Vyking Ventures Invests in Harley Fresh's Animo Studios

Vyking Ventures, the investment arm of iGaming platform company Vyking, has invested in Animo Studios, the live casino technology studio founded by streamer Harley Fresh that built Stake's animated table game hosts. The deal, announced July 20, 2026, backs Animo's push beyond its original Stake exclusive into wider operator partnerships and international markets, though neither side has disclosed the investment amount.

What did Vyking Ventures announce?

Vyking Ventures confirmed it has taken a stake in Animo Studios to support the studio's commercial launch, new operator partnerships, and international expansion. In a company statement, Vyking described the deal as "an investment in Animo Studios to support the development of next-generation live gaming experiences," positioning it as part of a wider strategy of backing what the company calls "category-shaping" ventures in iGaming entertainment.

Who is behind Animo Studios?

Animo Studios was founded by Harley Fresh, an Australian streamer and competitive Fortnite player with more than 20 million combined followers across social platforms, who is known in gaming and esports circles simply as Fresh. Fresh built Animo around technology that replaces live dealers with animated, branded characters in real time, without compromising the underlying game integrity or licensing requirements of a regulated live casino product.

What does Animo Studios actually build?

Animo's platform layers real-time animated hosts and interactive digital environments on top of licensed live casino games, with elements such as lighting, billboards and on-screen environments reacting to player action during play. The studio's first commercial release, City Roulette, launched exclusively on Stake in March 2026 as a multiplier roulette format offering payouts of up to 500 times stake, building on animated live-host technology Animo had introduced with Stake in September 2025.

Why did Fresh start Animo Studios?

Fresh has framed Animo as a response to sameness in live casino content, arguing that "operators are left fighting to stand out through huge marketing spend, promotions and sponsorships built on top of games their users can play everywhere." He has described the studio's ambition as unlocking "a 24/7 branded portal for completely bespoke viral moments," positioning Animo's characters and formats as a way for operators to differentiate without relying purely on marketing spend.

Why is Vyking backing Animo now?

Franz Gerhart, CEO of Vyking, said live casino content has become crowded with look-alike products: "Live gaming has become crowded with experiences that often look, feel and play in very similar ways." Vyking, which specializes in iGaming platform engineering, game aggregation and player-led entertainment models, said the investment fits its focus on backing ventures it considers genuinely differentiated rather than incremental content updates.

What has Animo Studios built before this deal?

Before the Vyking investment, Animo's public track record centered on its Stake partnership. The studio introduced animated virtual hosts for live table games on Stake in September 2025, then followed with City Roulette in March 2026 as its first branded gameshow-style format, both exclusive to the platform. The Vyking deal marks the studio's first disclosed outside investment and its first step toward operator relationships beyond Stake.

How does this fit Vyking's wider portfolio strategy?

Company	Deal type	Focus
Animo Studios	Vyking Ventures investment, July 2026	Animated live casino hosts and branded formats
155.io	Games aggregation partnership	Real-world live gaming content for operators
Barbara Bang	Games aggregation deal	Branded live content distribution

What does the investment fund?

Vyking said the backing is intended to support Animo's commercial launch beyond its Stake exclusive, new operator partnerships, and international expansion of what it calls Animo's "entertainment first" live gaming platform. Neither company disclosed the size of the investment or Vyking's resulting ownership stake in Animo.

What does this mean for operators?

If Animo moves beyond its Stake exclusivity as the investment implies, other operators would gain access to animated, branded live dealer formats that current live casino suppliers do not widely offer, giving them a differentiation tool in a live casino vertical increasingly defined by near-identical roulette, blackjack and gameshow products from the same handful of major studios.

What does this mean for the creator-to-studio pipeline?

Fresh's move from streaming and esports into owning a funded iGaming technology studio is part of a broader pattern of content creators building commercial ventures around their platforms and audiences, rather than only appearing in operator marketing campaigns. Vyking's willingness to back a creator-founded studio signals that iGaming investors see standalone value in that pipeline beyond a single operator exclusive.

Frequently asked questions

Who invested in Animo Studios?

Vyking Ventures, the investment arm of iGaming platform and aggregation company Vyking, has invested in Animo Studios.

Who founded Animo Studios?

Animo Studios was founded by Harley Fresh, an Australian streamer and Fortnite competitor with more than 20 million combined social followers.

What does Animo Studios make?

Animo Studios builds technology that transforms live dealers into animated, branded characters in real time while preserving game integrity, first launched exclusively on Stake in September 2025.

Was the investment amount disclosed?

No. Vyking and Animo Studios have not disclosed the size of the investment.

Updated July 2026.