This startup turns ad interruptions into in-app rewards

This article is a part of Startup Spotlight, a series that features young, up-and-coming startups.

Photo credit: adjoe

In 2014, co-founders Jonas Thiemann and Carlo Szelinsky asked a simple question: what if playing mobile games could earn people real rewards?

After validating the idea, they launched adjoe in 2018 to scale this model globally. Their vision is to make advertising rewarding instead of interruptive.

😟 Problem

Many mobile apps often rely on in-app purchases or subscriptions, but conversion rates are low. For non-gaming apps, install-to-purchase conversion is only around 5.5%, while install-to-subscription conversion is roughly 2.1%

To increase revenue, apps turn to ads like banners or interstitials, which can frustrate users and hurt retention. Meanwhile, game studios find that users from these ads churn quickly, resulting in low return on ad spend.

💡 Solution

Adjoe allows non-gaming apps to integrate a custom mobile gaming hub called Playtime. Users can voluntarily play games within their favorite apps to earn that app’s native currency, like Line Points or ShopBack rewards.

Instead of interrupting users, this model turns monetization into an engaging feature. Users are matched with games using machine learning and are rewarded for reaching milestones. This drives sustained engagement for the host app and delivers high-intent users to game developers.

The platform has four components that include: 

• Rewarded engagement: A fully opt-in gaming hub where users earn rewards for playing, replacing ad interruptions with voluntary engagement.
• Smart matching and analytics: Machine learning matches users with relevant games. Publishers and advertisers get real-time performance insights.
• Premium demand and supply: Connects leading game producers with exclusive publisher apps, offering advertisers access to hard-to-reach audiences.
• Fraud protection: A robust system ensures rewards are tied to verified activity, protecting revenue integrity for all parties.

Photo credit: adjoe

📊 Market size

Adjoe operates at the intersection of mobile gaming, app monetization, and digital loyalty. The mobile gaming market alone generates over US$90 billion in annual global revenue.

There is a large audience overlap between mobile gamers and users of fintech, ecommerce, and loyalty apps. This creates natural integration opportunities, such as earning airline points or grocery discounts by playing games.

🤝 Team

🚀 Traction

🏆 Competition

💰 Financials