Daniel Kan, the co-founder of autonomous vehicle technology company Cruise, has announced the successful closure of a $20 million seed funding round for his latest venture, the AI gaming platform named Fifth Door.
Garry Tan of Y Combinator, Aydin Senkut of Felicis Ventures, and George Bousis of Protagonist Ventures were among the investors who contributed to the round.
Fifth Door’s core focus is on creating a platform where players, creators, and studios can build and co-create playable games simply by describing their ideas, a process intended to significantly reduce the time, cost, and technical expertise currently required in game development.
The company views this approach as a necessary shift in the industry, enabling unprecedented levels of user-generated content and personalization at scale.
The newly acquired funds will be allocated to scaling the technical team, enhancing the generative game engine’s core capabilities, and integrating the first cohorts of creators and development studios onto the platform.
With the rise of social isolation and a decline in in-person interactions, we need connection and fun more than ever.
Daniel Kan
Games have always been a source of connection and community, yet creating them has historically been limited to those with specialized skills and knowledge.
We’re entering a new era in game development.
The boundary between creator and player blurs, and ideas move from imagination to playable reality faster than ever before.
AI isn’t just a tool for professional creators anymore. Everyone can refine and execute their creative vision in a few minutes. It shouldn’t be any different in game development.
What once required large studios is now accessible to small teams or even solo creators.
AI gives everyone the ability to build anything you can imagine, not just those who have the time and energy to spend.
Why shouldn’t you be able to create games for your friends, for your family, for your classmates with specific content that interests you.
The future of gaming will be AI generated, and it starts with Fifth Door.
Create. Play. Anytime.
Prior to founding Fifth Door, Daniel Kan co-founded Cruise Automation, which was subsequently acquired by General Motors. Kan served as Chief Product Officer at Cruise until his departure in late 2023. His previous entrepreneurial experience also includes co-founding the on-demand personal assistant service, Exec.
