S

stardust

PaaS for blockchain-enabled game development

Overview

Stardust builds a managed platform for game developers to add blockchain features to their games. It offers a PaaS that handles the infrastructure, APIs, and tooling needed to integrate blockchain elements such as digital asset ownership and secure transactions. The platform is blockchain-agnostic, supporting protocols like ERC-20, ERC-721, and ERC-1155, so developers can choose or switch blockchains as needed. It is designed to scale to millions of concurrent players, enabling mass adoption. Stardust earns revenue by charging developers for access to its infrastructure, tools, and support, and by offering user acquisition services to help games reach a larger audience. The goal is to democratize access to blockchain technology, making it easier for traditional game developers to build Web3-enabled games and connect Web2 players to decentralized features without dealing with complex setup.

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About stardust

Simplify's Rating
Why stardust is rated
C
Rated C on Competitive Edge
Rated C on Growth Potential
Rated C on Differentiation

Industries

Enterprise SoftwareCrypto & Web3Gaming

Company Size

11-50

Company Stage

Series A

Total Funding

$36.7M

Headquarters

Los Altos, CA

Founded

2018

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Simplify's take

What believers are saying

  • stardust.gg updated October 3, 2026, signaling an active product and commercialization push.
  • LinkedIn shows 11-50 employees, enough headcount for sales, engineering, and support.
  • Automated campaigns target high-value users, matching gaming studios' need for immediate ROI.

What critics are saying

  • The company pivoted from web3 gaming infrastructure to ad tech, alienating original customers.
  • Founder Canaan Linder stepped down in 2025, raising execution risk during repositioning.
  • AppLovin, Google Ads, and Meta own distribution; Stardust lacks durable channel control.

What makes stardust unique

  • Stardust’s AI engine runs 24/7, automating mobile campaigns across installs, purchases, and ROAS.
  • Invite-only beta funds qualified campaigns up to $20K, lowering adoption friction for games.
  • It supports Appsflyer, Adjust, Tenjin, and Singular, easing measurement integration across stacks.

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Funding

Total Funding

$36.7M

Above

Industry Average

Funded Over

5 Rounds

Notable Investors:
Series A funding typically happens when a startup has a product and some customers, and now needs funding to scale. This money is usually used to grow the team, expand marketing, and improve the product. Venture capital firms are frequently the main investors here.
Series A Funding Comparison
Above Average

Industry standards

$15M
$8.2M
$15M
$30M
$30M

Growth & Insights and Company News

6 month growth

2%

1 year growth

0%

2 year growth

-5%
Decrypt
Jul 17th, 2024
Stardust Launches Starbase For The Ultimate Celestial Gaming Experience

San Francisco, USA, July 17th, 2024, GamingWireWeb3 gaming infrastructure company, Stardust, today proudly introduces Starbase, a platform that combines the allure of consumer rewards with the excitement and inclusivity of social gaming. Starting today, gamers worldwide can enjoy Starbase’s dynamic universe of missions and challenges. In fact, players can immerse themselves in 25 different missions, with new partnerships and missions released weekly. The missions and challenges within Starbase are designed to help users earn Gems while playing some of the biggest games in web3 like Nifty Island, Cambria, Shrapnel, BloodLoop, and Habbo Hotel. Gems are a key component of Starbase’s larger rewards program, offering players incentives for their participation. Tony Valcarcel, Head of Marketing, at Shrapnel, says, “Shrapnel is excited to expand our relationship with Stardust and Starnet by integrating with their latest player engagement and acquisition tool, Starbase. Shrapnel Operators can earn bonus rewards when completing missions on Starbase. Starnet’s vision is a key building block in bringing the next billion players to web3 games and Shrapnel is excited to be part of this mission."Industry Outlook With an estimated $100 billion to be spent on user acquisition by 2027, gaming is one of the fastest-growing entertainment industries in the world. This massive market demands innovative solutions, and Starnet, the decentralized network that powers Stardust UA and Starbase, addresses this need by returning the value generated by ad networks like Facebook Ads and AppLovin back to the app developers.Ben, Founder of Cambria says, "We love what Starbase is doing - they have an incredibly slick and fun platform with a great reward structure for PLAYING GAMES! Starnet's vision is perfectly timed; traditional user acquisition is ripe for disruption, and Cambria is thrilled to contribute to this mission."Innovation in web3 is offering new opportunities in player engagement and community building

BlockchainGamer.biz
Jul 17th, 2024
Stardust launches games reward platform Starbase

US-based web3 infrastructure developer Stardust has launched Starbase, a new rewards-based social gaming platform.

PlayToEarn
Jul 17th, 2024
Stardust Launches Starbase for the Ultimate Celestial Gaming Experience

Stardust launches Starbase for the ultimate celestial gaming experience.

VentureBeat
Feb 15th, 2024
Stardust teams with Sui blockchain to simplify Web3 gaming onboarding

Stardust, a web3 gaming infrastructure and user acquisition service provider, has announced a seamless integration with Sui, a Layer 1 blockchain and smart contract platform, through a collaboration with Mysten Labs.

VentureBeat
Feb 15th, 2024
Stardust Teams With Sui Blockchain To Simplify Web3 Gaming Onboarding

Are you looking to showcase your brand in front of the gaming industry’s top leaders? Learn more about GamesBeat Summit sponsorship opportunities here. Stardust, a web3 gaming infrastructure and user acquisition service provider, has announced a seamless integration with Sui, a Layer 1 blockchain and smart contract platform, through a collaboration with Mysten Labs. This integration aims to enhance Sui’s Web3 gaming ecosystem by facilitating a straightforward onboarding process for game developers, thereby introducing new games and capabilities to the network. Sui bills itself as delivering the benefits of Web3 with the ease of Web2.Stardust’s full integration with Sui is designed to streamline the onboarding process for game developers. By leveraging Stardust’s infrastructure tools, developers can seamlessly launch their projects directly on the Sui platform. This approach simplifies the technical aspects of deployment, enabling creators to focus on crafting engaging and enjoyable gaming experiences rather than grappling with intricate technical processes.This collaboration marks a significant advancement for Sui’s gaming ecosystem, as it not only reduces barriers for developers but also enhances the overall user experience by introducing new games and capabilities to the network

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