Sony Bets on STAN to Reshape India’s Gaming Scene

• Sony invests in STAN, marking a major step for the Indian gaming space.
• The platform crossed a little over 30 million downloads with a growing community focus.
• India’s gaming market is seeing rising interest from global players, especially those from Japan.

STAN, a mobile-first social gaming platform that aims to power India's gaming creator economy, obtained a strategic investment from Sony Innovation Fund, a corporate venture arm of Sony Group Corporation. Sony's partnership is a significant milestone for the Indian company, bringing global recognition for its intention to redefine how “gaming communities connect and thrive.”

STAN has reported over 30 million downloads, with a strong presence in India's tier 2 and tier 3 cities. Parth Chadha, co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO), said Sony's association increases their faith in India's ability to shape the “global gaming landscape.” 

As per industry sources, the business has raised $10.5 million in Series A funding thus far and also secured support from Hyderabad Angels Fund (HAF VC). Kalyan Sivalenka, Managing Partner at HAF VC, added, “STAN’s unique ability to merge social experiences with creator monetisation positions it as a global category-defining company.”

Kazuhito Hadano, CEO of Sony Ventures Corporation, echoed the same, saying that the future of gaming lies in “dynamic ecosystems where creators, gamers, and developers come together to shape shared worlds.” 

STAN had previously also secured investments of $8.5 million in July from Google's AI Futures Fund, Bandai Namco Entertainment, Square Enix, General Catalyst, Aptos Lab, Nazara and Reazon Holdings. Notably, most of these firms are Japanese, showcasing the country’s growing interest in the Indian market.

Earlier this year, Bandai Namco invested in Indian gaming studio SuperGaming via its 021 Fund. Square Enix, on the other hand, also collaborated with JetSynthesys to create the mobile game Ludo Zenith (2021) for the Indian market.