Bee Cave Games

About Bee Cave Games

Bee Cave Games was an Austin, Texas-based social and mobile games developer founded in late 2012. The company was established by Erik Bethke (CEO), Jeremy Strauser (COO), and Nimai Malle (CTO), a trio of industry veterans who had previously worked together at Zynga's Austin studio. Their collective experience spanned major titles like Mafia Wars, Madden NFL, and the Diablo series, providing a strong foundation for their new venture. The company's name was inspired by Bee Cave Road, where two of the founders lived, chosen for its strong and natural quality.

The firm specialized in the social casino games market, aiming to deliver a high-quality, multiplayer casino experience across various platforms. Its target audience was global casino game players, and to reach them, the company's products were made available on platforms including Facebook, Apple's iOS App Store, the Google Play Store, and the Kindle Fire App Store. A significant part of their strategy involved localizing games into as many as 18 languages to broaden their international reach. The business model was centered on a free-to-play approach, generating revenue primarily through in-app purchases. Players could buy virtual chips for use in blackjack and slots games, or purchase a premium currency called 'BeeBux' to acquire virtual items that provided gameplay enhancements.

The company's primary product was a multi-game casino platform, which started with "Blackjack Casino" and later expanded to include a variety of slot machine themes under the title "Bee Cave Blackjack & Slots". By November 2015, the company had released over 80 different slots themes and 13 unique blackjack environments. A key differentiator for Bee Cave Games was the extensive experience of its team and a company culture built on transparency, with open salaries and financials, where employees were also investors. Over its operational history, Bee Cave Games secured over $10 million in equity funding across several rounds from investors such as Matrix Partners, Dragonrise Capital, and Glu Mobile. The company is now listed as 'Out of Business' or 'deadpooled'.