Anichess, a subsidiary of Animoca Brands Corporation Ltd, has successfully raised US$1.8 million in a funding round to advance its chess-based strategy game.
The investment was led by Sfermion and Amber Group, with contributions from Fenbushi Capital, Aspen Digital and SNZ Capital, among others. This funding will support further game development, marketing efforts and team expansion.
More than half a million users
Developed in collaboration with Chess.com and endorsed by Magnus Carlsen, a five-time World Chess Champion, Anichess is designed to revolutionise the traditional game by integrating unique spell-based strategies. This approach has already attracted more than half a million users.
Since its inception, Anichess has launched several features to enhance player engagement, including player-versus-environment daily chess puzzles in January 2024, which now boasts more than a million registered players.
Additionally, the Season 1 leaderboard, which began on March 11, ranks players based on their performance in daily puzzles and their collection of Orbs of Power.
The game, which is free to play, can be accessed at www.anichess.com, with more updates available on its Discord server and X page. Anichess's integration of Web3 technologies promises to bring a fresh dynamic to the ancient game, making it accessible and engaging for a new generation of gamers.
Sfermion general partner Dan Patterson said: “We’re excited to support Animoca Brands and Chess.com with the roll-out of Anichess, which represents an exciting foray into Web3 gaming for the timeless and global classical game.
“The future of gaming is community-driven and player-owned, and we believe that, with Chess.com’s existing community of 150m+ players and Web3 communities such as Mocaverse, Anichess has the potential to onboard tens of millions of players into that future.
“With the added strategic components and esports-like elements, Anichess aims to keep things fresh by building for the gamers who yearn for the hardest challenges. We’re looking forward to working closely with the team and onboarding countless more into Web3 gaming.”
Refreshing take on classic game
Amber Group managing partner Annabelle Huang added: "Anichess represents a refreshing take on one of the most classic games cherished by many generations and we are proud to support the team in realising their vision of delivering an engaging, community-centric and decentralised player experience.
“The enthusiastic response to the debut of spell chess puzzles is a testament to the team's execution capability and we look forward to the release of the main game later this year."
Animoca Brands co-founder and executive chairman Yat Siu said: “With its popularity, accessibility, and incredible strategic depth, chess is a classic game that has stood the test of time.
“One of the benefits of a game whose appeal is measured in centuries is the sophistication and passion of its community, and we are thrilled for Anichess to showcase our new and updated interpretation of the game of kings in partnership with Chess.com.”