Quick take:
- Wemade has announced a strategic partnership with Near Protocol to accelerate web3 adoption in South Korea.
- The two companies have firmed a multi-faceted partnership that will see them co-host hackathons and scout potential web3 business opportunities among others.
- Wemade also launched advanced blockchain services through its mainnet ‘WEMIX 3.0’.
Wemade has announced a multi-faceted partnership with Swiss non-profit web3 organisation Near Foundation to lead the Korean web3 gaming race.
The two companies made the announcement at the Game Developers Conference on Thursday. According to the agreement, Wemade and Near Foundation will collaborate on initiatives that increase mutual brand awareness, invest in research, co-host community events like hackathons and boot camps, as well as, scout for potential web3 business opportunities.
Wemade was one of the earliest mainstream gaming companies that embraced web3 technology, alongside Near Foundation, the two companies will work to nurture the next generation of web3 developers.
The company also announced the launch of advanced blockchain services through its mainnet ‘WEMIX 3.0’.
Commenting on the partnership, Shane Kim, CEO, WEMIX and Vice President, WEMADE said: “WEMADE and Near share a similar vision of enabling and accelerating the mainstream adoption of blockchain to create a future of near limitless potential use cases and benefits for all of us across many different areas of our daily lives.”
“In order to achieve that vision, we must make it easier, faster and more cost-effective for developers to onboard off-chain apps, organizations and startups, and are confident that this partnership with NEAR Protocol is ideally positioned to do so.”
Wemade’s web3 push was boosted by its $46 million fundraising announced in November 2022, which saw the likes of Microsoft, Shinhan Asset Management and Kiwoom Securities make significant investments.
The Korean gaming company had earlier in the year backed Japanese blockchain gaming startup Double Jump in a $24 million funding round before its subsidiary WeMade Connect debuted its mobile play-to-earn game in May.
On the other hand, Near Foundation has been ramping up its web3 strategy in Asia after launching a Near Korea Hub in the country last November.
Commenting about his company’s latest collaboration in the country, Marieke Flament, CEO of the NEAR Foundation said: “We’re thrilled to be partnering with WEMADE as part of our shared vision towards a decentralized future for the gaming industry. By joining forces, we are confident in our ability to accelerate the development of cutting-edge solutions that meet the growing needs of gamers and developers in the Web3 space.”
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