STAN, a social gaming platform, has raised an undisclosed amount from Sony Innovation Fund, the corporate venture capital arm of Sony Group Corporation, in its ongoing Series A funding round. The round also saw participation from Hyderabad Angels Fund (HAF VC).
The fresh funds raised will be used to drive AI-led personalisation, creator monetisation tools, and deeper publisher integrations, while accelerating its expansion into other mobile-first markets.
Previously, STAN has raised $8.5 million in a Series A funding round with participation from Bandai Namco Entertainment, Square Enix, Reazon Holdings, Google’s AI Futures Fund, Aptos Labs, General Catalyst, GFR Fund, T Accelerate Capital, and Pix Capital.
Founded in 2022 by Parth Chadha, Rahul Singh, and Nauman Mulla, STAN is a mobile native social platform for gaming creators, publishers, and communities. With tools for live audio, creator clubs, and real-time monetization, the platform makes it easy to connect, grow, and activate gaming culture.
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.
STAN claims to have over 30 million downloads and deep penetration across India’s tier-2 and tier-3 cities. It mainly competes with Discord, which is another player in this space.
Parth Chadha, Co-founder & CEO of STAN, said, “We see that participation of Sony Innovation Fund to STAN reinforces our belief in the strength of our vision and India’s pivotal role in the global gaming landscape. Together with our investors, we aim to build the most creator-empowering, mobile-first platform that redefines how gaming communities connect and thrive.”
Kazuhito Hadano, Chief Executive Officer of Sony Ventures Corporation, said, “We believe the future of gaming goes beyond compelling titles and advanced gameplay. It lies in building dynamic ecosystems where creators, gamers, and developers come together to shape shared worlds. STAN embodies this vision of building an inclusive gaming community, and we’re excited to support their efforts to create a social layer for the next generation of gamers.”
Kalyan Sivalenka, Managing Partner at Hyderabad Angels Fund (HAF.VC), said, “We believe India is at the cusp of a massive transformation in gaming and digital communities. STAN’s unique ability to merge social experiences with creator monetisation positions it as a global category-defining company. We’re proud to continue supporting the team alongside other supporting companies and other global leaders as they build the future of gaming from India.”
