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Exclusive Q&A w/ Alex Petrenko, CEO and Co-Founder of Zibra AI

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  • Could you share some insights into your journey and professional background, highlighting key experiences that led you to initiate Zibra?

My journey in the tech and gaming world began after graduating from the National Aviation University in Kyiv, specialising in management and logistics. Prior to Zibra AI, I held senior business development roles at CoWorking Platforma and Talkable, gaining valuable insights and experience working on business strategies and development dynamics with companies like General Assembly, Y-Combinator and influencers like Steve Wozniak to organise offline events for the tech community and build a separate revenue stream around educational events.

As a passionate gamer and technology enthusiast, I’ve always been interested in new game titles, but as games become more complex, their development has become lengthier. Game developers now require considerably more time and resources to craft immersive and sophisticated gaming experiences that can cater to the ever-growing demands of the player community.

The desire to change this and aid developers of all sizes to create amazing titles and experiences for gamers, led me to create Zibra AI alongside our amazing co-founding team of Vladyslav Zavadskyi and Den Dmytrenko. Earlier this year, with the help of our fantastic team, we succeeded in securing funding from both the inaugural a16z Games SPEEDRUN (the only company to be chosen from Eastern Europe) and from Epic’s MegaGrant program. Witnessing the potential of Generative AI, particularly in streamlining game development and enhancing VFX (Visual Effects) creation, ignited the vision for Zibra AI. Our mission is clear: enabling game developers, VFX artists, and creators to revolutionise their workflows and create exceptional experiences.

 

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  • Delving into Zibra, what sparked the creation of the platform? What were the core founding principles for Zibra?

Being a gamer with a strong interest in emerging technologies, I was always inspired by what these advancements could offer to the gaming world, both behind the scenes on the development side but also the impact to the end-user, the players. Game development, though rewarding, often faces lengthy and challenging development cycles. Recognising the potential of AI to alleviate these hurdles, especially in the realm of asset and VFX creation, sparked the inception of Zibra AI in 2021. Our core founding principles revolve around leveraging Generative AI to simplify the creation of 3D assets and VFX, empowering game developers and artists to enhance their workflows and bring their visions to life with efficiency and creativity.

 

  • Generative AI has the potential to democratise creativity. How is Zibra AI making this technology accessible and user-friendly for a broader audience of content game developers and Visual Effects artists, including those with varying levels of technical expertise?

Zibra AI is dedicated to democratising game development and visual effects through the creation of easy and affordable products. All the solutions with our platform are designed with a user-friendly interface, ensuring accessibility for creators of all skill levels. We’ve placed a strong emphasis on intuitive tools and a seamless user experience, allowing content developers, from beginners to experts, to utilise the power of Generative AI effortlessly. We’ve worked tirelessly to ensure our platform caters to varying technical proficiencies, enabling a diverse audience to embrace AI-generated 3D assets and VFX, ultimately democratising the creative process in the gaming and visual effects spheres.

 

  • Zibra aims to streamline 3D content generation. Could you quantify the success achieved in simplifying and democratising this process? Providing data on user numbers and the time required to create 3D content using the platform would be valuable.

We are thrilled that Zibra AI has recently surpassed 100,000 users, primarily consisting of game developers leveraging our platform for VFX creation. The feedback from our growing community has been overwhelmingly positive, empowering even indie developers to swiftly craft high quality VFX without requiring specific prior expertise. This allows them to test and validate their creative concepts, without any delay. Zibra AI solutions enable easy creation of new immersive experiences and game mechanics based on real-world physics (liquid, smoke & fire). Soon, Zibra AI tools will also make it possible for creators to easily generate in-game assets based on almost any input, whether it be text, video or image references. Our mission is to give game developers of all levels unprecedented amounts of freedom to experiment and customise their games, (using a single prompt) to create the best experience possible for players.

 

  • Looking at the global market, how do you envision Generative AI shaping the future of visual effects and media production, and what role do you foresee Zibra AI playing in this transformative journey?

