Social First
Social First is a Helsinki-based game studio that develops Nexus Station, a cross-platform free-to-play social sandbox MMO targeting Gen Z players, and operates GamerPay, a real-money marketplace for in-game assets, monetising through in-app purchases, marketplace commissions and planned Direct-to-Consumer payment services for game companies.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersHelsinki, Finland
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Social First does
Social First is a Helsinki-based Finnish game studio founded in 2021 that builds cross-platform social sandbox MMO games targeting Gen Z and long-term social engagement. Its core product is Nexus Station, a free-to-play social sandbox MMO launched in Early Access on mobile in December 2024 and on Steam in January 2025, featuring player-created worlds, crafting, trading, clan systems and a secondary real-money marketplace. The studio is led by veterans from Ubisoft, Rovio, Paradox, Nitro Games, Housemarque, EA, Remedy and Kukouri, with founders Kim Soares (CEO) and Mikko Kähärä (President) previously having co-founded Nitro Games and Kukouri Mobile Entertainment.
The company monetises primarily through freemium in-app purchases within Nexus Station, supplemented by marketplace commission revenue from GamerPay, a real-money trading platform for in-game assets acquired in November 2025. GamerPay currently facilitates Counter-Strike 2 skin trading and is positioned as a foundation for Direct-to-Consumer payment services offered to third-party game companies, bypassing traditional app store economics. Distribution channels include iOS App Store, Google Play, Steam and the gamerpay.gg web marketplace, with a community-led go-to-market strategy emphasising Discord, micro/nano influencer partnerships (showing 5x higher view-to-install ratios than mega influencers) and brand marketing over granular user acquisition.
Social First has raised $6.7M total disclosed funding across a $2.5M pre-seed (Play Ventures, 2022) and a $4.2M seed round (Crowberry Capital lead, August 2024), with the Finnish government-backed Business Finland also participating. The company holds acquired IP rights to Pixel Worlds and the Tiny Troopers franchise from Kukouri, providing both a transferable veteran community and an asset base that supports future product extension. A 20-person team operates from a headquarters in Teurastamo, Helsinki, with a broader multinational footprint spanning five European countries.
Social First firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Social First
- Legal name
- Social First Oy
- Website
- https://socialfirstgames.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Social First is a Helsinki-based game studio that develops Nexus Station, a cross-platform free-to-play social sandbox MMO targeting Gen Z players, and operates GamerPay, a real-money marketplace for in-game assets, monetising through in-app purchases, marketplace commissions and planned Direct-to-Consumer payment services for game companies.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Social First industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Social MMO Games
- NAICS
- Other Gambling Industries (713290), Amusement Arcades (71312)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Virtual Worlds & Social Sandbox Experiences (persistent social spaces) (MPAFAIAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Community Communications & Voice/Chat Platforms (Discord-like, in-game comms) (MPAFAIAE), Gaming Social Networks & Community Platforms (profiles, guilds, forums, discovery) (MPAFAIAD)
Keywords
Where Social First is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Helsinki
- HQ country
- Finland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Social First business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Free-to-Play In-App Purchases: Free-to-play model with in-game purchases for virtual items, currency, and content within Nexus Station. Players can buy virtual items and currency for use in games.
- Real-Money Item Trading (GamerPay): Marketplace commission from facilitating secure trading of in-game assets for real money. Currently supports Counter-Strike 2 skins, expanding to Nexus Station and other titles.
- Direct-to-Consumer Payment Services: Plans to build GamerPay into a service for game companies to provide in-app purchases outside traditional storefronts, creating new revenue opportunities.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free-to-play base game with optional in-app purchases |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Social First product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Social First develops and operates cross-platform social sandbox MMO games for mobile and PC, led by its flagship title Nexus Station which features player-created worlds, crafting, trading, clan systems, and player-driven economies. The studio also operates GamerPay, a real-money marketplace for trading in-game assets (currently Counter-Strike 2 skins) with verified transactions and plans to extend to additional gaming titles and Direct-to-Consumer payment services.
Product overview
Social First is a Finnish game studio that develops cross-platform social multiplayer and MMO games. Their primary product is Nexus Station, a social sandbox MMO launched in Early Access in December 2024. The company has expanded into real-money trading services through the acquisition of the GamerPay marketplace platform. They also hold acquired IPs for Pixel Worlds (retired) and Tiny Troopers franchise. Social First operates player-driven economies and secondary marketplaces for in-game item trading.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Nexus Station A cross-platform free-to-play social sandbox MMO where players create their own worlds, craft items, trade in player-driven economies, and collaborate in clans. Designed as both a game and a social platform for players to form lasting relationships. Targeted at mobile and PC gamers, predominantly Gen Z.
