Munich Startup: What problem do you offer a solution for?
Damian Breu, Co-Founder: People in Germany, averaging 38 years old, spend around three billion euros annually on toxic in-app purchases in mobile games. The money simply disappears afterward. At the same time, their own wealth accumulation suffers because traditional brokers and ETFs seem too dry, complicated, or simply boring to many beginners. We solve this problem with Impact Entertainment. With Playfolio, we transform pay-to-win into play-to-wealth. In our app, users care for a digital pet, the so-called FinPet. The unique aspect: In-game purchases don't go to waste, but are automatically deposited into a dedicated, BaFin-regulated portfolio. We make investing as easy and motivating as a casual game.
Munich Startup: What can you do as of today?
Damian Breu: Our biggest unfair advantage is the technical and regulatory bridge we've built. Combining functional gaming mechanics with the highly regulated German capital market is an absolute nightmare for anyone wanting to do it. After what felt like an eternity of tinkering, we've mastered the legal setup, compliance, API interfaces, and even the entire gameplay. The result is a wealth engine that's truly impressive. We bring together the engagement of the gaming world with the security of the financial world.
A product by gamers for gamers
Munich Startup: What triggered the founding?
Damian Breu: The pain of wasted money. We're gamers ourselves and know how well the psychology behind in-app purchases works. The team has spent enough money on games and wondered if it wouldn't have been better invested elsewhere. It just felt wrong that this massive potential was being squandered on virtual skins or extra lives. We wanted to build a product by gamers and investors for gamers and investors. A game where you don't have to feel guilty about spending money, because you're effectively investing in your own future.
Munich Startup: Was there ever a moment when you thought about giving up?
Damian Breu: As Startup At the interface with banks and BaFin (the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority), you naturally often run into brick walls. There were phases in the regulatory setup where the hurdles seemed insurmountable. But it was precisely in those moments that external support carried us. The official funding from the city of Munich was a huge boost for us. And when we went live on Startnext and quickly reached our first milestone of €5,000, we knew for sure: The market wants this product just as much as we do.
Playfolio as an entry point into investing
Munich Startup: How would you know in a year that you're on the right track?
Damian Breu: This is evidenced by the fact that hundreds, if not thousands, of young people have opened their very first account via Playfolio and we see their real savings rate growing while their virtual FinPet level increases.
Munich Startup: Would you start a business in Munich again, and why?
Damian Breu: Absolutely! Munich has an extremely strong B2B and fintech ecosystem and, with institutions like Strascheg and the Fraunhofer environment, a massive tech network. Above all, we're currently experiencing firsthand how well the city actively supports young entrepreneurs. Without the crowdfunding support from the City of Munich, which helped us with our... current Startnext campaign It would help if we weren't where we are today.
Munich Startup: Perfection or speed?
Damian Breu: We do fintech and gaming, so we do both. When it comes to our users' money, the security of their accounts, and regulatory compliance: 100 percent perfection. There are no compromises. But when it comes to game design and new features: speed is key. Our alpha version has just been released, it's definitely still buggy, but we want to develop the game further together with our community.
