Top 20 VC Investors investing in Gaming

• 8 min read
Top 20 VC Investors investing in Gaming

Video games are currently among the most popular media of entertainment. Millions of people all over the world have played at least one video game at some point in their lives, and every year, games and consoles sell out at various retailers.

Because of this, the video game industry is undoubtedly thriving, and the demand for new games continues to rise. In other words, right now is the best time for video game creators to unleash their works to the public.

However, it takes a lot of effort, time, and money to develop a video game. So, if you dream of building your own gaming company, you need the help of investors in the first place. Here are 20 venture capital firms that are willing to invest in gaming startups, and at least one of them can help you.

Top VC Investors in Gaming

Play Ventures

Play Ventures is a venture capital firm that is founded by game entrepreneurs. This VC invests in startups that create the most promising free-to-play games and other services.

Play Ventures is open to startups worldwide, and when chosen, the firm will accompany them from the very start of their entrepreneurial journeys. In particular, they provide tailored support and funding, and the startups also have access to Play Ventures’ unique network of experts.

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Galaxy Interactive

Galaxy Interactive is part of Galaxy Digital, which is a merchant bank specializing in digital assets and blockchain technology. Founded in November 2018, Galaxy Interactive is a VC fund that is dedicated to the interactive entertainment ecosystem.

As such, Galaxy invests across the interactive landscape, and they are well-known for their investments in gaming, web3, and open finance. Some of the companies they have invested in are Avia Games, BARB, Bad Robot Games, Big Run Studios, Bright Star, Coreloop, Skystone, and many more.

Makers Fund

Makers Fund is a venture capital firm that focuses on investing in early-stage interactive entertainment companies. The firm accepts startups from all around the world, and once selected, the startups will have access to funding, expertise, and an extensive network of professionals in the industry.

Makers Fund has invested in several gaming companies throughout the years, including AviaGames, BitStar, Controlzee, End Game, and Gaggle Studios.

Transcend Fund

Transcend Fund is an early-stage venture capital firm that supports the most ambitious and talented founders in the game industry to build the future of gaming and digital entertainment.

Transcend was created by game industry veterans, and so the team cares deeply about the game developers, players, streamers, publishers, and platforms. Some of the games that Transcend has worked with in the past couple of years include Nifty Games, Treehouse Games, Maestro, Stress Level Zero, Goss, Singularity 6, and Arcadia.

Griffin Gaming Partners

Griffin Gaming Partners is a leading venture capital firm that is exclusively focused on investing in the global gaming market. The company was founded in 2019 by Peter Levin, Phil Sanderson, and Nick Tuosto, three veterans in the gaming industry who have a total of 22 years of game finance experience.

Some of the companies included in Griffin’s portfolio list include Supersocial, Discord, Subspace, Skillz, Tactile, Wizard, Wave, Funzy, Latitude, Frost Giant, Players’ Lounge, and Overwolf.

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MGVC

MY.GAMES Venture Capital (MGVC) is the investment division of MY.GAMES that aims to provide support for the most promising gaming projects and companies in the industry. In particular, the firm offers support in game design, marketing, business development, production, project management, HR, and investment analysis.

As of right now, MGVC has 34 studios in their portfolio, and they have had 1,100 applications and six mergers and acquisitions so far.

VGames

VGames is a venture fund intended for game entrepreneurs. The firm is comprised of both the youngest and the most mature developers, so they know just how much effort it takes to build a great game. For that reason, they are passionate about helping founders throughout their entire cycle — from the early stage to their growth. The support comes in the forms of ideation, distribution, and monetization.

Some of the gaming studios that VGames has helped in the past are Dorian, Innplay Labs, Brain Games, Playstream.gg, SuperPlay, Starfarm, Funtra, Carnivore, Whalo, and Boom Corp.

Hiro Capital

Hiro Capital is a venture capital firm that invests in innovators from the U.K., Europe, and North America who are building breakthrough video games, e-sports, streaming, and digital sports. In particular, the firm invests in both front-end game content creators and back-end game technology and service innovators.

A few of the companies in Hiro Capital’s portfolio include Keen, Loco, Twin Suns, PlayerData, Snowprint, Double Loop Games, Happy Volcano, Zwift, Lightfox Games, Polyarc, FitXR, EdgeGap, and FlavourWorks.

March Gaming

March Gaming is a venture-growth firm that is committed to partnering with exceptional entrepreneurs to build great tech companies and scale them globally. In particular, the firm has deep expertise in enterprise, AI, cyber, fintech, cloud infrastructure, industrial tech, and gaming, and they invest in companies from all over the world.

Currently, March has over $1 billion in capital over four funds and across 30 market-leading technology companies. So, chosen startups will receive funding, high-impact portfolio engagement, and access to a global leadership network.

Some of the companies that March has invested in are Bayes Esports, Comunix, Dorian, Genvid, Immortals Gaming Club, and KnockKnock.

Konvoy Ventures

Founded by Josh Chapman, Jason Chapman, and Jackson Vaughan, Konvoy Ventures is a venture capital firm that is dedicated to investing in video gaming companies. Based in Denver, Konvoy invests in infrastructure technology, tools, and platforms.

Some of the gaming companies in Konvoy’s portfolio are Quicksave, Goss, GameFam, Lootcakes, Rupie, Origami, Haste, EdgeGap, Muxy, Shapeshift Gaming, Askott Entertainment, and Game Whales.

