Investment in global gaming‑related startups is picking up in 2026 after hitting a longtime low in 2025. So far this year, companies in the space have raised around $2 billion in seed‑through growth‑stage funding, already ahead of the 2025 full‑year total. The increase is driven in large part by big rounds for companies at the intersection of AI and gaming.
Among the largest fundraisers, Sunnyvale‑based Meshy AI, a developer of foundation models for AI‑powered 3D generation, secured $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. Israel‑based Decart, which builds a platform for training AI models, raised $300 million. Decart is also known for video simulation technology pitched as compelling for game development.
Pure gaming startups also featured prominently in the top rounds. Motion‑based family game developer Nex closed a $150 million round last week, and Turkish mobile gaming company Grand Games raised $70 million in May.
Investors are scaling up as well. San Francisco‑based Makers Fund closed a $250 million raise for its fourth flagship fund last month and has participated in at least 10 known rounds this year, including a lead seed stake in viral puzzle game maker Dream Games, which later exited at a $5 billion valuation. A few months earlier, Griffin Gaming Partners announced a fresh $100 million fund focused on indie games, intending to provide financing in exchange for a share of a game’s revenue.
Although gaming startup investment remains far below the peaks seen a few years ago, the substantial year‑over‑year gains observed so far in 2026 look encouraging and point to an early upturn.
