Jest, a disruptive marketplace for messaging-based games, is taking aim at the traditional app store duopoly by launching a developer-first platform that promises a 90% revenue share and a unique cross-game monetization model.
A New Financial Paradigm for Developers
The most compelling aspect of the Jest marketplace is its aggressive revenue model for developers: an impressive 90/10 split, with 90% of earnings going directly to the creators. This drastically undercuts the standard 30% commission fee imposed by traditional app stores, positioning Jest as a lucrative alternative for gaming studios looking to maximize their margins.
Leveraging Network Effects
“There’s also a clever network effect built in. If one studio acquires a user but another studio monetizes them, we split the economics: 70% to the monetizing studio, 20% to the acquiring studio, and 10% to Jest. This creates powerful incentives where even viral games that don’t monetize well can generate revenue streams for their developers when those users play other games on the platform,” Vitanov explained.
Industry Backing and Momentum
Jest has already secured buy-in from several notable development partners, including the teams behind popular titles such as “Episode,” “Puppy Mansion,” and “Kingdom Maker.” The startup’s recent seed funding round, led by Innovation Endeavors, is earmarked for scaling the platform’s infrastructure and accelerating the onboarding of new gaming studios.
Fueling Growth via the Games Fund
To further catalyze development, Jest has launched a dedicated Games Fund designed to support studios throughout various stages of franchise creation. The fund allocates capital across three distinct tiers: $1 million for flagship titles, $200,000 for mid-stage projects, and $40,000 to foster exploratory and experimental concepts.
Jest is currently live in the United States, with a strategic roadmap to expand into 14 additional countries by the third quarter of 2026.
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