Games24x7 launches Rs 400 cr fund for interactive entertainment start-ups

Will largely focus on entrepreneurs aspiring to build disruptive ventures in online gaming, digital marketing, digital content, sports tech, eSports, blockchain tech and analytics

Gaming unicorn Games24x7 has launched its corporate investment arm Games 24x7 Ventures to support early-stage start-ups at the intersection of technology and interactive entertainment space in India.

Games24x7 Ventures will have a corpus of Rs 400 crore in the next five years and will largely focus on partnering with entrepreneurs aspiring to innovate and build disruptive ventures in particularly transformational categories such as online gaming, digital marketing, digital content, sports tech, eSports, blockchain tech and analytics. 

“We have launched this fund to foster India’s entrepreneurial and deep-tech ecosystem. We believe that a strong vision supported by the right environment can accelerate the growth journey for any start-up and our own progress is a testament of the same,” said Bhavin Pandya, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Games24x7.

“With Games24x7 Innovation Fund, we strive to be a catalyst in the growing start-up community which offers a perfect amalgamation of unique ideas, disruptive business models, and new innovative technologies,” he added.

The initiative aims to provide early-stage start-ups with guidance and mentorship to accelerate their growth and develop disruptive solutions for realizing the Digital India mission, the firm said in a statement.

“We believe that we are very well positioned to support early-stage companies beyond just capital. Our ROI-focused mindset, intense customer focus, and scientific operating methodology of scaling topline while preserving sound unit economics would be very beneficial in partnering with founders in building hyper growth companies which will endure,” said Trivikraman Thampy, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Games24x7.

Rahul Tewari, Games24x7’s Chief Financial Officer added, “As a highly strategic venture capital partner we bring in a unique blend of access to patient capital along with strategic value additions in areas such as product development, data science, marketing automation, and user growth and monetization to help next generation of young, ambitious founders scale their ventures with confidence.”

In 2021, the gaming unicorn had made an investment in CricHeroes, a digital player-focused platform targeted at grassroot cricket in areas such as digital marketing, data science, data infrastructure and security, and product development.  The business has seen substantial topline growth and increase in the number of paying user base since then, Games24x7 said in a statement.

According to the company, collaborations with start-ups will also see Games24x7 supporting them with organisational capabilities beyond just financial assistance.