Generative AI holds immense potential in shaping the future of visual effects and media production. As the technology advances, we foresee a future where Generative AI seamlessly integrates with creative workflows, significantly accelerating content creation and enhancing the overall quality of visual effects. Zibra AI aims to be at the forefront of this transformation, empowering artists and developers with efficient AI-powered solutions that enhance their capabilities and artistic visions. Our role is to continually innovate, ensuring our platform remains aligned with the evolving needs of the industry, ultimately contributing to a future where creativity and technology harmoniously coexist. We are not trying to replace human jobs but instead empower those and maintain a community who help each other and create more amazing gaming experiences.

 

  • Please elaborate on the standout features of Zibra powered by AI, which captivate users and developers in the realm of 3D content creation.

One of our primary platform offerings is Zibra Effects. A powerful AI-assisted solution to create dynamic smoke, fire, liquid, and clothing Visual Effects for games. All Zibra Effects products are equipped with a unique AI-layer that speeds up object prototyping and accelerates the performance of the simulation itself. What sets Zibra Effects apart is its ability to provide real-time interactivity, enhancing the immersivity. It’s a low-code tool that drastically simplifies the complex process of VFX creation, saving developers significant time. Additionally, we offer a free version of Zibra Effects for users to explore and experiment with, allowing them to experience firsthand the transformative capabilities of AI-assisted tools.

 

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  • Data privacy and ethical AI use are growing concerns. How does Zibra AI ensure responsible use of Generative AI and maintain a strong commitment to data security and user privacy in your products and services?

At Zibra AI, data privacy and ethical AI usage are paramount. Our platform only uses proprietary models and data sources to build our features. We are committed to not creating or using an open source model that scrapes the internet and users’ data. We remain committed to transparent communication with our community and ensuring that our technology is harnessed responsibly and ethically, respecting both user privacy and societal norms.

 

  • Are there upcoming features within the Zibra pipeline that you can share with us, offering a glimpse into the platform’s evolving capabilities?

This autumn we’ll be announcing an important step forward for file compression of visual effects (ZibraVDB). This tool will allow something that was previously close to impossible to achieve – having volumetric/3D VFX in games. VFX will look much more realistic, whilst the significant compression of file sizes (up to 100x smaller than the current standard) allows for a wider use of high-fidelity VFX within different environments and across platforms previously unable to compute such large files. It’s a huge milestone in our mission to continually evolve and empower creators with cutting-edge tools and capabilities.

 

  • Can you showcase some instances of 3D content generated using Zibra, underlining its prowess in empowering creators?

Absolutely. Creators regularly share their works within our Discord community, showcasing how our solutions can be applied in various use cases. One notable instance was a simulation involving a pool cleaning scenario, where the water physics generated were lauded as even superior to those in renowned games like Starfield. Additionally, we’ve seen impressive 3D AR/VR reconstructions that underscore the prowess of Zibra AI in empowering creators to realise their visions in the virtual world. Our community loves to share their first hand experiences using Zibra Effects. For example, game developer Lee Vermeulen’s social media videos earlier this year, showcasing Zibra Effects real-time liquid, smoke and fire simulations in AR have gone viral!

 

  • Lastly, reflecting on your role as the Co-founder and CEO of Zibra AI, what advice or insights would you share with aspiring entrepreneurs trying to get into the fields of AI and Gaming?

You need to embrace your passion for AI and/or gaming and stay relentlessly curious and up-to-date as both are ever-evolving fields. Much like the journey of a lifelong learner, remember that success often emerges from a foundation of persistence. Above all, stay true to your vision and persevere through challenges. Entrepreneurship and building a product/company should be an exciting journey. Try to keep this front of mind and enjoy the process through all the ups and downs.

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ProgressPlay brings forward the future of casino management with revolutionary AI

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Once again, casino and sports platform provider ProgressPlay are ahead of their time with a new wave of technology innovation that has helped the company to attend major shows during 2023 with soaring confidence based on pioneering proprietary technological advances that have featured strongly in annual awards shows.

