Cartridge
Cartridge provides onchain gaming infrastructure on Starknet, offering game studios an integrated stack — Controller wallet, Dojo Engine, Slot execution layer, and Arcade marketplace — for building verifiable, player-owned economies with real-money rewards.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2022
- HeadquartersBrooklyn, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Cartridge does
Cartridge is an onchain gaming infrastructure provider built on Starknet, offering game studios an integrated stack for deploying verifiable, player-owned economies with real-money rewards. Founded in 2022 in Brooklyn, the company operates with 1-10 employees and has raised $12.5M in total funding across a $5M seed round in August 2023 (co-led by Dune Ventures and Chapter One) and a $7.5M Series A in August 2024 (led by BITKRAFT Ventures with StarkWare, Fabric Ventures, Dune Ventures, Primitive Ventures, and Ergodic Fund participating).
The platform combines four core product layers: Controller (a game-native smart contract wallet and identity system using Account Abstraction with passkeys and session keys), Dojo Engine (a deterministic, composable onchain game engine with an ECS framework and tools including Sozo, Torii, and Katana), Slot (a real-time, provable execution layer with dynamic execution shards, Saya settlement orchestrator, and ZK proof settlement), and Arcade (a unified hub for game registration, publishing, and marketplace functionality). Supporting platform services include Paymaster (gas sponsorship), RPC endpoints ($5 per 1M requests beyond a 1M free monthly tier), and vRNG (atomic, verifiable randomness via EC-VRF on the Stark curve). In January 2026, Cartridge acquired Playmint to integrate Playerchain peer-to-peer consensus technology for real-time multiplayer capabilities.
Cartridge's business model combines usage-based infrastructure fees (RPC, Paymaster, Slot deployment) with platform services and potential revenue sharing from studios' player-owned economies and real-money reward rails. The company serves game studios building fully onchain games and autonomous worlds — notably Loot Survivor, Eternum, Jokers of Neon, Briq, Realms, and NUMS — through direct partnerships, developer self-service documentation, open-source community contributions, and an Arcade marketplace. Go-to-market is community-led, emphasizing developer relations, Discord/GitHub engagement, case studies, and education on onchain gaming patterns.
Cartridge firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cartridge
- Legal name
- Cartridge Gaming Company
- Website
- https://cartridge.gg
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2022
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Cartridge provides onchain gaming infrastructure on Starknet, offering game studios an integrated stack — Controller wallet, Dojo Engine, Slot execution layer, and Arcade marketplace — for building verifiable, player-owned economies with real-money rewards.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cartridge industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Blockchain Gaming Infrastructure
- akta.pro primary industry
- On-Chain Game Engines & Developer Tooling (SDKs, APIs, Unity/Unreal plugins) (FSAPAGAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Wallet Infrastructure (SDKs, Wallet-as-a-Service) (FSADACAD), In-Game Wallets, Stored Value & Virtual Currency Issuance (MPAFAJAB), Blockchain Game Studios & Game Development (FSAPAGAC)
Keywords
Where Cartridge is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brooklyn
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Cartridge business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Infrastructure Services: Cartridge provides infrastructure services including RPC endpoints, Paymaster sponsorship, and Slot deployment. Revenue appears to come from usage-based fees on these platform services, such as RPC pricing at $5 per 1M requests beyond the free tier.
- Platform Services for Studios: Platform services for game studios including Controller, Dojo Engine, reward rails, and analytics. Studios partner with Cartridge to build player-owned economies and real money rewards. Revenue model likely includes platform fees or revenue sharing from game economies.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Usage-based | Monthly | Free tier for RPC endpoints |
| Usage-based | Monthly | Paid RPC usage |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Cartridge product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cartridge provides infrastructure-as-a-service for verifiable onchain games and autonomous worlds built on Starknet. Its stack combines a game-native smart contract wallet (Controller), a deterministic onchain game engine (Dojo), a real-time provable execution layer (Slot), and platform services (Paymaster, RPC, vRNG) that game studios integrate via APIs, SDKs, and CLI tools to launch player-owned economies with real-money reward rails.
Product overview
Cartridge is an onchain gaming infrastructure platform providing a unified stack for studios building player-owned economies and real-money rewards. The platform combines a platform-plus-modules architecture built on Starknet: Controller serves as the game-native wallet and identity system with seamless onboarding; Dojo Engine provides the deterministic, onchain game engine for persistent worlds with composable systems; Slot delivers real-time, provable execution layers with zk proof settlement; Arcade offers a unified hub for game registration, publishing, and marketplace functionality; and platform services include Paymaster for gasless transactions, RPC endpoints for Starknet access, and vRNG for verifiable randomness. Starter Packs enable player onboarding and monetization through pre-configured asset bundles with cross-chain payment support.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Dojo Engine: Deterministic, onchain game engine where rules and state live on the network, providing composable systems for persistent worlds.
- Controller
- Slot
- Arcade
- vRNG
- Paymaster
- RPC
Products and services
- Controller A game-native smart contract wallet and identity system for Starknet that enables seamless player onboarding with passkeys, session keys for gasless transactions, and self-custodial embedded wallets. Used by game studios to provide identity, achievements, and monetization features including starter packs, booster packs, and an NFT marketplace.
- Dojo Engine A deterministic, composable onchain game engine where game rules and state live on the Starknet network. Provides an ECS framework, migration tooling (Sozo), real-time indexing (Torii), and a high-performance sequencer (Katana) so studios can build persistent worlds with transparent and verifiable state without rebuilding their tech stack.