- GamerPay A real-money marketplace platform for trading in-game assets, currently operating for Counter-Strike 2 skins. Provides verified transactions and transparent pricing for secure item trading. Plans to expand to Nexus Station and other gaming titles and to become a Direct-to-Consumer payment service for game companies.
- Tiny Troopers Game franchise IP acquired from Kukouri Mobile Entertainment with multiple installments across mobile, PC, and consoles. Some titles are licensed to outside publishers and developers.
Quantifiable outcome
- 96% of players made new friends by playing previous titles
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Social First
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Social First technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Social First partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- GamerPaycoreAcquired real-money marketplace for in-game assets. Platform facilitates secure Counter-Strike 2 skin trading. Plans to expand to Nexus Station and other gaming titles, building comprehensive Direct-to-Consumer payment services.
- Kukouri Mobile EntertainmentsupportingAcquired IP rights to Pixel Worlds and Tiny Troopers franchises. Many Social First team members previously worked on these IPs at Kukouri. Pixel Worlds had tens of millions of players and one of the best online gaming communities.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Social First competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Roblox Corporation: Roblox is the dominant cross-platform social sandbox / UGC platform. It is the canonical comparison for Nexus Station's design thesis of a game that is also a social platform with persistent worlds and a creator economy.
- Jagex (RuneScape): Jagex operates RuneScape, a long-running persistent social MMO with player-driven economies and trading. Social First's leadership cites RuneScape as background experience, making it a relevant comp on long-tenure social MMO design and live ops.
Direct peers
- Rec Room: Rec Room is a cross-platform social sandbox with user-created rooms, crafting, and multiplayer gameplay. It directly mirrors Nexus Station's positioning as a game and a social platform spanning mobile, PC and consoles.
- Sulake (Habbo Hotel): Sulake operates Habbo Hotel, one of the longest-running persistent social virtual worlds with avatar-based socialization, room creation, and an economy. Social First's leadership explicitly references Habbo Hotel experience as background for Nexus Station.
- IMVU: IMVU is an avatar-based social virtual world with user-generated content, a creator economy, and a real-money item marketplace — overlapping with Nexus Station's social MMO + secondary marketplace model.
- Highrise (Pocketworld): Highrise is a mobile-first social virtual world with avatar-based rooms, user-generated worlds, and a creator-driven economy. It is the most direct mobile-first comparable to Nexus Station's mobile-first early access launch.
- Avakin Life (Lockwood Publishing): Avakin Life is a 3D social virtual world with avatar customization, social spaces, and an in-game economy. It overlaps with Nexus Station's positioning as a long-term social platform rather than a traditional game.
Emerging players
- Kukouri Mobile Entertainment (Pixel Worlds): Finnish studio that originally built Pixel Worlds, a cross-platform social MMO whose IP and community Social First acquired. It is the closest spiritual predecessor and serves as a useful benchmark for design, retention, and community dynamics.
- WOOOL (Woow): WOOOL is a mobile social MMO with player-created worlds and an in-game economy. It is an emerging player in the same cross-platform social sandbox category as Nexus Station, with comparable design pillars.
Regional players
- Rovio Entertainment: Rovio is a major Finnish mobile game publisher and a direct geographic peer — multiple Social First team members (including the co-founders) worked at Rovio-adjacent studios. It provides a useful comp on Nordic game-studio scaling and exit trajectories.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Social First social profiles
Digital presenceSocial First financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Social First leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Social First subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Social First funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Social First M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Social First
What does Social First do?
Social First develops and operates cross-platform social sandbox MMO games for mobile and PC, led by its flagship title Nexus Station which features player-created worlds, crafting, trading, clan systems, and player-driven economies. The studio also operates GamerPay, a real-money marketplace for trading in-game assets (currently Counter-Strike 2 skins) with verified transactions and plans to extend to additional gaming titles and Direct-to-Consumer payment services.
Is Social First a public or private company?
Social First is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed.
When was Social First founded?
Social First was founded in 2021. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Social First based?
Social First is headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, in the Europe region.
How does Social First make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Free-to-Play In-App Purchases are the primary driver. The others are real-Money Item Trading (GamerPay) and direct-to-Consumer Payment Services.
Who are Social First's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Roblox Corporation and Jagex (RuneScape). Direct peers are Rec Room, Sulake (Habbo Hotel), IMVU, Highrise (Pocketworld) and Avakin Life (Lockwood Publishing). Emerging players are Kukouri Mobile Entertainment (Pixel Worlds) and WOOOL (Woow). Rovio Entertainment is listed as a regional player.
Does Social First have an API?
No public API is recorded for Social First.
What industry is Social First in?
Social First's product category is Social MMO Games. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAFAIAG, Virtual Worlds & Social Sandbox Experiences (persistent social spaces), with a secondary code of MPAFAIAE, Community Communications & Voice/Chat Platforms (Discord-like, in-game comms). Its NAICS code is 713290 and its SIC code is 7900.