The company’s future-centred thinking and ambitious AI product development attracted a raft of operators and partners attending last week’s SiGMA Europe in Malta. A raft of casino operators during the show had the opportunity to see firsthand ProgressPlay’s new tech which offers a comprehensive gaming management solution across multiple channels and products.

ProgressPlay’s enhanced iGaming platform provides operators with a powerful real-time AI-driven proprietary flow tool for optimising the performance of an online casino in a dynamic data ecosystem. Real-time player interaction provides compliance teams with the information to manage and interact with players.

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Last year, ProgressPlay undertook an ambitious reframe of their technology with new proprietary Responsible Gambling automation and tools at its heart. ProgressPlay’s new platform manages player accounts, payments, bonuses, loyalty programs, fraud prevention and games, using robust tools and analytics.

ProgressPlay Sales Manager Marina Nahhas said: “ProgressPlay’s innovative Responsible Gambling software covers topics like KYC, player activity, affordability levels, and a transparent audit trail. These topics resonate heavily with operators and we were delighted with the level of engagement around this revenue-critical activity during the week we spent in Malta.”

ProgressPlay’s combo sportsbook and comprehensive turnkey solution, including casino platform, player management, payments module, and affiliate software are designed to boost operators seeking to effectively drive both revenue and efficiency with the latest cutting-edge technology.

Over 150 online casino brands have partnered with ProgressPlay covering a unique combination of casino games and sports-betting. ProgressPlay’s sportsbook offers up to 40,000 live betting markets and services across 20 languages while the latest platform offers a slick AI-driven UI/UX, and extensive value-added services alongside thousands of casino games, including slots, online casino, live casino, poker, table games, and sportsbook, across all devices and currencies.

ProgressPlay CEO Itai Loewenstein said: “Commercial agreements are being driven by our breakthrough technology that enables deployment of our AI tools for greater efficiency and revenue-generation. SiGMA Europe has been the last stop in a busy year and we believe that since we first launched our new technology in London at the beginning of the year our sophisticated Responsible Gambling tool has quickly moved beyond the early-adopter stage.”

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SiGMA Europe 2023 in Malta: Slotegrator shares key insights

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Every year, SiGMA Europe gathers iGaming professionals together to connect, share insights, and sum up the year. This year, the event was visited by over 20,000 participants from over 100 countries. The Slotegrator team found the trip to be truly inspirational and is ready to share its insights.

SiGMA Europe was the best place to summarize the results of 2023. For Slotegrator, this year was dedicated to researching customers’ requirements and desires, players’ interests, and industry tendencies. Throughout the year, Slotegrator visited events in four huge iGaming markets – Africa, Asia, LatAm and Europe – to get a clear picture of what those markets are like.

At each of these events, the team gathered firsthand knowledge on how to improve Slotegrator’s flagship products and provide even better service to the company’s clients.

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At SiGMA Europe 2023 in Malta, the Slotegrator team presented new features of its turnkey online casino platform and the phenomenal mobile solution – Telegram Casino – which was first presented by Slotegrator in 2017 and updated in 2022.

Slotegrator’s top managers also had plenty of meetings with partners about the company’s APIgrator solution – a unique solution for the fast and seamless integration of online casino games into gambling platforms. The solution incorporates more than 15,000 various slots, card games, live dealer games, and virtual sports from 100 world’s leading developers. In 2024, Slotegrator will present to the market plenty of new partnerships with providers from different parts of the world.

“SiGMA Europe 2023 was a great event for our team, as usual. To gather in such a great place to meet partners, to summarize preliminary results of the year, to outline plans for the future – it was the right decision,” says Yana Khaidukova, Managing Director at Slotegrator.

Slotegrator mentions that the composition of the iGaming world is changing: new companies have already appeared and will continue to appear not only for occuping a part of the existing market, but they form new niches, as they come with new spectacular offers and solutions. It is the reason why the competition increases many times, and it gives the industry new directions of development.

