Community-focused gaming startup Moku hires Kathleen Osgood as Chief Business Officer
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Community-focused gaming startup Moku has recently announced the hiring of Kathleen Osgood as its new Chief Business Officer. This move is aimed at solidifying the company’s position in the realm of crypto-powered AI gaming.
Osgood brings a wealth of experience to Moku, having previously served as the Director of Business Development at Ronin builder Sky Mavis for over three years. Prior to that, she held the position of Director of Market Development at Jump Capital.
In a recent interview, Osgood shared her focus on bringing new partnerships, market-makers, and institutions to Moku, which is backed by a16z Speedrun.
“Web3 gaming is broken. Nearly everyone is trying the same model,” Osgood stated in a post announcing her new role. “It’s not about more games. It’s about a different way to earn from games.”
In a significant development, Moku secured $5.35 million in funding in September from investors such as Sky Mavis, a16z Games’ Speedrun, Framework Ventures, 32-bit Ventures, and several angel investors.
Originally established in 2021 as a launchpad and engagement platform for the Ronin community, Moku has since expanded its offerings to include a Ronin-based NFT collection featuring 8,888 unique characters and a flagship game called Grand Arena. The Mokis, as they are called, exhibit characteristics of bear-raccoon hybrids and come in various outfits and accessories. The current floor price for a Moki Genesis NFT stands at approximately $96.
“It’s built for AI,” Osgood explained when discussing the upcoming game, Grand Arena. “I think a lot of the problem in Web3 is the prevalence of bots and the lack of a sticky audience.”
“Moku is turning it on its head by building a game for AI and creating a comprehensive AI system,” she added.
Grand Arena allows players to bring their select NFTs into the game as cards and engage in battles where the human player acts as a spectator. NFT owners can also earn royalties on their assets when used in-game.
Furthermore, NFTs that are compatible with Grand Arena can engage in battles with other NFT characters, with their personalities evolving based on the outcomes.
Early hints and artwork of the game suggest the inclusion of vertical battler elements reminiscent of popular games like MapleStory and Super Smash Bros.
“I believe this could evolve into an AI-native competitive layer for all gaming,” Osgood expressed. “Beyond gaming, it could encompass idle NFTs, assets, or IP that can seamlessly integrate into the platform.”