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FTDx was announced as the winner of the Xanada Startup Contest by Xanada Investments, a fund investment initiative. FTDx won the top spot for their outstanding innovation within the gambling industry.
In this interview, Vladimir Malakchi shares his perspective on the achievement. Bjorn Nilson is the CEO and cofounder of FTDx.
Vladimir Malakchi is the CEO and Managing Partner at Xanada Investments.
What key factors stood out about their solution that aligned with Xanada Investments’ vision?” What were the key aspects of their solution that aligned well with Xanada Investments vision ?”?
VM This year, the Xanada Startup Contest received nearly 250 applications from around the globe. There was a wide range of innovative ideas, from AI-driven engagement to gamification. FTDx’s solution was practical and effective, which made it stand out. They have tackled a major issue in iGaming – what to do about traffic that does not convert, because it comes from areas operators ignore. The system converts this missed opportunity into revenue, while encouraging new deposits.
FTDx’s idea was backed by real numbers and an excellent strategy. The solution is not just a simple one, but it’s scalable and provides value to operators. That’s exactly the kind of project we look for at Xanada Investments-solutions that deliver results and create meaningful change in the industry.
Xanada Investments is known for its support of scalable solutions. What is your assessment of the scalability and competitive advantage that FTDX has over other monetization systems in the market due to its technology?
VMScalability is a major factor when evaluating projects at Xanada Investments. FTDx’s lightweight and adaptable platform has proven to be a solid foundation for growth. Its seamless integration into operators’ systems, and its focus on revenue generation in real time make it the ideal platform for scaling across different regions.
FTDx has a major advantage in efficiency. It captures the value of active users during live sessions and reduces the need for expensive re-engagement strategy. This cost-effective method works in markets that have a variety of tech infrastructures, such as those with high mobile traffic, but limited resources. It allows FTDx access to a larger audience.
Platform’s data-driven architecture supports continuous optimization. Operators can refine their strategies using real-time insights. FTDx’s adaptability helps it remain competitive in an industry that is rapidly changing. FTDx’s proactive and scalable monetization tools offer operators a reliable way to drive revenue in a variety of global markets.
How do you see FTDX developing in the future with Xanada Investments’ support? What role do the team’s skills play in ensuring that these growth plans are executed successfully?
VM With Xanada’s support, FTDx will be able to expand and develop their platform in order to meet the increasing demands of the iGaming industry. FTDx will benefit from our resources and strategic network to help them enter new markets. This is especially true in Latin America and Europe, where the demand for real-time, gamified engagement solutions has been on the rise. Xanada will play a role that is not just financial, but also advisory. We’ll work with FTDx closely to refine their approach and grow their operations.
FTDx’s expertise is an asset to executing growth plans. They have extensive experience in data analytics, monetization and market research. This allows them to understand the needs of the market and develop a specific approach for meeting those demands. They can use their technical and strategic knowledge to create solutions that are both innovative and practical. It is their ability to adapt and anticipate industry trends that makes them a valuable asset. They can meet evolving customer expectations while delivering on results.
FTDX’s desire to deliver measurable results, whether it is through immediate revenue generation or user retention over the long term, aligns with Xanada’s vision of sustainable growth. FTDx can leverage our expertise and network to expand into new markets while continuing to innovate. Together, we see FTDx as a leader not only in iGaming monetization, but also a standard-setter in efficiency and effectiveness of player engagement solutions.
Bjorn Nielsson comments on FTDx winning the Xanada Startup Contest
Congratulations on your win! What was the strategic reason for your participation in the Xanada Startup Contest? And what benefits do you expect from this victory in terms of future development?
BN : Thank you very much. I’ve participated in other startup contests, including with Triggy. We didn’t win, but we did make it to the top 10, which was a valuable experience for our company’s growth. Contests like this sharpen your skills, as I said in my podcast with Vladimir Malakchi. Competition is the best way to improve yourself. I am a former sportsperson and know this from experience. Participating in a competition, whether you win or lose, forces you to improve your pitch, clarify and solidify your marketing plan.
In addition to this, I enjoy the excitement of competition.
Your product is a unique way to monetize global visits. What motivated you to create FTDx? What challenges in the market did you identify which led you to develop this solution?
BN My co-founder Fredrik Selin and I were both active in a number of areas, but primarily the affiliate business, when we met Jon Bowden, CMO at the New Jersey-regulated PlayStar casino. Jon Bowden told us that PlayStar received a lot of traffic from other states than New Jersey. He asked if we could suggest ways to use this traffic. We were intrigued and promised to look into the matter further.
We analyzed data on traffic from brands of all sizes using tools such as Similarweb and Ahrefs. We were shocked to discover that there is a huge amount of “lost traffic” out there. Every month, millions of visitors end up on blocked 403/404 pages. This represents a huge untapped resource.
This issue would not have existed ten years ago. In the past, being “global” meant that you were online. However, due to increased regulation and competition, operators now have to specialize and dominate local market in order for them remain relevant. This leads to excess traffic in markets where the operator is not active. FTDx can unlock the hidden value in this traffic, and convert it into new revenue streams.
What do you think of the FTDx Solution based on the experiences of your clients? What positive effects did you notice from the implementation of your solution on their traffic volume?
BN Although we are still in the early stages of our journey with real clients, so far the results have been very promising. In the last three months, for example, traffic blocked from our biggest client generated more than 8,000 new accounts. These are traffics that would otherwise have gone unnoticed.
We have seen a significant increase in relevant traffic on their target markets when we enable traffic exchanges. This allows clients to receive traffic blocked by other operators. We’ve always emphasized that one of the best side effects is the way operators start to realize the value of branding. They begin to realize that the reach of their marketing efforts extends far beyond their main focus markets, and thanks to FTDx they can now monetize this extended reach.
