Social gaming platform STAN has raised $8.5 million in a Series A funding round, attracting investments from global gaming powerhouses such as Bandai Namco Entertainment INC., Square Enix, and Reazon Holdings. The round also saw participation from Google’s AI Futures Fund, Aptos Labs, and returning investors General Catalyst, GFR Fund, T Accelerate Capital, and Pix Capital.

This new funding comes on the heels of a $4.5 million pre-Series A round, which included backing from GFR Fund, Aptos Labs, Pix Capital, Maelstrom Fund, and others.

STAN plans to utilize the capital to strengthen its footprint in India and other mobile-first markets, further develop its AI-led personalization and creator tools, and roll out new integrations for publishers and partners keen on engaging gaming-driven communities.

Founded in 2022 by Parth Chadha, Rahul Singh, and Nauman Mulla, STAN positions itself as a mobile-native social platform built for gaming creators, publishers, and communities. With features like live audio, creator clubs, and real-time monetization, the platform enables seamless growth and engagement for its users.

“We have built STAN with India at the core and the user at the centre. Every product decision is grounded in what drives real value for our creators and communities. In the last two years, we have grown 25 times purely through product-led growth,” said Parth Chadha, co-founder and CEO of STAN.

STAN enables creators to build and monetize communities through shoutouts, subscriptions, and brand-led collaborations. It also provides publishers with native distribution channels fueled by creator engagement.

The platform claims over 25 million downloads, with a particularly strong presence in India’s tier 2 and tier 3 markets. STAN primarily competes with Discord, another major player in the social gaming and community space.