News

Freecash Pays Out Over $500 Million in Rewards and Reaches $1 Billion Annual Revenue Run Rate

October 15, 2026
3 minute read
Table of contents
Demand More from Your Ad Spend

BERLIN, GERMANY – October 15 – Freecash, the flagship rewards platform of Berlin-based adtech company Almedia, has surpassed the $500 million milestone in global user payouts. Earners accumulate rewards by discovering and engaging with games and apps, a model that has helped the company scale to a $1 billion annual revenue run rate, three times the $330 million it generated in 2025. 

The milestone points to a broader shift in how brands acquire and retain users. As consumers become harder to reach through traditional advertising, companies are increasingly looking for ways to turn attention into meaningful engagement rather than initial impressions or installs. Today, awareness and conversion absorb 62.6% of media budgets, up more than 10% since 2024, while spending on loyalty and retention has fallen by 29%. At the same time, 81% of U.S. consumers say they try to tune out advertising, with 52% actively taking steps to block it. 

Freecash takes a different approach by turning advertising into a value exchange. Instead of simply asking users for their attention, the platform gives them a tangible reason to engage with products they choose to explore. Freecash’s recommendation system learns from how users engage with offers on the platform, helping it suggest experiences they are more likely to enjoy and helping advertisers reach users who are more likely to remain active.

The Freecash product has scaled to more than nine million people earning rewards each month. Over one million users have earned more than $100 through the platform, and more than 70,000 have earned over $1,000.

"We only grow when our partners do. Superbox saw up to twice the day-30 return on ad spend for Jewels Jungle compared with non-rewarded channels, and Ovivo saw an estimated 16.8% lift in LTV across 24 titles with Almedia Link," said Moritz Holländer, Founder and CEO of Almedia. "That increased value is shared with our users, who choose to engage with our advertising, and it's how we've built a business generating more than $6.8 million revenue per employee in 2026." 

Freecash’s payout data also shows how the model translates across games and markets. Casual puzzle and word games account for the largest shares of payout activity, with titles such as Merge Restaurant, Word Farm Adventure, Word Collect, and Office Cat among the most popular. Payments have been made across 217 countries and territories. The United States accounts for 57.9% of lifetime payout value, followed by Germany with 9.7%, the United Kingdom with 8.2%, Canada with 3.7%, and France with 3.2%.

— ENDS —

About Almedia

Berlin-based Almedia is building the future of mobile growth and monetisation with data-driven rewards and recommendations. Its flagship platform, Freecash, connects over 95 million users with games, apps, and brands, and has paid out more than $500 million in rewards. Alongside UA, Almedia's monetisation solution, Link, helps publishers unlock incremental revenue and maximize LTV. Founded in 2020, Almedia is profitable and has never raised external capital. Sifted ranks it first for revenue per employee among the 100 fastest-growing startups in DACH and CEE. Today, Almedia partners with leading brands and app developers, and operates globally, with offices in Berlin, New York, Beijing, Tokyo, and Seoul.

