Clarion Gaming has long been at the forefront of championing innovation, becoming the first event organiser to leverage the strength of its brands to support start-ups in accelerating their growth and gaining market visibility.
At the 2025 edition of Pitch iGB, affiliate management platform BetPass impressed the judging panel with its curated marketplace, designed to connect affiliate networks with high-value opportunities. Following the win, BetPass founder Lais Barroso reflects on the significance of receiving this recognition and shares his vision for the company’s future.
MAGE: BetPass founder Lais Barroso (third from left) is crowned 2025 Pitch iGB winner
What are the benefits of winning Pitch iGB and how would you describe the feedback that you’ve received?
Winning gave us instant credibility with a global audience. It has opened doors to conversations with top-tier operators, investors, and potential partners that would have taken months - if not years - to secure. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. People have highlighted our clear value proposition, the scalability of our model, and the way we are solving real problems in the market.
Can you explain a little bit more about the BetPass proposition?
We are an affiliate management platform which has been designed to go far beyond traditional tracking. Most platforms stop at tracking; we manage the entire affiliate journey, from onboarding and compliance to performance growth and retention. USPs include a built-in marketplace that connects operators with vetted affiliates, reducing acquisition time and improving partner quality. Resources, analytics, and gamification features are designed to actively improve affiliate performance, it provides real-time insights that allow both operators and affiliates to make smarter, faster decisions driving ROI together with automated, ongoing checks which protect operators from low-quality traffic and regulatory risks.
Previous Pitch winners have highlighted how difficult it is to attract investment from financial institutions – is that your experience and how are you addressing it?
Yes, that’s been our experience as well. Traditional financial institutions often struggle to understand the iGaming sector’s dynamics, especially in emerging markets. We’ve addressed this by focusing on generating revenue through our own products and solutions—after all, they say the best money is the customer’s, and we’ve embraced that mindset from day one. Since our start in 2023, we’ve been a 100% bootstrapped company, proving that strong execution and customer focus can fuel sustainable growth without relying on external capital.
How will you use the prize money – has it been earmarked for a specific project?
Yes, it will be invested directly into our proprietary platform, enhancing features that improve affiliate performance tracking, campaign optimization, and the overall affiliate journey, as well as developing tools that help affiliates achieve better performance and results. This directly aligns with our mission of delivering smarter, more profitable acquisition for our partners.
At what stage did you think that you would win?
I think it was towards the end of the Q&A session. I walked out of the pitch feeling very confident — I felt I had delivered an excellent presentation, and all the questions made perfect sense, giving me the chance to share more details I didn’t have time to cover during the pitch. That showed me the judges had truly understood what we do, the value we deliver, and the potential of our business.
Did you get the opportunity to enjoy iGB L!VE 2025 and what were your impressions of the first edition to be held in London?
Absolutely. London brought a different energy: there were more international decision-makers, a wider mix of markets, and an overall sense of momentum for the industry. It felt like a perfect stage for our Pitch and for high-level networking. On top of that, I had the chance to join some amazing side events, like the pre-event day dedicated to startups with talks from major industry leaders, and the football tournament the day after the show, where I met incredible people, scored several goals, and helped my team reach the final! The only downside was tearing a shoulder ligament on the very last play of the tournament—but even so, the overall experience was incredibly positive!
What inspires you and where do you get your inspiration from?
I’m inspired by building things that matter—solutions that truly move the needle for our partners. I get my inspiration from market gaps: when I see inefficiencies or missed opportunities, I can’t help but think about how to turn them into growth. At BetPass, we’re driven by innovation—by building things in ways no one else is doing. And because our entire journey has been bootstrap, solving real customer problems has also become a core source of inspiration, as it’s been essential for our survival.
What’s next for BetPass – how do you intend to harness the momentum of winning Pitch iGB?
We’re leveraging the visibility to accelerate our roadmap, closing strategic deals, expanding into new markets, and strengthening our tech capabilities. The win is not the finish line; it’s a launchpad. Our next steps include consolidating our product in the Brazilian market and continuing to grow our market share, expanding into other countries, and eventually opening new verticals, so we can bring our technology to entirely new markets.
