RedCore at SIGMA Rome 2025: Investing in the future

This early November, industry leaders will gather at SiGMA Central Europe to discuss key trends and technologies that are changing the market. Experts from RedCore’s investment division talk about where the industry is headed, which projects are currently the most promising, and how the right investment support can speed up the path from MVP to a successful business.

iGaming: From product innovation to a systematic approach

The iGaming market is undergoing a fundamental transformation. Traditional approaches to game development and operator management are giving way to comprehensive solutions where analytics, personalization, and gamification create a better user experience.

Today, it is not enough to simply create a high-quality gaming product; it is important to understand how it will fit into the operator’s infrastructure, how it will interact with other elements of the platform, what data it will generate, and how this data can be used to improve the user experience. RedCore’s investment division is looking for projects that not only make good slots or live games, but also understand the entire value chain, from game mechanics to user pattern analytics.

RedCore pays particular attention to startups capable of working at the intersection of different areas: gaming providers with their own analytical solutions, content management platforms with gamification elements, and tools for optimizing game balance based on machine learning.

Andrei Alexandrov, Investment Portfolio Manager at RedCore: “One of the biggest challenges for iGaming startups is scaling into new markets while taking into account local regulations and audience preferences. The expertise that an investor can provide is critical here. The RedCore business group operates in international markets and has brands and technologies in its portfolio that shape an innovative approach to the industry.  The investment division can provide not only project financing, but also real market testing, assistance with licensing, product adaptation, and building partnerships with operators.

The project also receives access to RedCore’s portfolio brands and products, which become catalysts for rapid growth and scaling. We provide startups with access to the business group’s internal resources in all areas, from technological infrastructure and analytical platforms to marketing channels and teams of specialists. This is not just advice from the outside, but real operational support.”

AI and Web3: Game-changing technologies

Artificial intelligence is no longer just a buzzword; it has become an essential tool for any serious technology business. Generative AI, large language models, predictive analytics, process automation — all of these are no longer the future, but the present reality of competitive struggle.

Oleksandr Briukhovetskyi, Investment Portfolio Manager at RedCore, notes a clear division of AI startups into two categories in 2025: those who make AI for AI (beautiful demos without a clear business model) and those who solve real business problems using AI. The investment sector is interested in the second category. For example, systems that automate content production for real-time marketing campaigns, or platforms for predictive modeling of user behavior that actually increase conversion rates by 20–30%, rather than just generating attractive graphics.

Of particular interest is the intersection of AI with other trends such as Web3, asset tokenization, and decentralized data management systems. An example of a new business paradigm is a gaming platform where players own their data via blockchain, and AI personalizes their experience without centralized information storage. Or a marketing platform where advertisers pay content creators directly through smart contracts, and AI optimizes budget allocation in real time. This is not fantasy anymore; such projects are emerging, and RedCore is actively working with them.

“Market entry strategy is becoming a critical aspect for AI startups. Many teams create impressive technologies but don’t understand how to sell them. One of the main pain points for AI startups is the transition from MVP to actual sales. The technology may be outstanding, but if the team doesn’t understand who their customer is, how to build a sales pipeline, or how to position the product, they get stuck in the pilot stage. RedCore assists not only with funding, but also with expertise in GTM strategies, building partnerships, and forming communities around the product. For B2B AI products, this is often more important than the capital itself,” emphasizes Oleksandr Briukhovetskyi.

MarTech: From buying clicks to personalized marketing

The MarTech industry is undergoing a new wave of development, and it’s not just about the hype surrounding AI. The logic itself is changing: traffic purchasing, hypothesis testing, attribution, and remarketing are being rebuilt around specific users, their behavior patterns, and preferences, rather than just channels. Personalized marketing is coming to the fore, where the funnel is not a media buyer’s lucky guess, but a customized offer at just the right moment.

