Pole To Win
Pole To Win, operating globally as 'Side', is a private B2B game development services firm providing co-development, QA, art, audio, localization, player support, and datasets to more than 20 tier-1 video game publishers and developers across Europe, North America, and Asia-Pacific.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersLarkspur, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Pole To Win does
Pole To Win operates globally under the 'Side' brand as a subsidiary of Pole To Win Holdings (Tokyo-headquartered parent), delivering outsourced game development services to video game publishers and developers. The company offers nine interconnected service modules: Game Development, Quality Assurance, Art Production, Localization, Audio Production, Player Support, Localization QA, Datasets, and IT Services, covering the full lifecycle from concept through live operations. It maintains a multi-region delivery footprint with offices in London, Paris, Braga, Tokyo, and Taipei, and serves a roster of more than 20 tier-1 gaming enterprises including EA, Ubisoft, Sony Interactive Entertainment, Disney, Riot Games, Bethesda, Square Enix, Sega, CD Projekt RED, Epic Games, and Zynga.
The business runs on a B2B professional services model priced via quote-based engagements, with services delivered through dedicated teams working alongside client studios. Its technical breadth spans all game genres and platforms, and it has begun positioning around AI-adjacent opportunities through a Datasets service for machine learning training data. Two acquisitions (5518 Studios in 2021 and Ghostpunch Games in 2024) and a 2024 corporate rebrand to the Side identity mark an explicit shift from QA-led vendor to full-cycle co-development partner. The company is private, with Teppei Tachibana serving as President and CEO, and it employs between 1,001 and 5,000 people according to firmographic data.
Revenue is not publicly disclosed and pricing is not transparent; the company competes on talent depth, multi-language capabilities, and embedded operational knowledge of major publisher pipelines rather than on proprietary technology or platform IP.
Pole To Win firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Pole To Win
- Legal name
- Side
- Website
- https://ptw.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Pole To Win, operating globally as 'Side', is a private B2B game development services firm providing co-development, QA, art, audio, localization, player support, and datasets to more than 20 tier-1 video game publishers and developers across Europe, North America, and Asia-Pacific.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Pole To Win industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Game Development Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (61171)
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Creator Tools & Production (Overlays, Alerts, Encoding, Editing, Audio) (MPAFAEAC)
Keywords
Where Pole To Win is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Larkspur
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices5 records
Markets served
Pole To Win business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel
Revenue model
- Game Development Services: B2B services revenue from game development, QA, art production, audio production, and localization services delivered to game publishers and developers.
- Player Support Services: Ongoing player support and customer service for live games.
- IT Services: IT infrastructure and services supporting game development operations.
- Localization Services: Game localization services as part of the broader game localization market projected to reach USD 4.08 billion by 2033.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Pole To Win product offering
Product offeringCore offering
No source content was provided for Pole To Win in the input data, so a core offering description cannot be reliably produced.
Product overview
Side (a subsidiary of Pole To Win Holdings) operates as a game development services company offering a comprehensive suite of nine interconnected service modules. The core offering centers on Game Development and Quality Assurance as primary services, supported by specialized Art Production, Localization, Audio Production, Player Support, and Localization QA services. Additional offerings include Datasets (for AI/ML training data) and IT Services. The portfolio represents a full-service game co-development model where the company partners with studios (650+ developers and publishers) to bring games to life across all genres and platforms, with over 30 years of industry experience.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 30 years serving the gaming industry with consistent client relationships
Companies that use Pole To Win
Customer profileNamed customers19 records
Segments3 records
Pole To Win technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Pole To Win partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
19 partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- WB GamescoreLong-term game development and localization services partnership with Warner Bros. Games subsidiary.
- ZyngacoreGame development services partner for Zynga's mobile and social gaming portfolio.
- CD Project REDcoreDevelopment services partnership with the studio known for The Witcher and Cyberpunk 2077.
- DisneycoreGame development services partnership with Disney for Disney Studio game titles.
- EA (Electronic Arts)coreComprehensive game development and localization services partnership with Electronic Arts.
- Epic GamescoreGame development services partner for Epic Games' portfolio including Fortnite and Unreal Engine-based titles.
