EMERGING, FINALIST
The evolution of Curse Inc. is the story of founder and CEO Hubert Thieblot’s coming of age. In 2003, he was a 17-year-old high school student in Paris. Rather than concentrating on his studies and attending class, he was engrossed in video games. Thieblot became enthralled with the massively multiplayer online game, “World of Warcraft.” When Thieblot wasn’t playing the game, he worked on developing a website to share “World of Warcraft” modifications and plug-ins to allow players to change their user interface.
He originally designed the website just for his friends, but quickly learned it was something the whole MMO and “World of Warcraft” community needed. His website created a centralized location where players could find the best add-ons for their play styles. Launched in 2006, Thieblot’s website traffic skyrocketed, and he realized he had a viable online business. Today, Curse is the No. 1 resource for online gamers and the largest MMO property worldwide.
As the company grew, Thieblot learned a lot about what it meant to be a CEO and entrepreneur. In 2008, he moved the company to the United States. He realized the add-ons market was too niche for the company to expand further, so the company began offering community news, forums and databases for quests and items. This decision has led to exponential growth ever since.
At Curse, employees are gamers and a part of the community for which they build products and services that are superior and will benefit the community. What sets Curse apart is its focus on the player and his or her success in his or her virtual world of choice. Curse is focused on providing great content and platforms for online games and supporting players throughout their entire life cycle with a game, not just the purchase point.
HOW TO REACH: Curse Inc., www.curse.com
