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35 : King.com (originally Midasplayer.com)
Sales 2007: £12.8m
Sales 2004: £1.6m
Annual growth: 100%
Founded in August 2003 by Riccardo Zacconi and Toby Rowland, the two entrepreneurs self-financed the online gaming site’s first year as they couldn’t find a venture capital backer. Today, King.com is the largest skills gaming site in the world, hosting more than 80 million games every month.
So what was behind the phenomenal growth? King.com carved out a niche for itself by only providing skill-based games. This is a crucial differentiator – as they are not games of chance, they are not subject to gambling and gaming regulations. As a result, King.com does not require a licence in most European and US territories.
The site is now available in nine languages, seven currencies and more than 50 countries. Players can win cash prizes by participating in game tournaments where they are matched with other players of the same ability – £1.5m worth of prizes was won in January 2005.
Headquartered in London, with its development team based in Stockholm, King.com makes its money by charging a small administration fee for hosting the game. In September 2005, the company received a £25.2m investment from Apax Partners in return for a minority stake. The company has seen 100 per cent growth over the past four years and now turns over £12.9m. Zacconi said he does not foresee any need for further external capital: “We can now de-focus from financing and totally focus on the business.”
www.king.com
HOT 100 PROFILES
Sales 2007: £53m
Sales 2004: £1.4m
Annual growth: 234%
Sales 2007: £53m
Sales 2004: £700k
Annual growth: 206 %
Sales 2007: £6.3m
Sales 2004: £151k
Annual growth: 201 %
Sales 2007: £7.4m
Sales 2004: £386k
Annual growth: 169%
Sales 2007: £7.8m
Sales 2004: £445k
Annual growth: 160%
Sales 2007: £20.6m
Sales 2004: £1.19m
Annual growth: 159%
Sales 2007: £6.89m
Sales 2004: £402k
Annual growth: 158%
Sales 2007: £9.3m
Sales 2004: £278k
Annual growth: 156%
Sales 2007: £5.1m
Sales 2004: £327k
Annual growth: 151%
Sales 2007: £10.4m
Sales 2004: £687k
Annual growth: 148%
Sales 2007: £5m
Sales 2004: £343k
Annual growth: 145%
Sales 2007: £6.7m
Sales 2004: £488k
Annual growth: 140%
Sales 2007: £169.8m
Sales 2004: £12.7m
Annual growth: 137%
Sales 2007: £68m
Sales 2004: £5.1m
Annual growth: 137%
Sales 2007: £143m
Sales 2004: £15.7m
Annual growth: 135%
Sales 2007: £7.1m
Sales 2004: £585k
Annual growth: 130%
Sales 2007: £9.8m
Sales 2004: £809k
Annual growth: 130%
Sales 2007: £6.7m
Sales 2004: £561k
Annual growth: 129%
Sales 2007: £13.6m
Sales 2004: £1.2m
Annual growth: 127%
Sales 2007: £5.5m
Sales 2004: £510k
Annual growth: 121%
Sales 2007: £6.9m
Sales 2004: £640k
Annual growth: 121%
Sales 2007: £8.4m
Sales 2004: £780k
Annual growth: 121%
Sales 2007: £5.1m
Sales 2004: £492k
Annual growth: 119%
Sales 2007: £13m
Sales 2004: £1.2m
Annual growth: 119%
Sales 2007: £35.2m
Sales 2004: £3.4m
Annual growth: 118%
Sales 2007: £44m
Sales 2004: £4.2m
Annual growth: 118%
Sales 2007: £5.9m
Sales 2004: £580k
Annual growth: 117%
Sales 2007: £92m
Sales 2004: £9.4m
Annual growth: 114%
Sales 2007: £5.1m
Sales 2004: £564m
Annual growth: 109%
Sales 2007: £6.9m
Sales 2004: £775k
Annual growth: 108%
Sales 2007: £23.7m
Sales 2004: £1.8m
Annual growth: 106%
Sales 2007: £46.6m
Sales 2004: £5.9m
Annual growth: 105%
Sales 2007: £11.7m
Sales 2004: £1.2m
Annual growth: 101%
Sales 2007: £42.2m
Sales 2004: £5.2m
Annual growth: 100%
Sales 2007: £12.8m
Sales 2004: £1.6m
Annual growth: 100%
Sales 2007: £55.2m
Sales 2004: £6.9m
