Shockwave
Shockwave is in a16z speedrun SR005. Based in Los Angeles, California, United States of America. Team of 12, founded in 2024.
Facts
- Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- 12
- 2024
About Shockwave
Summary
Shockwave is a Los Angeles-based casual gaming platform that combines AI capabilities with deep gaming industry experience to build and deliver daily games at scale. Founded in 2024, the 12-person team operates across a broad range of genres — from word and puzzle games to action, strategy, and hidden object titles — targeting the large and growing casual gaming market. The platform emphasizes daily play habits, drawing on the popularity of games like Wordle as evidence that short, recurring game sessions have broad appeal well beyond traditional gamers. With approximately 180,000 daily active users and over $2 million in revenue, Shockwave appears to be gaining meaningful early traction in the space.
Business model
Shockwave operates on a subscription model, offering a paid membership tier that unlocks unlimited downloads, ad-free play, and early access to new titles for a recurring monthly fee. Free-to-play access serves as the top-of-funnel entry point, with the premium tier driving predictable recurring revenue.
Go-to-market
Shockwave targets a wide consumer audience that includes both casual players and non-gamers, appealing to anyone who enjoys short, habitual digital entertainment. The platform uses a direct-to-consumer model, acquiring players through its web destination and likely supplementing with social channels given its presence on Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook. Retention and monetization appear to center on converting free players into recurring subscribers through the value of exclusive content and an ad-free experience.
Founders (3)
- Bill Kara
- Erin Torbiak
- Rhys Jones
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