Investment fund Waterhouse VC secures option in Maincard

Waterhouse VC, an investment fund specializing in gambling technology, has secured an option in Maincard. The platform, described in a press release as a "Shopify of online betting", targets the launch of fully customisable licensed online betting sites in under 30 minutes.

"Maincard targets the $1 trillion iGaming market by replacing months of development work, cumbersome licensing, and complex integrations with a subscription-style workflow," a press release describes the platform. "Crypto-native founders, influencers, and digital communities can spin up branded betting sites, monetise their audiences, and retain full upside ownership from day one."

The investment aligns with Waterhouse VC's approach of identifying promising B2B technology companies serving the wagering industry and negotiating options to acquire stakes in these businesses, the fund said in a statement.

"iGaming still suffers from high startup costs and significant technical and regulatory friction," said Tom Waterhouse, Chief Investment Officer of Waterhouse VC. "We're seeing strong potential in platforms that can streamline development, similar to how Shopify revolutionised e-commerce. The sector is ripe for innovation that allows new entrants to focus on player acquisition and retention rather than backend development."

"Waterhouse VC's deep domain knowledge and network will accelerate our go-to-market," said Valerii Makovetskii, Founder and CEO of Maincard. "We've developed strong technical foundations with our crypto-friendly payments gateway already powering third-party casinos. The next step is to make launching a betting site as easy as launching an online storefront."

The Maincard platform seeks to empower the launch of betting sites in under 30 minutes through a drag-and-drop, no-code required approach. End-to-end compliance is part of the package, with licensing, KYC/AML, fraud, payments, customer support, and marketing handled by Maincard. Lastly, the platform also provides 15,000+ casino games & 1,000+ sportsbook markets out of the box.

Maincard is currently raising $3 million to scale its sales team and launch multiple brands from the waiting list by the end of Q3 2025.

The company has developed an iGaming ecosystem including a crypto casino on the TON blockchain, crypto wallet, and a crypto-friendly payments gateway for betting sites. "Maincard aims to transform access to the iGaming industry, allowing anyone to quickly launch and monetise online betting sites without technical expertise," according to its mission.