STAN, one of India’s leading social gaming platforms, has raised $8.5 million in a new funding round with participation from leading Japanese gaming giants, including Bandai Namco Entertainment INC., Square Enix, and Reazon Holdings, as well as Google’s AI Futures Fund, Nazara, and Aptos Labs.
The newly raised funds position STAN at the forefront of India’s rapidly growing gaming and social ecosystem, as it builds the leading community platform tailored for mobile-first, emerging markets.
The funding round also witnessed participation from existing investors, including General Catalyst, GFR Fund, T-Accelerate Capital, and Pix Capital.
Reimagining social connections with STAN
In India and across mobile-first markets, millions turn to platforms like WhatsApp and Discord to connect, but these weren’t built for the next generation of creators and gaming communities. They miss the tools needed to grow, engage, and monetize. STAN is India’s homegrown answer, purpose-built for Gen Z gamers and creators.
From voice-led Clubs and live game integrations to monetization tools and creator-first discovery, the platform empowers users to build vibrant, high-energy communities. Starting with gaming and expanding into culture, STAN is reimagining social from the ground up for Bharat and beyond.
The funding will be used to
- Expand STAN’S presence in India and other mobile-dominant markets,
- Invest in AI-led personalizations and creator tooling,
- And launch new integrations for publishers and partners looking to build inside gaming-led communities.
The platform enables creators to build and monetize communities through shoutouts, subscriptions, and brand-led activations; it offers publishers native distribution powered by creator engagement.
“Gaming is no longer just play, it’s identity, conversation, and community.
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.”
Mr. Parth Chadha, Co-Founder & CEO of STAN
“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.”
David Benjamin, Co-Founder – AI Futures Fund, Google
