SLAY: Building a Social Gaming Platform Focused on Positivity

Today, we’re excited to share our continued partnership with SLAY as the company announces its Seed round.

Our relationship with SLAY began in 2022 when we first met with Fabian, Jannis and Stefan in Berlin. They were the driving force behind the SLAY App, a “positive social media network for teenagers” that quickly conquered the No. 1 spot on the German iOS App Store. The team aimed to reset the teen relationship with social apps, by re-balancing things away from the negative sentiments on social platforms. From our first meeting, it was clear that they embodied the exact qualities Accel looks for in consumer founders:

• An obsession with high-quality products that bring people together
• A commitment to pushing data-driven iteration to the extreme 
• An ability to consistently and relentlessly operate at the extra gear 

At Accel, we’ve been fortunate to partner with some of the most iconic consumer and gaming companies, including Bumble, Meta, Sorare and Supercell. And despite more recent headwinds such as Apple’s IDFA policies and post-pandemic usage normalization, we remain confident that founders who manage to blend social and gaming together will be able to craft generational products that change the way people play, connect and create. Headwinds level the playing field and, more than ever before, high-quality products will continue to create their own opportunities. 

SLAY exemplifies this belief and the team is dedicated to building a multi-product studio focused on positive social gaming experiences that bring people together and unleash their creativity. With four apps (and many more to come), 2.5 million monthly active users and over 10 million downloads, SLAY’s impressive early user metrics underscore the team’s deep understanding of their target audience and commitment to exceptional product development.

The team’s standout title, Pengu, allows users to raise digital pets, play engaging minigames, and connect with friends and loved ones. Recognizing the potential for a user-generated content (UGC) platform, SLAY is enhancing Pengu to introduce a customizable experience powered by AI features and robust communication tools. This platform will also enable other developers to create and own content within the Pengu universe, unlocking an ecosystem of third-party creators.

We’re thrilled to support and work together with the SLAY team on the next phase of their journey!