Pure has raised $8 million in seed funding to expand its compliance-first platform for real-money peer-to-peer games. The financing was raised across multiple rounds led by Hidden Capital. Additional investors included MaC Venture Capital, Ludlow Ventures, Goodwater Capital, SignalFire, Z Fellows, Jake Brooks and Alex Pall.
Pure provides the payments, identity verification, compliance and game-integrity infrastructure needed for people to organize and participate in private real-money games with friends and verified communities.
The platform is designed to modernize online social gaming by replacing anonymous player pools and house-controlled systems with verified peer-to-peer communities. Users can find friends, join private groups, host games and manage funds through a single platform.
Pure is currently available through Apple’s App Store in selected U.S. markets, including New York, California and Texas.
The company said every Pure account is connected to a verified individual, helping communities establish greater trust and accountability. This identity-based approach is intended to reduce fraud, impersonation and other risks frequently associated with anonymous online gaming environments.
Pure operates under a rake-free model, meaning it does not take a percentage of every pot played on the platform. Traditional online poker platforms frequently generate revenue by deducting a fee, or rake, from each hand or tournament.
Instead, Pure plans to generate revenue through optional products and services such as learning tools, premium experiences, aesthetic upgrades and instant fund transfers. The company said this model aligns its incentives more closely with players because its revenue does not depend on how much users lose during gameplay.
The platform is supported by an integrated wallet that enables players to deposit, manage and transfer funds. Pure works with a network of financial technology and payment infrastructure providers to power onboarding, identity verification, compliance and transaction processing.
Its infrastructure partners include Aeropay, Apple, Checkout.com, Gr4vy, Finix, Plaid, Pay, Radar and Slash.
These integrations are intended to create a more seamless experience while helping Pure meet the regulatory and operational requirements associated with real-money gaming and financial transactions.
Pure is positioning itself as an infrastructure provider for skill-based peer-to-peer games rather than a conventional online casino. The company’s platform is designed to enable participants to play against each other instead of competing against the house.
The company believes social gaming has moved away from its community-driven origins as many online platforms have prioritized anonymous matchmaking, high-volume play and the promotion of casino products.
Pure’s founders want to restore the social nature of games by giving users tools to create private networks where participants know or can verify the people with whom they are playing.
The company also uses cryptographically secure randomization to deal cards. This technology is intended to make outcomes unpredictable and help protect the integrity of each game.
Pure has also developed AI-powered tools designed to identify bots, collusion and suspicious behavior. These systems can help communities recognize activity that may indicate coordinated cheating, automated play or other violations.
Combining identity verification with automated monitoring gives Pure additional information that can be used to evaluate player behavior and protect users.
The platform was co-founded by CEO Jacob Bulbulia and CTO Harold Castiaux. Its founding team also includes Maximo Jalife and Fernando Notari, who attended Columbia University with the founders and previously worked at Goldman Sachs.
Founding designer Jessie Kil has led the development of Pure’s social experience, drawing inspiration from the community-oriented features that have shaped modern multiplayer video games.
Founding engineer Florian Deroo has overseen the development of Pure’s real-time multiplayer infrastructure, which is designed to support secure and reliable games at scale.
The multidisciplinary team brings experience across financial services, gaming, design and engineering. Pure believes that combining these capabilities is necessary to build a platform that can simultaneously handle gameplay, payments, identity, community management and regulatory requirements.
The company plans to use the new funding to accelerate product development and expand its engineering and compliance teams.
Pure will also invest in strengthening its payments infrastructure and supporting growth across the U.S. markets where the platform is available.
As real-money social gaming expands, Pure believes compliance and payment infrastructure will become increasingly important. Platforms must verify users, process funds securely, prevent prohibited activity and maintain trust between participants while navigating different state-level rules.
Pure’s approach is designed to bring these functions together in one system rather than requiring game developers and community operators to assemble separate providers for each capability.
Over time, the company may be able to extend its infrastructure to additional peer-to-peer games and communities beyond its initial offering.
By building around verified identities, rake-free gameplay and player-controlled communities, Pure aims to establish a new category of online gaming focused on trust, transparency and social interaction.
KEY QUOTES:
“Gaming has always been a social thing, but somewhere along the way, the online experience lost that foundation. We’re building infrastructure that brings games back to its roots by giving players a trusted, transparent and compliant way to play with friends and communities across the United States. Our goal is to create an experience where trust, fairness and social experiences come first.”
Jacob Bulbulia, Co-Founder and CEO of Pure
“Historically, online game solutions were built to maximize rake and transition players to house-backed casino games. We intentionally built an infrastructure layer for games to enable the game to be played as it was intended to be played, socially. We are combining identity verification, payments, compliance and game integrity into a seamless experience.”
Harold Castiaux, Co-Founder and CTO of Pure
“Pure created a fundamentally different approach to online gaming. The team recognized that trust, compliance and financial infrastructure are becoming increasingly important as social gaming continues to evolve. Their platform addresses longstanding challenges in the market while creating a safer and more transparent experience for players, which is why we are excited to support the company’s growth.”
Adrian Fenty, Managing General Partner at MaC Venture Capital
