your grandad would give us the thumbs up. We hold our fans and players in the highest esteem. There’s nothing we won’t do to provide our kin with a casino and sportsbook that we wouldn’t rep ourselves, so here’s a betting app that finally deserves a place on your home screen. We cover all bases with passionate individuals who go on to form stellar teams, go getters ready to build experiences that help indulge your love of the game. Were going against the grain to make the betting industry up its game. We want you to bring a freshness like no other, a drive that can spark a change in your field. If youre ready to build a new breed of betting app, we say welcome to Midnite. Betting done better.
2022
Board Member
Sep 2022
Ray is an AI browser that turns your digital life into small, personal apps. People want tailored experiences. Not one size fits all. Thats why were building a browser that makes your data work for you—not against you. What started as the fastest gaming browser (30% faster than Chrome) is becoming something bigger: a browser built for a personal internet. Connect your favorite services—Instagram, Strava, Calendar, Notion—and create apps that actually understand your life. Turn saved recipes into meal plans. Build fitness dashboards from your sleep and workout data. Combine X, Threads, and Bluesky into one feed. No coding. Share anything you create with a simple link. Built by a team of 12 from Supercell, Disney, Apple, Samsung, and Nokia. Backed by a16z Speedrun, Samsung Next, Play Ventures, Spatial Capital, and FOV Ventures.
Board Member
Mar 2022
Tribo Games is a new mobile-first Web3 studio founded by a group of industry veterans with over 60 years of combined experience. We have worked at major publishers and studios such as King, PopCap, Rovio, Wooga, Kopla and Flaregames to name a few. Our expertise has helped build and ship successful titles such as Plants Vs Zombies 1 & 2, Angry Birds, Candy Crush, Knighthood, Nonstop Knight franchise, Switchcraft and many more.
early stageComputer Games
Board Member
Feb 2022
We are Black Block An international team of games industry veterans with offices in Helsinki, Finland. Our mission is to push the boundaries of online worlds. Open Worlds Are In Our DNA We’ve worked on some of the highest grossing open world games of all time and are putting it to good use in our upcoming web3 online world, The Sprawl. Our experience ranges from mobile free-to-play to AAA console, at some of the most well-known game development studios in the world. Our Creative Pillars Underlining everything we do are our creative pillars. These give us the foundations that support all of our key decisions. 1. Fun First, Always We love what we do and we want our players to love what we create. Fun is the key principle that governs our games above all else. 2. Ride The New, New Wave In short: innovate. Operate on the bleeding edge and embrace the unknown. We see risk as playing it safe. 3. Trust In Each Other Our mission is to push the boundaries of online worlds… we empower our team members to be as autonomous as possible to help us get there. 4. Work Without Borders We’re building online worlds and do not allow ourselves to be hampered by the physical limitations of the meatspace. Our Founders Robin Squire Chief Executive Officer Formally Marketing Director at Rovio and Director of Business Development and Marketing at PlayRaven, Robin has a passion for MMO experiences since the early days of Everquest. Paul Kurowski Chief Product Officer Years of experience working at famous studios such as Rockstar North, Psygnosis, Realtime Worlds, Crytek and more. Paul has worked across design, art and production on some of the biggest game franchises of all time. Stanislav Semakin Chief Technology Officer Stanislav has 20+ years of tech experience, working on high-concurrency realtime applications from games to finance and more. Matthew Wilson Advisor & Chairman An early Black Block supporter and board member from day one, Matthew established Rovio's publishing and
Show all 14 entries ↓
Investment activity
2016–2025 · 12 investments
20161201712019120214202232023120251
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