STAN, a social gaming platform, has raised $8.5 million in a Series A funding round. Big names like Japanese gaming companies Bandai Namco Entertainment, Square Enix, and Reazon Holdings joined the round, along with Google’s AI Futures Fund and Aptos Labs.
Some of STAN’s earlier investors—Nazara Technologies, General Catalyst, GFR Fund, T‑Accelerate Capital, and Pix Capital—also took part in this round.
Before this, STAN raised $4.5 million in a pre-Series A round from investors like GFR Fund, Aptos Labs, Pix Capital, Maelstrom Fund, and General Catalyst.
The new funds will help STAN grow its presence in India and other mobile-first markets. They’ll also be used to improve AI-based personalization, tools for creators, and add new features for game publishers and partners working with STAN.
“STAN’s vision for empowering creators and enriching fan communities with innovative and responsible AI features deeply resonates with us. That is why we are so thrilled to welcome them to the AI Futures Fund and collaborate closely to help bring their cutting-edge ideas to life,” said David Benjamin, Co-founder – AI Futures Fund, Google.
“We have built STAN with India at the core and the user at the centre. Every product decision is grounded in what drives real value for our creators and communities,” Parth Chadha, Co-founder and CEO of STAN, said, claiming that in the last two years, the platform has grown 25X.
STAN was founded in 2022 by Parth Chadha, Akshat Rathee, Rahul Singh, and Nauman Mulla. It’s a mobile-first social platform designed specifically for gaming creators, publishers and communities.
The platform offers features like live audio, creator clubs, and real-time monetization tools. These help users connect with others, grow their audience, and actively engage with gaming culture.
On STAN, creators can earn money through shoutouts, subscriptions, and brand deals. Game publishers also benefit by reaching users directly through creator-led promotions.
The platform says it has over 25 million downloads, with most of its users coming from India’s tier 2 and tier 3 cities. STAN sees itself as a homegrown alternative to Discord, focusing on the gaming and creator community.
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