CEO David Natroshvili on Capturing Emerging Markets with SPRIBE

When David Natroshvili founded SPRIBE in 2018, he made a prescient bet: the next billion digital entertainment users wouldn't come from saturated Western markets, but from the rapidly expanding mobile economies of Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Southeast Asia. Today, with over 55 million monthly active users and Aviator generating more than $14 billion in monthly platform engagement, the Georgian entrepreneur's vision has proven remarkably accurate.

"The traditional approach to global expansion has been flawed," says Natroshvili. "Most companies design for high-income markets and then try to scale down for emerging economies. We've flipped that script entirely—we design for emerging markets first, understanding that true innovation comes from solving for constraints, not abundance."

The Billion-User Opportunity

The numbers support Natroshvili's thesis. According to the GSMA's latest Mobile Economy Report, smartphone penetration in Latin America is expected to reach 90% by 2030, while Sub-Saharan Africa—despite having the lowest current penetration rates—represents the fastest-growing mobile market globally. More tellingly, Pew Research data reveals that younger adults in emerging economies are significantly more likely to adopt new digital platforms than their counterparts in developed nations.

"In India, 73% of adults under 40 use the internet regularly, compared to just 36% of those over 40," Natroshvili notes. "But here's what's fascinating—that younger demographic isn't just adopting technology faster; they're demanding experiences that feel native to their cultural context and infrastructure realities."

This insight has driven SPRIBE's approach to market entry. Rather than launching Aviator with a one-size-fits-all strategy, the company invested heavily in understanding regional preferences, connectivity patterns, and social gaming behaviors across different markets.

Mobile-First Economies Drive Innovation

The mobile-first nature of emerging markets has fundamentally influenced SPRIBE's product development philosophy. Unlike developed markets where desktop internet preceded mobile adoption, users in markets like Nigeria, Indonesia, and Mexico are experiencing their first internet connection through smartphones.

"This creates different behavioral patterns and expectations," Natroshvili observes. "Mobile-first users expect instantaneous loading, thumb-friendly interfaces, and seamless integration with messaging apps. They're not transitioning from desktop; they're defining what digital interaction should feel like."

World Bank research supports this observation, noting that mobile internet subscribers in emerging economies are growing at rates three times faster than in developed markets. For SPRIBE, this represents both opportunity and responsibility.

SPRIBE's regional performance data reveals significant growth opportunities. In 2024, Africa accounted for 35.14% of monthly active users with an impressive 53.93% year-over-year growth, while South America represented 19.33% of users with 25.14% growth. Most notably, the APAC region showed extraordinary expansion with 629.67% growth, though from a smaller base.

Ethical Expansion Strategy

Natroshvili is candid about the ethical considerations of expanding digital entertainment platforms into emerging markets. "There's a fine line between democratizing access to digital entertainment and extractive business practices," he acknowledges. "We've seen too many companies enter these markets with predatory monetization strategies that exploit economic vulnerabilities."

SPRIBE's approach emphasizes sustainable engagement over aggressive user acquisition. The company partners with local operators who understand regional regulatory frameworks and cultural sensitivities, rather than pursuing direct-to-consumer strategies that might bypass local safeguards.

"Our retention rates in emerging markets are actually higher than in developed ones, but our revenue per user is lower—and that's intentional," Natroshvili explains. "We're building for long-term market development, not short-term extraction. When users trust your platform and feel it respects their local context, they become ambassadors rather than just customers."

Sustainable Market Entry

As digital infrastructure continues expanding globally, Natroshvili believes the companies that will dominate tomorrow's entertainment landscape are those that build authentic relationships with emerging market users today.

"The playbook of 'launch in California, then expand globally' is obsolete," he concludes. "The next generation of digital platforms will be built from the ground up for global accessibility, cultural inclusivity, and infrastructure diversity. At SPRIBE, we're not just capturing emerging markets—we're learning from them how to build better products for everyone."

With smartphone penetration projected to reach 76% globally by 2030 and mobile internet subscribers in emerging economies growing at unprecedented rates, Natroshvili's bet on emerging-market-first development appears increasingly prescient. As SPRIBE continues expanding its global footprint while maintaining its commitment to sustainable, culturally-informed growth, the company serves as a model for how technology companies can pursue international expansion without losing sight of local impact and responsibility.

For Natroshvili, success isn't measured solely in user acquisition metrics or revenue growth—it's in building digital experiences that feel genuinely local while connecting users to a global community. In an industry often criticized for extractive practices, SPRIBE's approach suggests a more sustainable path forward for digital entertainment expansion.