Investment in global gaming-related startups is picking up some in 2026, after hitting a longtime low last year.
So far this year, companies in the space have raised around $2 billion in seed- through growth-stage funding. That’s already ahead of the 2025 full-year total, driven in large part by big rounds for companies at the intersection of AI and gaming.
Lead fundraisers
A few particularly large rounds contributed an outsized share to this year’s funding tally.
Sunnyvale, California-based Meshy AI, a developer of foundation models for AI-powered 3D generation, was the largest fundraiser, pulling in $400 million in a July Series B at a $1.5 billion valuation. While not a pure-play gaming company, Meshy highlights gaming as a core use case for its 3D AI agent.
Decart, developer of a platform for training AI models, was another investor favorite, pulling in $300 million. Like Meshy, Israel-based Decart is not an AI pure-play; it’s also known for a video simulation technology pitched as compelling for game development.
We also saw plenty of pure gaming startups in the largest-round list, including motion-based family game developer Nex, which closed on $150 million last week, and Turkish mobile gaming company Grand Games, which picked up $70 million in May. Below, we highlight nine standout funding recipients this year.
Investors are also scaling up
Gaming-focused venture investors are also attracting fresh capital. One of the larger raises closed last month, with San Francisco-based Makers Fund picking up $250 million for its fourth flagship fund. The closing follows a string of successful investments, including a lead seed stake in viral puzzle game maker Dream Games, which later exited at a $5 billion valuation.
Makers Fund has continued to invest actively, taking part in at least 10 known rounds this year, per Crunchbase data. This includes financings for high-profile startups such as Novig, the sports betting platform that recently drew attention for a controversial ad campaign.
A few months earlier, Griffin Gaming Partners announced a fresh raise of its own, securing $100 million for a fund focused on indie games. The firm’s Special Opportunities Fund intends to provide financing in exchange for a share of a game’s revenue, in what it hopes will be a more appealing investment structure for indie studios.
The beginning of an up cycle?
Overall, while gaming startup investment remains far below the peaks seen a few years ago, the substantial year-over-year gains we’re seeing look encouraging. The direction of funding charts certainly points to an upturn still early in the making.
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Illustration: Dom Guzman
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