Promofy, which harnesses gamification, free-to-play mechanics and AI-driven personalisation to provide operators with the tools to engage with players, wowed the judging panel at ICE Barcelona and were crowned the winners of Pitch ICE ‘26. Co-founder and CEO Irakli Davarashvili outlines the Promofy journey, what it means to be Pitch ICE champions and why he believes it’s so vital that the ICE brand is supporting the start-up community.

Can you summarise the USPs of the business and what makes it a stand-out proposition?
Promofy.ai was born from a very simple observation. Operators were spending more and more on acquisition, but players were getting less engaged over time. Bonuses were becoming less effective, and loyalty was starting to feel transactional rather than meaningful. What we do differently is focus on how players actually behave and why they come back. Promofy is a flexible platform that sits on top of sportsbook and casino products and instead of pushing one-off campaigns, we help operators build ongoing engagement journeys that feel interactive, competitive, and rewarding. The real strength of Promofy is speed and adaptability. Teams can launch campaigns quickly, adjust them in real time, and personalise experiences without heavy development work. That means operators can react to player behaviour, seasonality, and major sporting moments without rebuilding their tech stack every time. For us, engagement is not a feature. It is a long-term strategy.

What do you think it was that impressed the judging panel and what feedback did you receive?
What came through clearly from the judges was that Promofy felt real and ready. It was not a concept or a future promise. It was a live product solving problems operators are dealing with right now.

The panel responded strongly to the fact that we are tackling rising acquisition costs and declining player loyalty with something practical, not theoretical. Gamification and AI are talked about a lot in this industry, but we showed how they can be deployed in a way that is measurable, compliant, and commercially sound. I think the combination of innovation and execution stood out. We were not pitching an idea. We were showing a system that already works and can scale across markets and products.

How did you feel when you were confirmed as the judges’ winner and what does it mean to the business?
Honestly, it was a very emotional moment. ICE is the biggest stage in our industry, and winning there carries real weight. For the team, it was validation that the long nights, the iterations, and the difficult decisions were worth it. As a small personal moment, when Promofy was announced as the winner, I shouted for my co‑founder to join me on stage. He was in the middle of a meeting with a Tier 1 operator, paused just long enough to run over, take a quick photo with me, and then went straight back to finish the meeting. It was a perfect snapshot of how we work - focused, fast, and always in motion.

What has been the response from the industry?
It’s been been extremely encouraging, but also very grounded. Since ICE, the discussions are no longer about explaining what gamification is: instead, they are about how fast Promofy can be integrated and how broadly it can be rolled out. There is a clear shift happening in the industry. Engagement is no longer seen as a nice-to-have marketing layer. It is becoming a core part of growth strategy. Operators, platforms, game providers, CRM's and media groups are actively looking for ways to keep players involved beyond bonuses, and that aligns perfectly with what we have built.

How would you summarise the barriers to entry for new or fledgling businesses?
Today, the biggest barriers are not just technical. They are trust, credibility, and operational reliability. Operators need solutions that plug into existing systems, respect regulatory requirements, and perform under real traffic conditions. Many early-stage companies underestimate how demanding this environment is. You need to prove security, scalability, and long-term support, not just innovation. We made a conscious decision early on to invest heavily in infrastructure and flexibility. That made things harder at the beginning, but it is paying off now as the market becomes more selective. I also want to point out that, in general, the industry tends to be cautious about innovation and hesitant to embrace new, smart companies that are solving real problems and could drive long-term growth and revenue. I believe this mindset needs to change, and it’s up to the more established players in the market to challenge that hesitation and lead by example.

How has Pitch ICE impacted your business plan over the short and medium terms?
In the short term, Pitch ICE accelerated everything. We are moving faster on integrations, partnerships, and deployments because demand has increased and expectations are higher.

In the medium term, we expect the momentum from Pitch ICE to shape how Promofy grows within the wider ecosystem. Our forecast is that engagement will become a built-in layer across platforms and networks, not just an add-on for individual operators. We are planning for Promofy to be that connective layer, powering engagement at scale. We also anticipate aligning our roadmap with major global sports events, especially the upcoming World Cup, which will be a defining moment for operators looking to capture and retain massive audiences. Free-to-Play and gamified experiences will be essential tools to turn that surge of attention into lasting loyalty. Promofy is positioning itself as a must-have platform ahead of that period, and anyone with strategic vision should already be preparing to convert high traffic into meaningful, long-term engagement. The direction remains consistent, but the next phase will focus on expanding reach, deepening integrations, and proving that engagement can be both sustainable and scalable.

Do you see yourself as a tech innovator or an entrepreneur?
I see myself first as a problem solver. Technology is the tool and entrepreneurship is the way to bring it to market, but the real work is understanding people.

Promofy is built around the idea that players should want to come back because the experience is enjoyable, not because they are being pushed. Creating that balance requires technical depth, creativity, and a very realistic view of how the industry actually works. I think that mix defines both my role and the company.

How important is it that a major international event such as ICE supports the start-up community?
It is extremely important. Some of the most meaningful innovation in this industry comes from smaller teams who are willing to challenge established models. ICE gives start-ups visibility, credibility, and access to decision-makers that would otherwise take years to reach. More importantly, it creates a fair environment where ideas are judged on value, not company size. That is essential for keeping the industry healthy and forward-looking.

Who are your inspirational figures both in the gambling industry and in broader society?
In the gambling industry, I am inspired by leaders who focus on sustainability rather than quick wins. People who understand that long-term success comes from trust, entertainment, and responsible engagement working together. More broadly, I look up to entrepreneurs who build global platforms while staying deeply human in how they think about users. That mindset has influenced how we designed Promofy from day one.

Finally, will you be at iGB L!VE?
Yes:  iGB L!VE is a natural continuation of the conversations that started at ICE, and we are looking forward to connecting with partners and peers in London. Barcelona brings together the full international ecosystem to set the agenda. The excitement around iGB L!VE London is about continuing that momentum. It acts as a recalibration point post-ICE and iGB Affiliate, offering something genuinely differentiated and difficult to replicate across the rest of the gaming events landscape.

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From left to right: Irakli Davarashvili, CEO and Co- Founder, PROMOFY with Adam Rosenberg, Senior Advisor, Gaming & Leisure, Blackstone. Promofy.ai