‍

Share
"
Rewarded UA has earned its place alongside Google, Meta, and AppLovin in the mobile marketing mix.
It has become a core channel because the additional user engagement delivered post ad-click drives retention and long-term value that other UA sources struggle to match.
"
Testimonial Author Image
Moritz Holländer
Founder, CEO at Almedia
Decorative background shape
"
By showcasing our game directly to people who already play games and tailoring offers around in-game behavior, Freecash helped us scale installs globally faster and more efficiently than traditional channels.
"
Testimonial Author Image
Saras Panigrahi
Marketing Director at Potato Play
Decorative background shape
"
Almedia teams deliver full-cycle support for launching campaigns in multiple markets. They monitor KPIs closely, tweak campaign setups in real time, and consistently share new optimization ideas that help elevate results.
"
Testimonial Author Image
Saras Panigrahi
Marketing Director at Potato Play
Decorative background shape
"
We required UA partners who can perform at high spend levels and still hit key metrics like retention and a positive return on investment while scaling our game installs.
"
Testimonial Author Image
Saras Panigrahi
Marketing Director at Potato Play
Decorative background shape
"
We have been successfully working with Almedia for several years and are looking forward to the next years to come.
"
Testimonial Author Image
Pascal Ludynia
CEO at Ayet Studio GmbH
Decorative background shape
"
Almedia’s Talented team delivering results at scale! Always available and supportive.
"
Testimonial Author Image
Ben Asbach
CEO at Bitburst GmbH
Decorative background shape
"
Working closely with Almedia, we built and optimized a strategy that outperformed our goals. With aligned targets, transparent feedback, and a shared drive for innovation, we created a funnel that delivered real impact at scale.
"
Testimonial Author Image
Adi Tubul
User Acquisition Manager at Candivore
Decorative background shape
"
Almedia stands out as a partner that not only scales but also focuses on long-term performance. They’ve become an essential part of our UA mix.
"
Testimonial Author Image
Antella Yu
User Acquisition Lead at Stillfront (Super Free Games)
Decorative background shape
"
Almedia helped us scale high-quality U.S. users across iOS and Android, driving a 120% uplift in Day 7 retention and ROAS while doubling our budget in a competitive market.
"
Testimonial Author Image
Hyekang Seo
UA Lead at Actionfit
Decorative background shape
"
Almedia enabled us to achieve consistent monthly growth with profitable margins, fostering a sustainable path to success and ensuring long-term profitability.
"
Testimonial Author Image
Mad Brain Games
Decorative background shape
"
Almedia drives top-quality users to our games, among the best of all UA channels. We're happy to keep scaling and strengthening our partnership with this talented team.
"
Testimonial Author Image
Mor Stone
VP of Marketing at Innplay Labs
Decorative background shape
"
This was more than a reactivation, it was a relaunch powered by insight. The results speak for themselves: 550% growth in daily spend, 2x competitor performance, and a successful iOS expansion.
"
Dukryul Kim
UA Manager, Treeplla
Decorative background shape
"
We came into this partnership with aggressive growth goals, and Freecash helped us blow past every one of them. Doubling our 30-day ROAS against top competitors was something we hadn’t achieved before.
"
San Heo
CEO, Treeplla
Decorative background shape
"
The close collaboration between Candivore and Almedia’s team allowed us to design and iterate on a strategy that exceeded our performance goals. Through aligned targets, transparent feedback loops, and a shared commitment to innovation, we built a funnel that drove meaningful impact at scale.
"
Testimonial Author Image
Adi Tubul
User Acquisition Manager at Candivore
Decorative background shape
"
Almedia offers the broadest worldwide geo coverage among all the incentivized partners we’ve worked with, giving us valuable insights into T2/T3 markets and helping us scale efficiently with lower CPIs.
"
Testimonial Author Image
Antella Yu
User Acquisition Lead at Stillfront (Super Free Games)
Decorative background shape
"
Almedia proved that rewarded UA can deliver both high ROAS and strong retention - a combination we hadn’t been able to achieve before. The process was smooth from start to finish, and the ongoing optimization made a huge difference in campaign success.
"
Testimonial Author Image
Jade Baeck
Senior Manager at SUPERBOX
Decorative background shape
"
Almedia delivered nearly 3x higher D30 retention compared to other rewarded channels: all while maintaining strong ROAS. It was the first time we found a UA partner that could truly balance both retention and profitability.
"
Testimonial Author Image
Jade Baeck
Senior Manager at SUPERBOX
Decorative background shape
"
Partnering with Freecash has been a great fit for our games and community. Their rewarding platform integrates naturally with our player experience, delivering strong engagement and meaningful value for both sides. We’re excited to continue expanding our collaboration and building long-term success together.
"
Testimonial Author Image
Dima Gorodnev
COO, Ovivo
Decorative background shape