This Week in Startups
This 22-Year-Old Built TikTok for Mobile Games, and It’s Growing Fast | E2276
Why It Matters
Nanogram could democratize game creation, lowering barriers for indie developers and enabling brands to craft engaging, interactive ads that capture more user attention than static videos. As AI accelerates content production, this model highlights a new frontier for mobile entertainment and marketing, making the episode especially relevant for creators, advertisers, and investors watching the convergence of AI and interactive media.
Key Takeaways
- •Nanogram lets users create and remix games in seconds.
- •AI engine uses Gemini and tool‑calling for assets generation.
- •Feed‑style gameplay yields 21‑minute average sessions.
- •Monetization includes creator currency and brand interactive ads.
- •Early growth: 100k users, 20 power users, Discord launch.
Pulse Analysis
Nanogram, the brainchild of 22‑year‑old Albert Brotherton and 24‑year‑old Boris Radulov, is a TikTok‑style platform where anyone can generate, play, and remix mobile games in under two minutes. Leveraging Google Gemini and a suite of AI agents, the custom engine produces 3D meshes, pixel art, and sound effects on demand, turning a simple prompt like “flappy bird” into a playable title in 60‑90 seconds. This rapid prototyping eliminates the weeks‑long development cycle traditional creators faced, opening game creation to a broader, non‑technical audience and fostering a collaborative remix culture similar to video‑editing platforms.
The founders envision a dual‑sided marketplace: a feed of interactive content that keeps users engaged for an average 21‑minute session, and a monetization layer where brands can embed mini‑games as ads. Examples include a Domino’s‑themed Asteroids clone that drives direct orders, while creators can earn through a proprietary creator currency and micro‑transactions for extra levels. Early metrics show 100,000 downloads, with 20 power users playing over 25 games per session, and a Discord‑originated community that seeded the launch. Their business model also explores paid boosts for brand content, mirroring influencer promotion tactics on TikTok and Instagram.
Nanogram arrives as short‑form video platforms saturate, yet interactive experiences remain scarce. By combining AI‑driven development with a social feed, the startup taps into the growing demand for immersive, bite‑sized entertainment. The team, based in London with plans for a New York outpost, has already secured seed funding and navigated modest student debt—approximately £50,000 (about $62,000)—to build the product. As AI tools democratize content creation, Nanogram could reshape how brands engage consumers and how indie developers reach audiences, positioning itself as a potential breakout hit in the evolving gaming‑social landscape.
Episode Description
This Week In Startups is made possible by:
LinkedIn Jobs - LinkedIn.com/twist Every.io - every.io Render - render.com/twist
Today’s show:
*Imagine scrolling through mobile games the way your flip through your TikTok feed. What if you could build your own game in 90 seconds and share it with the world? That’s what over 100,000 users are enjoying right now on Nanogram.
On TWiST, we meet the co-founders: 22-year-old CEO Albert Brotherton and 24-year-old CTO Boris Radilov. They demo the app for us on the air, and Jason immediately spies the potential. Power users are playing 25+ games per session already.
We’re digging into the co-founders future plans, including the potential for ads in your game feed, in this TWiST exclusive.
PLUS domestic helper bots are here. NEO from 1X Technologies can do the laundry, open the door for guests, and even read and understand Post-It Note messages.
Alex talks with CEO Bernt Børnich about building the safety-first 66-lb humanoid, why world models are so crucial for training robots in particular, and why homes are even tougher places for robots to navigate than factory floors.
Timestamps:0:59 Nanogram co-creators Albert and Boris join the show
3:42 Nanogram is TikTok for casual AI-generated games
4:27 Building Nanogram with Google Gemini
5:49 Draper and Associates: https://www.draper.vc
6:11 Integrating ads into the game feed
7:36 Roblox: https://www.roblox.com World of Warcraft: https://worldofwarcraft.blizzard.com
8:25 Building in New York
9:07 Jason is obsessed with the Staples Baddie https://www.tiktok.com/@blivxx
10:12 LinkedIn Jobs - Hire right, the first time. Post your first job and get $100 off towards your job post at https://LinkedIn.com/twist
20:36 Every.io - For all of your incorporation, banking, payroll, benefits, accounting, taxes or other back-office administration needs, visit https://every.io
21:40 1X CEO and founder Bernt Børnich joins the show https://x.com/BerntBornich
22:31 Designing robots to actually live around people
26:30 Teaching NEO about movement in the physical world
29:00 TechCrunch coverage: https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/13/neo-humanoid-maker-1x-releases-world-model-to-help-bots-learn-what-they-see/
29:58 Render: Find out why 5 million developers are already using the all-in-one cloud platform, Render. Go to https://render.com/twist and apply for the Render Startup Program to get $500-$100,000 in free credits, depending on your stage and backers.
31:04 Moving beyond training data to true general intelligence
33:17 Ensuring NEO pursues the safest possible path
34:19 Why are world models so important?
41:51 1X World Model Challenge on GitHub: https://github.com/1x-technologies/1xgpt
45:14 Robots need to train on a lot of data… Where does it all come from?
50:14 Manufacturing NEO from raw materials in San Carlos
56:32 Robots building robots
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