STAN secures $8.5m funding to power AI-driven growth and games communities

• STAN raises $8.5m to supercharge Gen Z-led gaming communities across mobile-first markets.
• Backed by Bandai Namco, Square Enix, and Google’s AI Futures Fund, STAN eyes bold expansion.
• The platform aims to enhance AI personalisation and roll out new publisher integrations.

Social games platform STAN has raised $8.5 million in a funding round to grow its ecosystem. 

STAN will use the funds to grow its presence in India and other mobile-first markets, enhance AI-driven personalisation, creator tools, and roll out new integrations for publishers and partners within games communities.

Built specifically for Gen Z gamers, STAN said it differs from competitors by offering voice-led Clubs, live game integrations, and monetisation tools to help users grow and engage with communities. 

STAN was backed by major Japanese games companies including, Bandai Namco, Square Enix, and Reazon Holdings, alongside Google’s AI Futures Fund and Aptos Labs. 

Existing investors such as T-Accelerate Capital, General Catalyst, GFR Fund, and Pix Capital also participated. 

“This is just the beginning"

STAN enables creators to monetise communities through shoutouts, subscriptions, and brand activations, while offering publishers native distribution driven by creator engagement. 

The social platform boasts 25m downloads and strong traction in India’s tier-2 and tier-3 cities. 

“Gaming is no longer just play, it’s identity, conversation, and community,” said STAN CEO and co-founder Parth Chadha. “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. In the last two years, we’ve grown 25x - purely through product-led growth. 

“This is just the beginning! We’re building the next billion-dollar social company out of India, and we’re doing it the only way we know - fast, focused, and user-first." 

This comes after Nazara acquired a 15.86% stake in STAN for INR 18.4 crore ($2.2m) in an all-cash secondary deal last year.

Earlier this year, we caught up with Chadha about the company's growth plans, mission to empower creators and how it can compete with Discord.