He co-founded the business while he was at university
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Joshua Sinclair(-)
A young Manx entrepreneur has helped secure £300,000 in new <a href="https://comicvibe.com/why-indie-games-are-the-next-big-tech-investment-gaming-ceo/” title=”Why indie games are the next big tech investment: Gaming CEO”>investment for a gaming technology business he co-founded while at university.
Joshua Sinclair, 21, is co-founder of SkinScanner.gg, a free website that allows gamers to compare prices for virtual items bought and sold through online marketplaces.
The latest pre-seed funding round, an early form of investment used to help start-ups develop and grow, takes the total raised by the Liverpool-based business to more than £350,000 during its first year.
SkinScanner.gg compares prices for tradable virtual gaming assets across 24 independent digital marketplaces.
The platform aims to bring live pricing information from those different marketplaces together in one place, allowing users to see and compare what virtual items are selling for.
It works in a similar way to travel comparison websites such as Skyscanner, but instead of comparing flights, it allows users to compare prices for virtual gaming items.
The company says it now has more than 40,000 monthly active users and refers more than £3 million in transaction traffic to marketplaces each month.
Joshua co-founded the business while studying computer science and working on his final-year dissertation.
The latest investment includes backing from Baltic Ventures and angel investor Graeme Ankers, former co-founder and managing director of gaming company Firesprite, which was acquired by Sony PlayStation Studios in 2021.
The funding marks another milestone for Joshua, who was previously named among the winners of Gef’s 30 Under 30 awards.
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Run by Media Isle of Man’s youth-focused platform Gef.im, the initiative celebrates young people aged under 30 who are making a positive impact across the Isle of Man.
Joshua was named a winner in the Innovation category in 2024, with the awards recognising young Manx professionals for their achievements.
He previously told Isle of Man Today how his path into computer science began after his original plans to study law changed shortly before university.
After receiving an E in A-level computer science, he contacted the head of the computer science department at Liverpool John Moores University asking for an opportunity to study the subject and was subsequently offered a place.
He later founded software development company Webstartiom while still at university.
When Isle of Man Today spoke to Joshua following his Gef 30 Under 30 success, he was already working on technology aimed at the eSports trading market.
At the time, he described the project as an ‘eSports trading companion’ designed to help people understand market trends.
That entrepreneurial journey has now resulted in SkinScanner.gg securing more than £350,000 in backing, with the latest £300,000 investment intended to support the company’s continued development.
Joshua said: ‘We were deliberate about bringing the right investors into the business.
‘This round gives us access to the capital, experience and networks that can help us become the leading discovery platform in the multi-billion-pound global Counter-Strike skins market.’
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