- GearboxcoreDevelopment partnership with Gearbox Software known for Borderlands series.
- NexoncoreLong-term partnership with Korean game publisher Nexon for development and localization services.
- Riot GamescoreDevelopment services partnership with Riot Games for League of Legends and other titles.
- SegacoreGame development and localization services partnership with Sega.
- SIE (Sony Interactive Entertainment)coreDevelopment services partnership with Sony's gaming division for PlayStation titles.
- Spike ChunsoftcoreDevelopment and localization partnership with Japanese developer Spike Chunsoft.
- Square EnixcoreLong-standing development and localization partnership with Square Enix for their global game releases.
- UbisoftcoreComprehensive game development services partnership with Ubisoft.
- 2KcoreDevelopment services partnership with 2K Games for titles including NBA 2K and Borderlands.
- BethesdacoreDevelopment partnership with Bethesda Game Studios for their RPG titles.
- RemedycoreDevelopment services partnership with Remedy Entertainment known for Alan Wake and Control.
- Outright GamescoreGame development and localization partnership with family-focused game publisher Outright Games.
- PlayfishcoreDevelopment partnership with EA's social gaming subsidiary Playfish.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Pole To Win competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Virtuos: Virtuos is a major game development outsourcing studio specializing in co-development, art production, and engineering services for AAA publishers — a close functional analog to Pole To Win's Game Development and Art Production lines.
- Testronic: Testronic provides QA, localization QA, and player support services to game and media companies, directly competing with Pole To Win's QA, Localization QA, and Player Support service modules.
- Room 8 Group: Room 8 Group is a global game services provider offering co-development, art, QA, and live operations to publishers, overlapping with Pole To Win on the multi-service, multi-region delivery model.
- Keywords Studios: Keywords Studios is the largest pure-play provider of game development services (QA, localization, art, audio, player support) to global publishers, directly competing with Pole To Win across essentially every service line and customer.
- Amber: Amber is a game development and art production services company serving global publishers, directly comparable to Pole To Win on co-development and art production work for AAA and mid-tier studios.
- Lemon Sky Studios: Lemon Sky Studios is a game art and animation outsourcing provider working with major publishers, directly comparable to Pole To Win's Art Production service and the 3D modeling/animation work it delivers.
- GlobalStep: GlobalStep provides game testing, QA, and player support services, directly overlapping with Pole To Win's QA and Player Support offerings for the same publisher customer base.
Emerging players
- Scale AI: Scale AI is a high-growth data labeling and AI training data platform; it represents a potential disruptor and alternative for the Datasets service line Pole To Win is building.
- Appen: Appen is a large AI data annotation and training data provider; while not game-focused, it competes directly with Pole To Win's Datasets service line for AI/ML training data budgets.
Broad incumbents
- Sumo Digital: Sumo Digital is a larger game development and co-development studio (now part of Tencent) that, while primarily a developer rather than a services outsourcer, competes with Pole To Win on co-development engagements with major publishers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Pole To Win social profiles
Digital presencePole To Win financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Pole To Win leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Pole To Win funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Pole To Win M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A2 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Pole To Win
What does Pole To Win do?
No source content was provided for Pole To Win in the input data, so a core offering description cannot be reliably produced.
Is Pole To Win a public or private company?
Pole To Win is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Pole To Win founded?
Pole To Win was founded in 1994. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Pole To Win based?
Pole To Win is headquartered in Larkspur, United States, in the North America region.
How does Pole To Win make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Game Development Services are the primary driver. The others are player Support Services, IT Services and localization Services.
Who are Pole To Win's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Virtuos, Testronic, Room 8 Group, Keywords Studios, Amber, Lemon Sky Studios and GlobalStep. Emerging players are Scale AI and Appen. Sumo Digital is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Pole To Win have an API?
No public API is recorded for Pole To Win.
What industry is Pole To Win in?
Pole To Win's product category is Game Development Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAFAEAC, Creator Tools & Production (Overlays, Alerts, Encoding, Editing, Audio). Its NAICS code is 61171 and its SIC code is 2741.