Annual growth: 99%
Sales 2007: £7.7m
Sales 2004: £998k
Annual growth: 98%
Sales 2007: £10.2m
Sales 2004: £1.3m
Annual growth: 96%
Sales 2007: £17.3m
Sales 2004: £2.3m
Annual growth: 95%
Sales 2007: £27m
Sales 2004: £3.6m
Annual growth: 95%
Sales 2007: £87.8m
Sales 2004: £11.8m
Annual growth: 95%
Sales 2007: £71.9m
Sales 2004: £10m
Annual growth: 93%
Sales 2007: £18.2m
Sales 2004: £2.5m
Annual growth: 92%
Sales 2007: £8.7m
Sales 2004: £1.2m
Annual growth: 91%
Sales 2007: £13.5m
Sales 2004: £1.9m
Annual growth: 90%
Sales 2007: £7.1m
Sales 2004: £1.5m
Annual growth: 91%
Sales 2007: £20.6m
Sales 2004: £3m
Annual growth: 89%
Sales 2007: £36.3m
Sales 2004: £5.4m
Annual growth: 89%
Sales 2007: £5.3m
Sales 2004: £808k
Annual growth: 88%
Sales 2007: £18.8m
Sales 2004: £2.8m
Annual growth: 88%
Sales 2007: £73.7m
Sales 2004: £11.1m
Annual growth: 88%
Sales 2007: £67.6m
Sales 2004: £10.5m
Annual growth: 86%
Sales 2007: £7.3m
Sales 2004: £1.1m
Annual growth: 86%
Sales 2007: £6.5m
Sales 2004: £1m
Annual growth: 85%
Sales 2007: £6.5m
Sales 2004: £1m
Annual growth: 85%
Sales 2007: £5.3m
Sales 2004: £849k
Annual growth: 85%
Sales 2007: £5.3m
Sales 2004: £849k
Annual growth: 81%
Sales 2007: £37.1m
Sales 2004: £6.3m
Annual growth: 81%
Sales 2007: £109m
Sales 2004: £23.8m
Annual growth: 79%
Sales 2007: £11.2m
Sales 2004: £2m
Annual growth: 77%
Sales 2007: £29.5m
Sales 2004: £5.3m
Annual growth: 76%
Sales 2007: £17.6m
Sales 2004: £3.2m
Annual growth: 76%
Sales 2007: £7.6m
Sales 2004: £1.4m
Annual growth: 73%
Sales 2007: £109.4m
Sales 2004: £21.2m
Annual growth: 73%
Sales 2007: £11.2m
Sales 2004: £2.2m
Annual growth: 72%
Sales 2007: £7m
Sales 2004: £1.3m
Annual growth: 72%
Sales 2007: £1.19bn
Sales 2004: £239.5m
Annual growth: 71%
Sales 2007: £5.7m
Sales 2004: £580k
Annual growth: 71%
Sales 2007: £45.1m
Sales 2004: £9.1k
Annual growth: 70%
Sales 2007: £12.7m
Sales 2004: £2.6k
Annual growth: 70%
Sales 2007: £19.5m
Sales 2004: £4m
Annual growth: 69%
Sales 2007: £76.6m
Sales 2004: £14.4m
Annual growth: 67%
Sales 2007: £18.2m
Sales 2004: £3.9m
Annual growth: 67%
Sales 2007: £29.7m
Sales 2004: £6.7m
Annual growth: 64%
Sales 2007: £121.5m
Sales 2004: £28m
Annual growth: 63%
Sales 2007: £25.1m
Sales 2004: £5.8m
Annual growth: 63%
Sales 2007: £76.7m
Sales 2004: £17.8m
Annual growth: 63%
Sales 2007: £24.6m
Sales 2004: £5.8m
Annual growth: 62%
Sales 2007: £16.4m
Sales 2004: £3.8m
Annual growth: 62%
Sales 2007: £7.4m
Sales 2004: £1.9m
Annual growth: 62%
Sales 2007: £9.5m
Sales 2004: £2.3m
Annual growth: 60%
Sales 2007: £11.3m
Sales 2004: £2.8m
Annual growth: 60%
Sales 2007: £8.1m
Sales 2004: £1.7m
Annual growth: 59%
Sales 2007: £24.5m
Sales 2004: £6.1m
Annual growth: 59%
Sales 2007: £35m
Sales 2004: £9m
Annual growth: 57%
Sales 2007: £22.3m
Sales 2004: £5.7m
Annual growth: 57%
Sales 2007: £5.9m
Sales 2004: £1.5m
Annual growth: 57%
Sales 2007: £29.8m
Sales 2004: £7.7m
Annual growth: 57%
Sales 2007: £8.3m
Sales 2004: £2.2m
Annual growth: 57%
Sales 2007: £15m
Sales 2004: £3.9m
Annual growth: 56%
Sales 2007: £51.3m
Sales 2004: £13.5m
Annual growth: 56%
Sales 2007: £20.1m
Sales 2004: £5.3m
Annual growth: 56%
Sales 2007: £8.5m
Sales 2004: £2.2m
Annual growth: 56%
Sales 2007: £15.7m
Sales 2004: £4.2m
Annual growth: 55%
Sales 2007: £43.6m
Sales 2004: £11.8m
Annual growth: 55%
Sales 2007: £24.8m
Sales 2004: £6.8m
Annual growth: 54%
Sales 2007: £59.2m
Sales 2004: £16.7m
Annual growth: 54%
Sales 2007: £42.1m
Sales 2004: £11.9m
Annual growth: 52%
Sales 2007: £10.5m
Sales 2004: £3m
Annual growth: 51%
Sales 2007: £16m
Sales 2004: £4.7m
Annual growth: 51%