BITKRAFT

BITKRAFT is a global investment platform for gaming, esports, and interactive media. The firm’s primary goal is to invest in extraordinary entrepreneurs and deliver outsized returns to their investors.

BITKRAFT’s team is made up of gaming and esports entrepreneurs since 1997, so they have deep knowledge when it comes to the gaming industry. They also have connections with other distinguished investors and strategic partners across the globe, allowing them to provide profound expertise and network access to their chosen startups.

The following are a few companies in BITKRAFT’s portfolio: Bazooka Tango, Bebop Bee, Bayes, Bit Fry Game Studios Inc., Epic Games, Carbonated, Fantec, Five Vectors, Fuze.tv, Koji, Joyride, and Gamezop.

London Venture Partners

London Venture Partners (LVP) is a venture capital firm that focuses on investing in gaming companies. The firm prefers to invest early, so they always make first investments at the angel-, pre-seed, and seed stage.

Throughout the years, LVP has invested in countless gaming companies, and all these companies have generated approximately $18 billion in value. A few examples of the companies that LVP has invested in are Supercell, Unity, NaturalMotion, Playfish, Peak, Amplifier, Boomlagoon, Klang, TacticSoft, Vintra, NAG Studios, Rapchat, Vela Games, and Radiant Entertainment.

Lumikai

Lumikai is India’s first venture capital firm for gaming and interactive media. Since India’s interactive market is entering a golden age, Lumikai aims to catalyze the country’s gaming and interactive media industries.

To achieve their goal, the firm curates and supports a select number of India’s most forward-thinking, creative, and talented founders. Lumikai’s team is full of professionals in the industry who have decades’ worth of experience in sector strategy, thus allowing them to provide deep knowledge to early-stage gaming companies.

The Games Fund

Announced in April 2021, The Games Fund (TGF) is arguably the newest fund in the gaming industry. The firm is an early-stage VC fund that is founded by veterans in the video game industry, and they target gaming companies in the United States and Europe.

Currently, TGF’s fund is at $30 million, and their portfolio includes Vandrouka Games, Purple Games, Hypemasters, and Jarvi. The firm is planning to add more companies to their portfolio of investments.

1Up Ventures

1Up Ventures is a venture capital fund founded by Ed Fries, a veteran of Microsoft and was the vice president of game publishing for the Xbox console. This firm aims to build a diverse and inclusive community of the most talented, experienced, and creative independent game developers in the world.

1Up’s current fund is $30 million, and they often like to co-invest with other VCs. Some of the companies that 1Up Ventures has invested in are Double Loop Games, Tiny Rebel Games, and Funomena.

Game Seer

Game Seer is a venture capital fund composed of gamers who are aiming to invest back in the industry. The fund created by this group of gamers is intended exclusively for core and indie multiplatform licenses, and the firm aims at filtering, assessing, and early funding impactful PC and console titles that will drive traction and revenues.

Some of the games that Game Seer has invested in are Alaloth: Champions of the Four Kingdoms, Sword of the Necromancer, Away: The Survival Series, Aragami 2, and The Waylanders.

Black Sheep Ventures

Black Sheep Ventures is founded by Nolan Bushnell, the Godfather of the Video Game Industry and the founder of Atari and Chuck E. Cheese Pizza Time Theatre, and Ron Bauer, a biotech and technology venture capitalist. As a VC, Black Sheep Ventures invests in cutting-edge high-growing ventures in EdTech, gaming, and blockchain technology.

Bushnell and Bauer combine their decades of experience so that they can help gaming companies succeed in their operations and realize substantial capital gains.

Dune Ventures

Dune Ventures is a multi-stage venture firm supporting founders who are building interactive content, social, and technology. The firm does not have stage restrictions, but they do prefer to partner with founders early — usually during the seed stage or series A. They also prefer long-term partnerships with startups, which is why they only invest in a small number of founders every year.

Some of the companies that Dune Ventures has invested in are Core Loop Games, End Game Interactive, First Light Games, Kanga, Medal TV, Nexus, Oooh TV, and Starform.

GameFounders

GameFounders is a global startup accelerator program that focuses solely on game studios and startups. This program lasts for three months, and during that time, selected startups will receive mentoring, weekly pitch practice, playtesting, field trips to successful game studios, and funding of $25,000.

Some of the companies that underwent the GameFounders program are 27 Rabbits, Amazing Soul Games, Castling Entertainment Studios, Limkernel, Mopix Games, and NightMorning.

Gameforce Ventures

Gameforce Ventures is a venture capital firm focused solely on companies in the esports and gaming scene. The firm prefers to invest between the seed stage and series A, but they might also come in at later stages if the need arises.

Some of the companies included in Gameforce’s portfolio are Goama, RSG, and Resurgence.

Conclusion

The video game industry is currently thriving, and it will continue to thrive in the years to come. Because of this, more and more people are inspired to start their own businesses in this industry, hoping to provide more games for people to enjoy.

Unfortunately, it takes a lot of money and hard work to produce games, so gaming companies need the money to help keep their businesses afloat.

The VCs mentioned above are some of the firms that are willing to invest in gaming companies. So, if you’re a founder of a gaming startup, you should look through the list and start applying to every gaming VC you can find. It will definitely help you in the long run.

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