SAN FRANCISCO — Venture capital firm Makers Fund has closed a $500 million fund to invest in founders who are evolving and innovating the gaming ecosystem. The fund is Makers Fund’s third and largest, after a $200 million fund raised in 2017, and a $260 million fund in 2020.
“The Makers Fund approach is to be a partner for entrepreneurs building innovative games, tools and technology that will define the next generation of interactive entertainment,” said Jay Chi, founding partner. “We treat our investments as partnerships, providing founders with a deep support system and strategic guidance from a network of advisors who are equally passionate and committed to the gaming industry. As one of the first gaming funds, we believe introducing long-term capital demonstrates the opportunity ahead and guarantees our support of the industry for decades to come.”
“We founded Makers with the conviction that we were entering the golden age for interactive entertainment, to change the way we all think about investing into the creative medium and how we support early stage founders,” said Michael Cheung, general partner, Makers Fund. “The industry has since catapulted from $100B in 2017 to $170B in 2021 as consumer adoption and engagement accelerates across all demographics and geographies. Our latest fund allows us to back founders throughout their journey from product inception through to global scaling.”
Makers Fund will expand its impact by growing its team in key hubs including the United States, the United Kingdom, Nordics, Japan and Singapore. Makers has a team of 26, including notable new hires Garry Hill, Talent Partner, with experience leading recruiting organizations at Activision Blizzard, Reddit, and Paxos; Alli Ottarsson, Principal, who previously led production on Eve Online, League of Legends, and Valorant; and Andrew Willson, Principal, with experience leading the gaming practice at McKinsey. Makers has also strengthened its dedicated network of venture partners and advisors, including industry veterans Anna Sweet, Matthew Ball and Donovan Duncan.
Makers has a proven track record with more than 90 companies in its portfolio globally, including content studios like Dream Games and Avia Games, technology solutions such as Parsec and Genvid, and consumer platforms like Medal.tv and VR Chat, among others. The announced list of portfolio companies can be found at makersfund.com.
“We are grateful for the trust that many founders have placed in us,” said Ryann Lai, general partner. “It’s a privilege to work with and learn from these amazing creators and entrepreneurs every day, and we are always thinking of new ways to level up our support for founders in this fast-evolving industry.”
Makers Fund III is backed by preeminent endowments, foundations and institutions that have long-standing relationships with Makers Fund, and that are committed to supporting the games industry ecosystem for the long term.
