12. Audiomob: the game-changing startup revolutionising in-game ads

Founders:  Christian Facey and Wilfrid Obeng
Year founded: 2019
Website: audiomob.com

Nothing takes you out of gameplay faster than being inundated with annoying adverts. And as it turns out, disruptive adverts are a lose-lose for advertisers too, with pop-ups driving users away, and preventing them from engaging with marketing content meaningfully. 

With in-game advertising unlikely to cease anytime soon, Audiomob aims to radically improve the user experience for gamers, by developing non-intrusive audio ads that blend seamlessly with gameplay. 

The business idea was first formed by Wilfred Obend and Christian Facey after they bonded over their mutual passion for mobile gaming at a Google Christmas party. What happened at the Xmas party, became a groundbreaking idea. Having realised the concept of non-intrusive in-game audio ads didn’t yet exist, they embarked on the mission to do something about it. 

Since Audiomob’s genesis in 2019, the company has since developed a patented volume detection technology that enables audio ads to play on iOS and Android devices, without interrupting the gaming experience for the user. 

The startup has also installed a clever volume detection feature that awards gamers if they raise their volume to above 30% when listening to ads, to maximise user engagement.

By bridging the gap between user experience and ad engagement in mobile games, these breakthroughs represent a win-win for both advertisers and gamers. 

Thanks to these successes, Audiomob has truly levelled up in recent years, with the company racking up a treasure trove of prizes in 2023, including a Business Elite Ward, and a Lloyds British Business Excellence Award to name a few. 

More recently, in 2024 (alongside appearing in that year’s Startups 100) the startup secured an exclusive partnership with Voodoo Gaming, the world’s largest game developer, cementing the startup as a leading force in the global gaming and advertising market. 

Audiomob has also introduced a unique Cost Per Install (CPI) model. A true game-changer for advertisers and developers, it allows them to run marketing campaigns more efficiently by solely paying for app installs, rather than clicks through to the app store.

As Audiomob sets its gaze on the future, the company is set on becoming a billion-dollar company in the next five years. And if Obeng and Facey’s track record is anything to go by, we don’t think they’re going to stop making noise anytime soon.