The Beijing based social games developer Rekoo had announced plans this month to open a branch in Tech City. This is a milestone for the cluster of hi-tech companies in London as a mainland Chinese firm will join them for the first time. Rekoo VP Lisa Pan said that the move will allow for Rekoo to be “…the bridge between European and Chinese mobile gaming markets” and that being in London can “…attract world-class talent and find new business opportunities with UK and European developers.”
Earlier this year, Rekoo furthered their business efforts by acquiring Chinese rival HappySNS with an estimated $20 million buyout. Already the company is the one of the largest and most successful social games developers in Asia.
Rekoo is to hire 10 people for its upcoming office in Tech City, with an ambitious goal to open 25 offices within three years. The team in London will market the games to European consumers as well as handle the localization of the content.
Chancellor George Osborne and London Mayor Boris Johnson announced the expansion plans as part of a trade mission to China. Founded in 2008, Rekoo became one of the first Chinese firms to develop games for Facebook. It has employed 500 people across Asia and has about more than 15 million daily PC Users and 10 million daily smart phone users. Find Something, played by 100 million users, counts as one of their biggest successes.