- Slot
Quantifiable outcome
- 72% Day 7 retention rate for Loot Survivor with real money rewards
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Cartridge
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Cartridge technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration9 records
AI capability2 records
Feature8 records
Cartridge partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.
- PlaymintmajorAcquired UK-based onchain gaming studio. Playmint built The Crypt (first fully onchain co-op multiplayer game) and Downstream (autonomous world). Their Playerchain technology (peer-to-peer consensus) will be integrated into Dojo Engine.
- RealmscoreCo-created Dojo Engine together with Cartridge and Briq. Realms is a core user and contributor to the Dojo ecosystem, building persistent world games like Eternum.
- BriqcoreCo-created Dojo Engine together with Cartridge and Realms. Briq uses Cartridge Controller for player onboarding to onchain building blocks games.
- StarknetcoreCartridge's entire platform is built on Starknet Layer 2 blockchain. Uses STARK proofs for security and leverages Starknet's Account Abstraction for Controller wallet. Dojo is built specifically for Starknet.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Cartridge competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sequence (Horizon Blockchain Games): Sequence provides a Web3 gaming stack including wallet infrastructure, NFT commerce APIs, and developer tooling for studios building blockchain games. Like Cartridge, it targets game studios with an integrated infrastructure approach and is a direct competitor for studio developer relationships.
- Stardust: Stardust offers a Web3 gaming platform with wallet-as-a-service, NFT minting APIs, and player management tools for game studios. It directly competes with Cartridge's Controller and Arcade products in enabling onchain game economies.
- Beam (Merit Circle): Beam is a gaming-optimized L3 chain (built on Arbitrum) providing infrastructure, wallet, and marketplace services for onchain games. It competes with Cartridge's full-stack approach by offering its own chain with gaming-specific tooling.
- Xai Foundation: Xai is a gaming-specific L3 on Arbitrum with wallet infrastructure and developer tools aimed at AAA-style onchain games. It is a direct competitor targeting similar game studio customers with infrastructure and wallet offerings.
Broad incumbents
- Forte (Polygon Gaming): Forte (acquired by Polygon Labs) provides a comprehensive Web3 gaming platform with wallet, payment rails, and economy management tools. Backed by Polygon's resources, it competes with Cartridge across the full stack but operates on a different L2 ecosystem.
- Alchemy: Alchemy is the largest Web3 infrastructure provider, offering RPC endpoints, NFT APIs, and wallet tools across multiple chains. While not gaming-specific, its gaming-targeted products and scale position it as a broad incumbent that could encroach on Cartridge's specialized niche.
- Infura (Consensys): Infura is a leading Web3 infrastructure provider offering RPC endpoints, IPFS, and developer tools. As a broad incumbent with deep institutional relationships, it represents a competitive risk if it expands gaming-specific offerings.
- QuickNode: QuickNode is a multi-chain Web3 infrastructure provider offering RPC, APIs, and developer tools. As a broad incumbent with gaming-adjacent products, it competes for RPC and platform service revenue that Cartridge also targets.
Emerging players
- Pixels: Pixels is a Web3 farming/MMO game that built proprietary onchain infrastructure for its own player-owned economy. While primarily a game studio, its in-house wallet and economy tech represents a potential alternative for studios considering building on Cartridge.
- Sorare: Sorare is a Web3 fantasy sports platform with proprietary wallet infrastructure and marketplace. While vertical-specific to sports, its operating model of owned digital assets and real-money engagement offers insights into the regulatory and product model Cartridge's customers are pursuing.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Cartridge social profiles
Digital presenceCartridge financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cartridge leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Cartridge subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Cartridge funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors7 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cartridge M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cartridge
What does Cartridge do?
Cartridge provides infrastructure-as-a-service for verifiable onchain games and autonomous worlds built on Starknet. Its stack combines a game-native smart contract wallet (Controller), a deterministic onchain game engine (Dojo), a real-time provable execution layer (Slot), and platform services (Paymaster, RPC, vRNG) that game studios integrate via APIs, SDKs, and CLI tools to launch player-owned economies with real-money reward rails.
Is Cartridge a public or private company?
Cartridge is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Cartridge founded?
Cartridge was founded in 2022. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Cartridge based?
Cartridge is headquartered in Brooklyn, United States, in the North America region.
How does Cartridge make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Infrastructure Services are the primary driver. The others are platform Services for Studios.
Who are Cartridge's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sequence (Horizon Blockchain Games), Stardust, Beam (Merit Circle) and Xai Foundation. Broad incumbents are Forte (Polygon Gaming), Alchemy, Infura (Consensys) and QuickNode. Emerging players are Pixels and Sorare.
Does Cartridge have an API?
Yes. Cartridge RPC provides dedicated RPC endpoints for Starknet networks with built-in authentication and CORS support. Available on mainnet and Sepolia testnet. Supports API token authentication via Authorization header and domain whitelisting for browser-based applications. Free for up to 1M requests per month; additional requests charged at $5 per 1M requests. Also offers paymaster service for sponsoring transaction fees (gasless transactions) and vRNG service for verifiable randomness generation. CLI-based management for teams, policies, and monitoring. Developer documentation is at docs.cartridge.gg.
What industry is Cartridge in?
Cartridge's product category is Blockchain Gaming Infrastructure. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAPAGAB, On-Chain Game Engines & Developer Tooling (SDKs, APIs, Unity/Unreal plugins), with a secondary code of FSADACAD, Wallet Infrastructure (SDKs, Wallet-as-a-Service).