Vatar, the company behind Nigerian browser game Lagos Life, has raised $500,000 in an angel funding round at a reported $10 million valuation, nine days after the game launched and attracted millions of players.
Shalom Rayhamen, Vatar’s co-founder and chief executive, announced the funding on October 9, 2026. The round was backed by Abdulhamid Hassan, co-founder and chief executive of financial technology company Mono; Nathan Nwachuku, co-founder and chief executive of Terra Industries; and Olugbenga “GB” Agboola, co-founder and chief executive of Flutterwave.
Agboola invested through his investment fund, Resilience17, according to Techpoint Africa. The publication also identified technology investor Oo Nwoye among the participants, although Vatar’s official announcement named three backers.
Lagos Life launched on October 1 as a free, browser-based life simulation set in a virtual Lagos. Players can find jobs, earn virtual naira, pay rent, obtain housing and interact with other users in shared virtual spaces.
Rayhamen said more than 4.7 million people had played the game within its first nine days, according to TheCable. The game’s reported player figures have not been independently audited.
The speed of the fundraising followed the game’s rapid rise on Nigerian social media, where its depiction of everyday city life helped attract attention beyond traditional gaming audiences. Its browser-based format also allows users to access the game without downloading a conventional game application.
Vatar plans to use the funding to develop its platform and bring additional cities online. The company describes Lagos Life as its first virtual world, with plans to build similar social environments based on other locations.
The $10 million valuation is the reported figure associated with the funding round. Vatar has not publicly disclosed the individual investment amounts or the equity allocated to each investor.
