Launched in 2025<\/a>, Rise of Fearless is a free-to-play battle royale game based on Ethiopia\u2019s 1896 Battle of Adwa<\/a>, where players can choose avatars and weapons and compete in a peer-to-peer survival match. The game, available on Google Play Store and the App Store, has recorded over 15,000 total downloads, according to its founder, Kanessa Muluneh. <\/p>\n She said the investment marks a shift from experimenting with a gaming product to building a business capable of competing internationally.<\/p>\n \u201cLaunching a game is really not the hardest part,\u201d she told TechCabal in an October 27 interview. \u201cBut scaling it and competing with whatever is out there is definitely something I underestimated.\u201d<\/p>\n Under the financing arrangement, Muluneh said Rise of Fearless has one year to meet agreed performance milestones, including reaching 100,000 active players and completing significant technical improvements to the game. The company did not disclose its valuation and the precise terms under which Epic Edges would receive equity.<\/p>\n The milestone tied to the financing underscores a considerable leap from the game\u2019s current traction. Rise of Fearless has surpassed 15,000 total downloads, with its largest player communities in Nigeria, Ethiopia, and South Africa, according to Muluneh. Meeting the target would require not only attracting substantially more users but also retaining them as active players.<\/p>\n Muluneh is betting that international expertise and stronger marketing will drive growth as investor interest in Africa\u2019s gaming industry increases.<\/p>\n \u201cI did 15,000 [game downloads] by myself,\u201d she said. \u201cIf I can do that by myself, then no doubt that with a strong team and strong marketing plan we can easily get 100,000 in Africa.\u201d<\/p>\n The Rise of Fearless deal also highlights growing investor appetite for African-based gaming ventures and storytelling, even as developers grapple with converting player engagement into sustainable revenue.<\/p>\n In October, Vatar, the startup behind the viral Nigerian browser game Lagos Life, raised $500,000<\/a> in an angel round at a $10 million valuation, barely a week after its launch. The company is now reportedly seeking an additional $2.5 million<\/a> in pre-seed funding at a $15 million valuation, according to local publication Condia.\u00a0<\/p>\n Muluneh said she has financed most of Rise of Fearless\u2019s development herself. In the interview with TechCabal, she estimated spending nearly $2.8 million developing and promoting the game, which currently generates revenue only through advertising.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause I had to get it audited for the investment, I had to count how much money I basically spent on a monthly, yearly basis on this game, and we came close to $2.8 million,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd that\u2019s not just money for the development; there\u2019s also money for the marketing that I spent, for all the travelling to attend events, management team, social media, [and] community management. In hindsight, it wasn\u2019t necessary. I didn\u2019t have to spend that much. But this is the price you pay if you go in without a plan, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n Some of those costs accrued from mistakes during the game\u2019s early development, including changing development teams and failing to secure ownership of certain game assets, Muluneh said.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c76c7bbc41.mjedge.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/tc\/2026\/11\/Rise-of-Fearless-1024x576.webp\")
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<\/figure>Funding a gaming ambition<\/strong><\/h2>\n