As for providers, their number is increasing very rapidly. Small companies are growing into large ones, which shows the success of their solutions, and new companies come with fresh ideas, games and experience that players like.

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One trend that is only going to increase is the interest in crash games. Prominent studios are introducing new examples of fresh crash games. Leaders, who are already successful in this niche, such as Aviatrix, continue to modify their crash game and expand it into new markets and continue to win the hearts of new players by providing them with an amazing gaming experience.

According to the Slotegrator’s observations, many Asian companies took part in SiGMA Europe 2023, which suggests that the Asian vector will be very popular next year.

 

Here are some additional key insights from SiGMA Europe that the company will carry into next year:

  • Responsible Gaming is growing more and more important to players, operators, and regulators.
  • It’s essential to embrace innovation. New technologies can let operators offer players more choices and solve problems faster and more effectively.
  • Operators need to keep increasing their security and anti-fraud measures. Scammers are always on the lookout for new ways to defraud casinos, so operators need to try and stay a few steps ahead of them.
  • Players want to be a part of a community. Platform operators should create a welcoming atmosphere by offering features like multiplayer chats where players can connect with each other.
  • It’s essential that online casinos show loyal players their appreciation. Better bonuses can keep players coming back, as well as referral programs where players earn rewards for bringing in new leads.
  • Cryptocurrencies, NFTs, and blockchain tech in general are here to stay. Finding ways to integrate them can help you offer your players a better, more modern experience.
  • Player behavior should be constantly analyzed in order to identify trends and enhance player retention strategies.

 

As for the last point, Slotegrator is set to release internal reports on the state of the industry that provide an analysis of player behavior and predictions for the development of the industry in 2024. To be one of the first to receive the reports, subscribe to Slotegrator’s social media channel here.

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ABOUT SLOTEGRATOR

Since 2012, Slotegrator has been one of the iGaming industry’s leading software and business solution providers for online casino and sportsbook operators.

The company’s main focus is software development and support for online casino platforms, as well as the integration of game content and payment systems.

The company works with licensed game developers and offers a vast portfolio of casino content: slots, live casino games, poker, virtual sports, table games, lotteries, casual games, and data feeds for betting.

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Slotegrator also provides consulting services in gambling license acquisition and business incorporation.

More information: https://slotegrator.pro/

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Oddschecker Media Group expands Italian presence with SuperScommesse acquisition

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Oddschecker Global Media (OGM), a global technology company that offers the world’s leading odds comparison site and a betting destination for millions of users, has this week confirmed the acquisition of acclaimed Italian sports network SuperScommesse from Catena Media.
The deal sees OGM further expand into Europe’s second-largest betting market to consolidate its position as the country’s number-one sports betting advertising company, organically complementing its other media partnerships already operational with Gazzetta (La Gazzetta dello Sport) and DAZN, which leverage tens of millions of unique users and two popular TV shows between them.
SuperScommesse furnishes OGM with deep local expertise, featuring a team that has proven itself adept at driving sustained growth in the market, allied to a recognisable and trusted local-language brand. In addition, its tech stack and tools will deliver network efficiencies to the acquiring group’s brands in other markets, while OGM’s own technology will improve SuperScommesse’s services and fan engagement across a loyal customer base.
Stuart Simms, CEO of Oddschecker Media Group, said of the acquisition: “As the growth of sports betting in this sports-mad market continues apace, we wanted to double down on our presence in this key territory. We see SuperScommesse as the ideal strategic complement to our strong Italian footprint.
“We’re looking forward to servicing its customer base with an enhanced product that combines the Oddschecker DNA with its well-regarded brand name and local expertise in a market that still has huge growth potential as it builds out an online, cashless identity.
“This digital tide is only rolling one way, so the synergies are as obvious as they are natural: the Italian market allows for odds comparison as a consumer service, and we remain the pre-eminent odds comparison provider.”
This latest acquisition will further bolster the effectiveness of the Confido Network, a cutting-edge affiliate partnership network – which covers over 1,000 deals from 200+ global operators – announced by OGM earlier in November 2023.
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