Global gaming-related startup funding is showing signs of recovery in 2026, according to Crunchbase data. Companies in the space have raised roughly $2 billion in seed- through growth-stage funding so far this year, already ahead of the full-year 2025 total. The uptick follows a longtime low last year, with much of the momentum driven by outsized rounds at the intersection of gaming and AI.
Among the largest fundraisers, Sunnyvale-based Meshy AI closed a $400 million Series B at a $1.5 billion valuation in July; while not a pure-play gaming company, it positions gaming as a core use case for its 3D-generation foundation models. Israel-based Decart raised $300 million for its AI training platform, with video-simulation tech pitched at game developers. Pure gaming startups also drew investor interest: motion-based family game developer Nex closed on $150 million, and Turkish mobile studio Grand Games raised $70 million.
Investors are scaling up too. San Francisco-based Makers Fund collected $250 million for its fourth flagship fund, following a successful early bet on Dream Games, while Griffin Gaming Partners raised $100 million for an indie-focused Special Opportunities Fund that will finance games in exchange for a revenue share. Crunchbase notes that gaming startup investment remains far below the peaks of a few years ago, but the year-over-year gains point to an upturn still early in the making.