“The era of hyper-personalization is dictating a change in investment strategy. Businesses are joining forces in collaboration: for example, a game development provider launches campaigns together with a casino, jointly allocating budgets and sharing data to improve customer service. Arbitrage teams use effective funnels not just based on traffic purchases, but interacting with product solutions. These are no longer webmasters, but business partners with new models of interaction and monetization. Service agencies, like SEO, offer new Generative Engine Optimization services. Today, it is possible to be represented in ChatGPT responses so that users perceive the information as their own discovery. We are looking for partners for whom personalization is an operating system for growth,” says Iryna Yeromenko, Investment Portfolio Manager at RedCore.

What makes RedCore a unique investor?

In the increasingly competitive investment market, it is becoming more important to have not just capital, but also innovative projects and flexible approaches. It is important for startups not only to obtain financing, but also to find partners who can truly help them build their business.

Ihor Denysov, COO Investments at RedCore: “Most typical investors give money and wait for results. RedCore works in a totally different way — it’s not just capital, it’s a comprehensive infrastructure for growth. The investment division has an operational business group with real companies that can become the first customers or partners of a startup. We offer legal, financial, and marketing expertise and support. RedCore can help with hiring key specialists, entering regulated markets, and scaling infrastructure.

Importantly, our Portfolio Managers are themselves expert practitioners in their domains. They are not financiers who only look at numbers. They don’t just allocate investments; they actively support each project, share their expertise, help avoid typical mistakes, and find non-standard solutions. This is personal mentoring from professionals who understand the specifics of the industry from the inside.”

This approach is especially important for early-stage projects that need not only financial support but also operational assistance. 

Ihor Denysov explains the difference in operating models: the classic venture path goes like this: a startup raises a round of funding, spends a year searching for product-market fit, spends its capital, and raises another round. RedCore has a different model: its investment division helps find PMF in 3–6 months because it provides access to real customers, real traffic, and real data. This radically accelerates time-to-market and reduces risks. For founders, this means they can focus on product development rather than survival.

RedCore’s investment division is also actively working to expand its network of partnerships and increase its visibility in the technology community. 

“It is important for founders of iGaming and AI startups, Web3 projects, and MarTech solutions to know that RedCore is not just capital, it is a partner with deep expertise and real resources for growth,” emphasizes Ihor Denysov.

What can you expect from SIGMA Rome?

SIGMA Rome is expected to become one of the key platforms for networking and exchanging ideas in the industry. RedCore Investments plans to actively participate with a focus on three areas: iGaming innovations, AI and Web3 technologies, and MarTech solutions.

SIGMA Rome is an excellent opportunity to learn about new projects, exchange experiences with industry colleagues, and understand where the market is heading. The investment team will be happy to meet with startup founders and representatives of existing businesses in focus areas, discuss opportunities for cooperation, and share their vision of trends. We are always open to interesting encounters and new ideas, as conferences of this scale bring together a wide variety of projects, and each meeting can open up new perspectives.

For startups that want to meet the RedCore team at SIGMA Rome, this is an opportunity not only to get feedback on their project, but also to learn what the process of working with the investment division looks like from the inside.

For many founders, the process of obtaining investment is something incomprehensible and frightening. The goal of the RedCore Investments team is to make this process as transparent and effective as possible. At SIGMA, the team is ready not only to listen to pitches, but also to provide specific feedback: what is strong about the project, what needs to be worked on, what risks the investment division sees, and what opportunities exist. Even if the investment does not happen immediately, the startup team will gain a clear understanding of how to improve their project and who to turn to for support. And that’s not the end of the dialogue — Portfolio Managers continue to stay in touch with promising teams, and after reviewing the feedback and demonstrating the project’s progress, the Investments team is ready to return to negotiations and move on to a detailed discussion of the terms of investment and strategic partnership. This approach makes every meeting a valuable experience for a startup, regardless of the outcome.

Meet the RedCore team at SIGMA Rome

Our investment team will be at SIGMA Rome from November 3 to 6, 2025. Find us at stand 1045G if you are working on innovative solutions in MarTech, AI/ML, analytics and growth technologies, iGaming, and Web3.

RedCore invests in scalable projects that transform the industry. Present your project to the investment team — we are ready to discuss partnership opportunities and help you reach the next level of development. 

Book a meeting with the Investments team and visit stand 1045G. We look forward to learning about your project and discussing how RedCore can help you implement and scale it.