Gaming startup funding is recovering, led by large AI-linked rounds
Gaming funding is rebounding from a multiyear low, concentrated in AI-adjacent deals; whether it lasts remains to be seen.
Original event 2026-09-24
Global gaming-related startups have raised about $2 billion so far in 2026, already ahead of the 2025 full-year total, per Crunchbase data.
The rebound is driven largely by big rounds at the intersection of AI and gaming: Meshy AI, a developer of 3D-generation foundation models, raised a $400 million Series B in July at a $1.5 billion valuation, and model-training platform Decart raised $300 million. Among pure gaming companies, Nex raised $150 million and Turkish mobile gaming firm Grand Games picked up $70 million.
Crunchbase notes overall funding remains far below the peaks of a few years ago, with the upturn still early.