If you’re a game founder trying to raise your first institutional round, you’ve probably been told to “build community,” “show traction,” and “stand out.” But what does that actually mean to a VC sitting on the other side of the table? 🤔 🎤 At a recent panel on funding game

"Business models are moving away from subscription as a concept. Very soon, subscribing to a never-ending list of publications, substacks, newsletters, and direct subscriptions to specific creators will become unsustainable." Stu Rogers, Founder of Spread, shared his insights on

Why should game designers care about Pokémon TCG Pocket? 📱 👾 Because it’s more than just a successful mobile spin-off. As Brian Takemasa Shun Brian Takemasa/GFR Fund puts it in his latest blog, it’s a case study in how legacy IP, thoughtful UX, and evolving entertainment habits come together

Q2'25 VC market sends clear signals: Fewer deals, bigger bets, and a hard tech surge While the number of deals dropped to their lowest level since Q4 2016, the size and ambition of funded companies continued to climb. In our latest blog, you will discover: 🤖 How AI startups

We're excited to announce our #Gamescom 2025 Office Hour, which will take place in Cologne, Germany! 🤩 🔥 This event is open to early-stage startups in entertainment, consumer tech, gaming, Generative AI, the creator economy, media & brands, and fintech. We invite founders

In a digital landscape saturated with fast-paced, competitive experiences, Loftia ☁️ Loftia - Wishlist on Steam! ☁️ offers something refreshingly different: a cozy, social, and environmentally hopeful world, built for and with its community. ☁️ 🪴 Qloud Games, the indie studio behind Loftia, is a

During #gamescom2025, our team had the honor of hosting 🍸 "CTRL + Cocktail" with Nazara Technologies, bringing together founders and VCs to enjoy great conversations and drinks! 🥳 We're grateful to be back at Gamescom and have made even more unforgettable memories here.

✨ GFR Blog Highlights ✨ Over the past three months, some of our blogs have sparked great conversations across our community of founders, investors, and operators. 💡 Here are the top-read pieces from the GFR Fund blog: 📌 Last War: A Mobile Game Built for Global Reach |

TikTok has quickly become one of the most powerful growth engines for startups. 🤳🏻 But scaling effectively on the platform requires more than chasing trends. It involves strategy, storytelling, and community building. In our latest interview, Yuhan Ma, Marketing Associate at

🔊 We're thrilled to announce our upcoming Office Hour sessions in San Francisco and Los Angeles during #sftechweek and #latechweek! As part of our ongoing mission to support pioneering startups, we invite early-stage companies focused on community-centric and AI-driven

Gamescom is where the future of the industry reveals itself. 👾 What happens in Cologne often foreshadows where gaming is headed next. For startups, it’s a chance to get noticed; for investors, it’s a chance to spot emerging opportunities. This year, GFR’s General Partner

Honestly, who doesn't want a trip to Japan with the coolest VC team ever? 😉 Last week, our team was in Japan for our annual LP summit, bringing together our portfolio founders, LPs, and investors for conversations and connections. Seeing our vibrant community encourages us

💸 9 billion-dollar+ financings accounted for nearly 40% of Q3's deal value, emphasizing the stark divide between elite startups and the rest. Meanwhile, artificial intelligence funding reached extraordinary levels in Q3, with AI and machine learning companies capturing 64.3%

For those new to GFR, welcome! And here are all the links you need to stay connected with us 😉: 📌 Download our one-pager: docsend.com/view/9d2f8ftst… 🚀 For startups, pitch to us via this form: airtable.com/appcFrCtdgOCpL… 📧 To sign up for GFR Pulse, our monthly newsletter sharing

Our team members Yasushi Komori Yasushi@ Dallas, TX and Jeremy Lim were back at IndiaGDC! 🎮 Yasushi had the opportunity to join an insightful panel discussion with Walter Paleari at Makers Fund, Tomoharu Urabe at MIXI Global Investments, and Etsuko Horie at SEGA, moderated by

Paid ads no longer work for early-stage consumer startups. The consumer apps breaking out today aren’t the ones spending the most. They’re the ones designing the product itself to spread organically. 📈 The most explosive early-stage growth is coming from 🌟 products that