Voodoo

Voodoo's journey began in 2013 when two high school friends, Alexandre Yazdi and Laurent Ritter, decided to channel their passion for technology into creating mobile experiences. They initially founded Studio Cadet in 2012, a services company for websites and mobile applications, before venturing into the gaming world with Voodoo the following year. The early years were a period of learning and adaptation. Their first attempt, a quiz game in France, didn't meet expectations, teaching them valuable lessons about market fit and product strategy. Undeterred, they embraced a new approach centered around rapid prototyping and data-driven decision-making. This shift led to the development of 'hyper-casual games,' a genre Voodoo helped popularize.

The company's breakthrough came in 2016 with the release of Paper.io, a game that quickly amassed over 35 million downloads and attracted numerous studios eager to collaborate. This success marked a turning point, and Voodoo began to experience explosive growth. By 2017, their staff had quadrupled to 80 employees. In May 2018, a significant milestone was achieved when Goldman Sachs invested $200 million in Voodoo, the largest fundraising in the French technology sector since 2015, while Yazdi and Ritter retained control of the company. This investment fueled further expansion, with new offices opening in Montpellier, Strasbourg, and later Berlin. Between 2019 and 2020, Voodoo solidified its position as a leading mobile gaming publisher worldwide, collaborating with over 800 studios and generating substantial revenue. Recognizing the evolving market, Voodoo began to diversify its portfolio, transitioning into hybrid casual games and expanding into apps from 2021 to 2023. Despite new regulations impacting their core business, the company adapted by focusing on core strengths and efficiencies. Today, Voodoo boasts a diverse portfolio, resilient revenue streams, and a global team of around 800 employees, committed to creating iconic mobile games and apps that entertain the world. Their games and apps have surpassed 7 billion downloads as of 2024.