Ash Habib is the founder and CEO of Steel City Interactive, the studio behind hit boxing game Undisputed. Having spent more than 20 years working in IT, Ash entered the games industry with no previous development experience, driven by a simple ambition: to bring boxing back to videogames after more than a decade without a major new title.
Starting alongside his two brothers, Ash built an early prototype before leaving his full-time career to turn the idea into a business. With no track record in games, one of his biggest challenges was convincing others to believe in the opportunity. After countless conversations with investors, Ash successfully raised the funding needed to grow Steel City Interactive from a small start-up into a studio of almost 100 people.
Along the way, he secured the backing of leading investors and built relationships across the boxing world that have become fundamental to the success of Undisputed. In a sport often defined by competing interests, Ash has been able to work alongside and bring together governing bodies, promoters, fighters and other major organisations, helping transform an ambitious idea created in Sheffield into a global sports gaming franchise that has reached more than seven million players.
Those relationships extend beyond business. A lifelong boxing fan, Ash has quietly supported former fighters who have fallen on hard times, choosing to help without publicity or recognition. It reflects an approach that has helped him build trust across a sport where personal relationships matter.
Ash’s journey has also given him first-hand experience of what it takes to raise investment when you don’t necessarily have the traditional credentials, network or industry background behind you. He speaks openly about the mistakes, lessons and persistence involved in fundraising, and why founders need to understand not only how to sell their idea, but how to give investors a reason to believe they are the right person to deliver it.