STAN raises $8.5 million with backing from Bandai Namco, Square Enix, Nazara, Google’s AI fund

Social gaming platform STAN raised $8.5M from Bandai Namco, Square Enix, Google’s AI Fund, and others to expand in mobile-first markets and invest in AI-led personalization and creator tools.

By  Storyboard18| Jul 31, 2025 3:15 PM
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.

STAN, a social gaming platforms, has raised $8.5 million in a new funding round with participation from Japanese gaming giants, including Bandai Namco Entertainment INC., Square Enix and Reazon Holdings, as well as Google’s AI Futures Fund, Aptos Labs.

As per the company, the newly raised funds position STAN at the forefront of India’s rapidly growing gaming and social ecosystem, as it builds the community platform for mobile-first, emerging markets.

The funding round also witnessed participation from existing investors, including General Catalyst, GFR Fund, T-Accelerate Capital, Pix Capital.

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.

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

“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,” said David Benjamin, Co-Founder - AI Futures Fund, Google.

First Published onJul 31, 2025 2:40 PM

SPOTLIGHT

DigitalFrom Clutter to Clarity: How Video is transforming B2B storytelling

According to LinkedIn’s research with over 1,700 B2B tech buyers, video storytelling has emerged as the most trusted, engaging, and effective format for B2B marketers. But what’s driving this shift towards video in B2B? (Image Source: Unsplash)

Read More

Explained: Standing Committee’s draft report on India’s fight against Fake News

India’s parliamentary panel warns fake news threatens democracy, markets and media credibility, urging stronger regulation, fact-checking, AI oversight and global cooperation.