Romanian gamified experiences startup launches funding round on SeedBlink

Questo, the Romanian startup known for its gamified city exploration app, is launching a EUR 630,000 funding round on equity and investment platform SeedBlink.

Early Games Ventures and Sparking Capital are co-investors in the round, which aims to scale Questo's solution.

The funds raised will be used to acquire IP rights for universal stories, facilitating Event Quests worldwide and expanding Questo's reach. This investment will also support the development of new content, enhancing the platform's offerings and user experience.

Investors and business angels can participate with a minimum investment of EUR 2,500.

Questo raised EUR 300,000 in 2020 in a round led by Sparking Capital and Early Game Ventures, and USD 1.5 million in 2021in a round led by Early Game Ventures with Sparking Capital's participation.

In 2023, 200 million people participated in guided tours, yet nearly half preferred to explore independently. Additionally, 80 million people walk through cities each month playing games like Pokemon GO, seeking captivating stories and activities, according to data presented by the startup. Questo addresses this demand by offering gamified experiences based on personalized local stories, allowing users to explore at their own pace. Its experiences are crafted by a community of over 30,000 amateur and professional storytellers globally, that generated over 500,000 participating users worldwide.

Questo offers two primary quest types: Event Quests and Anytime Quests. Event Quests, perfect for larger groups and themed events, use GenAI to integrate elements from movies, books, anime, and games and are available worldwide at USD 40 per group. Conversely, Anytime Quests cater to couples, families, and small groups seeking spontaneous adventures at USD 10 per device.

Questo was founded by a diverse team with complementary backgrounds. Claudiu Petria, Chief Operations Officer, has years of experience in advertising. Alex Govoreanu, Chief Executive Officer, is a second-time startup founder.

"In a world that is becoming increasingly virtual, Questo has helped over 500,000 people step into the real world and create memories with their friends and family," Alex Govoreanu, co-founder and CEO of Questo, said. "In the past 12 months, we've grown more than fivefold, and we have a future full of potential ahead of us. That's why, together with SeedBlink, we're launching a crowdfunding round for anyone who believes in Questo's mission to turn the real world into a playground."

(Photo: the company)