Lagos Life Maker Vatar Raises $500,000 in Angel Funding Nine Days After the Game Launched

Lagos Life launched on 1st October. By 9th October, more than 4.7 million people had played it, and its parent company, Vatar, had closed a $500,000 angel round led by AB Hassan, Nathan Nwachuku and GB Agboola. A few hours after the funding post, founder Shalom Rayhamen announced that the game had crossed 5 million players.

For a company that did not exist as a funded business ten days ago, the pace is unusual, and it is the pace that makes the story. When Shalom spoke to PINCHED on 6th October, she said she hoped to go through a few rounds of fundraising in the year ahead and that how far the company gets depends on how fast it can raise the money. Three days later, the first round is in.

What Vatar Raised and From Whom

Vatar raised $500,000 in an angel round, according to Shalom's announcement on X. The round was led by three founders who have each built a major African tech company: AB Hassan of Mono, Nathan Nwachuku of Terra Industries and GB Agboola of Flutterwave. Coverage of the round describes it as a pre-seed round, names Agboola's fund Resilience17 and lists technology entrepreneur Oo Nwoye as a further investor. The same coverage says the round closed in about a day.

Techpoint reports a valuation of $10 million for the company, which would put the $500,000 at roughly 5% of Vatar. The valuation did not come from Shalom's announcement, so it should be read as reported rather than confirmed by the company.

Vatar's announcement of its $500,000 angel round, posted by founder Shalom Rayhamen on 9th October

Nine Days, From Launch to Funding

The timeline is short enough to list in full:

• 1st October: Lagos Life launches.

• 4th October: about 399,000 total players and more than 2.3 million visits since launch.

• 7th October: more than 3 million players.

• 8th October: more than 4 million players.

• 9th October: the angel round is announced at 4.7 million players, and later in the day the count passes 5 million.

The live counter Shalom shared with her 5 million post showed 5,067,376 total players, 110,634 online at that moment and more than 34 million visits, with over 2 million of those visits recorded that day alone.

Lagos Life's live counter in Shalom Rayhamen's 9th October post, showing more than 5 million total players

How Lagos Life Makes Money

Vatar says it has earned and contracted more than $170,000 since launch. The income comes from advertising, music promotion, corporate partnerships and football streaming. Businesses can advertise on virtual billboards and rent plots in the game's version of Lagos, and musicians can pay to have their songs played in the game's virtual clubs.

That income is meant to cover a heavy running bill. The same coverage notes that operating the game's infrastructure is expensive, which is part of why a small round matters at this scale.

What the Money Is For

Vatar has not published a breakdown, but reported plans point to product development, marketing and hiring. Shalom has already extended the game beyond Lagos, with AbujaLife and PHLife launched on 5th October, and has said the company wants to build more worlds. "Lagos is just the beginning. We're building entire worlds, and there's so much more to come," she said in the announcement.

Vatar's leadership team is Shalom as co-founder and chief executive, Owen Rayhamen as chief product officer and Anderson Oriahi as chief business development officer, according to TheCable's report on the round.

Why This Matters Beyond One Game

Lagos Life began as one developer's idea, built in a single night. As PINCHED first covered when the game took off, its appeal is how closely it follows daily life in the city, from the danfo to the amala spot. In under two weeks it has gone from a one-person release to a funded company with backers who have built and run some of Africa's best-known tech businesses.

It is also an example of what Nigerian builders can reach with small teams, low costs and a product people recognise themselves in. Shalom told PINCHED no money had been spent on marketing, and the people now backing the company have each built products that scaled across African markets. Whether Vatar can turn 5 million players into a lasting business is the open question, but the first test, getting investors to believe in it, has been passed in nine days.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Much Did Vatar Raise?

Vatar raised $500,000 in an angel round, announced by founder Shalom Rayhamen on 9th October.

Who Invested in Vatar?

The round was led by AB Hassan of Mono, Nathan Nwachuku of Terra Industries and GB Agboola of Flutterwave. Coverage also names Oo Nwoye as an investor.

What Is Vatar?

Vatar is the parent company behind Lagos Life, a browser game set in Lagos, Nigeria, and the new city versions AbujaLife and PHLife.

How Many People Play Lagos Life?

Lagos Life passed 5 million players on 9th October, nine days after it launched on 1st October.

How Does Lagos Life Make Money?

Vatar says its income comes from advertising, music promotion, corporate partnerships and football streaming, including virtual billboards, plot rentals and songs played in virtual clubs.