Gaming community app Stan bags $8.5 million from Google, Nazara, others

enables gamers and creators to build and monеtisе communitiеs through shoutouts, subscriptions, and brand-led activations.

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26 Aug, 2025 12:21

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Gaming community startup Stan has raised $8.5 million in funding from Google's AI Futures Fund and Japanese gaming giants Bandai Namco Entertainment and Square Enix, the company said on July 31, highlighting the rising global investor interest in India's gaming sector.

Japanese technology firm Reazon Holdings also participated in the funding round, along with existing investors Nazara Technologies, General Catalyst, Aptos Labs, GFR Fund, T-Accelerate Capital, and Pix Capital. Last month, Nazara Technologies had announced a $1 million investment in gaming community startup Stan for a 1.54 percent stake, taking the company's total stake to 14.57 percent.

The funds will be used to expand Stan's presence in India and other mobile-first markets, invest in AI-driven personalisation and creator tools, launch new integrations for publishers and partners looking to build within gaming-focused communities, the company said.

"Stan's vision for empowering creators and enriching fan communities with innovative and responsible AI features deeply resonates with us. That's why we're 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 in a statement.

Google introduced AI Futures Fund in May 2025, offering startups across various growth stages early access to Google DeepMind's latest AI models (Gemini, Imagen, and Veo) along with resources, and technical expertise apart from equity funding.

Stan was founded in 2022 by Parth Chadha, Rahul Singh, Nauman Mulla, and Shubham Gupta, who later quit the company in April 2024. The company enables gamers and creators to build and monеtisе communitiеs through shoutouts, subscriptions, and brand-led activations.

The platform also offers tools for live audio, creator clubs and live game integrations among others. For publishers, Stan offers native distribution powered by creator engagement. One of the co-founders - Shubham Gupta - left the company in April 2024.

Users can engage in Stan clubs, participate in tournaments, and win rewards. One can engage with their favourite gaming creators or celebrities through clubs and audio rooms.

Stan claims to have more than 25 million users and over 1 million creators on the platform. and hopes to scale up to 50 million users by next year.

"We’ve 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," Chadha said.

Among Stan's earlier backers include Bеttеr Capital, BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes's family office Maelstrom Fund, CoinDCX Ventures, and Coinswitch Ventures. The startup also notes Nodwin Gaming co-founder Rathee as a founding investor.

The startup had reported an annual turnover of around $7.87 million for the financial year 2025 (FY25), a significant jump from $1.71 million in FY24.