A new gaming marketplace called Jest has launched with $7 million in seed funding, aiming to disrupt the traditional app store model by allowing users to play games directly within their messaging apps. The platform, which emerged from stealth in late 2025, leverages the growing adoption of Rich Communication Services (RCS) technology to embed games in chat threads.
Jest's CEO and co-founder, Deyan Vitanov, told TechCrunch that the platform taps into the messaging inbox, which he describes as "the stickiest surface on mobile." The company's strategy comes as mobile game downloads decline, with 2025 seeing 39.4 billion downloads—an 8.6% year-over-year drop following a similar decline from 2023 to 2024, according to data from Appfigures.
Superior Engagement and Economics
Early results from Jest's beta phase, which concluded in January 2026, are promising. The platform recorded over 1,000,000 messaging games played and more than 300,000 messages exchanged within just four months. Vitanov claims the platform sees "3-4 times better retention than traditional mobile apps."
For developers, the revenue model is a significant draw. Jest offers a 90/10 revenue split, with the vast majority of earnings going directly to the game studios. This contrasts sharply with the standard 30% commission taken by major app stores like those operated by Apple and Google.
"We’ve completely validated that people will sign up and play games through messaging," Vitanov said, noting that early partners report 30-60% lower user acquisition costs compared to traditional mobile apps.
A Network Effect for Developers
Jest has engineered a unique cross-studio incentive system. If one studio acquires a user who later plays and monetises on a game from another studio, the revenue is shared: 70% goes to the monetising studio, 20% to the acquiring studio, and 10% to Jest.
"This creates powerful incentives where even viral games that don’t monetise well can generate revenue streams for their developers," Vitanov explained. The platform has already attracted development partners behind popular titles including "Episode," "Puppy Mansion," and "Kingdom Maker."
Funding and Expansion Plans
The $7 million seed round was led by venture capital firm Innovation Endeavors. The capital will be used to scale the platform and onboard its first cohort of gaming studios.
To further spur development, Jest has launched a dedicated Games Fund with three investment tiers: $1 million for flagship titles, $200,000 for promising mid-stage titles, and $40,000 for exploratory projects.
Currently live only in the United States, Jest is planning a significant international expansion. The company is set to launch in 14 additional countries by the third quarter of 2026, capitalising on the global rollout of RCS, which by May 2025 was already supporting over a billion messages daily in the U.S. alone.