Netflix buys Estonian Ready Player Me

The American company Netflix has acquired the Estonian platform Ready Player Me, specializing in the creation of digital avatars for games and virtual worlds. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it is known that the Ready Player Me team, numbering about 20 employees, will completely transfer to the Netflix Games division.

Netflix plans to use the Estonian startup's development tools and infrastructure to create avatars that will allow subscribers to transfer their personalities and fan preferences between different games.

This is an exit for a16z, Endeavor, Konvoy Ventures, Plural, and various business angels, including the co-founders of companies such as Roblox, Twitch, and King Games, who have invested $72M in Ready Player Me in 2021-2023.

Ready Player Me (formerly Wolf3D, originally Wolfprint 3D) was founded in Estonia in 2014 by Rainer Selvet, Haver Järveoja, Kaspar Tiri, and Timmu Tõke. The company is known for a platform that allows users to create a single avatar that can be used in multiple games and applications at once.

Netflix, Inc. is an American entertainment company and streaming service for movies and TV series. It was founded on August 29, 1997 by Reed Hastings and Mark Randolph. The headquarters is located in Los Gatos, California.

Founded in 2022 by Estonian entrepreneurs Sten Tamkivi, Taavet Hinrikus, Ian Hogarth, and Khaled Helioui, Plural focuses on leading early-stage rounds between €1M and €10M. In 2023, a new partner, AI-driven biotech HelixNano founder, and VC investor Carina Namih joined Plural. The fund has its own rule that requires all of Plural's partners to make personal co-investments in the deals they lead.