18 gaming VCs powering Los Angeles game developers in 2026

LA's gaming sector raised $2.1B across 180+ deals in 2025. Most capital went to mobile gaming and web3 studios. The ecosystem runs on relationships - you won't pitch Griffin Gaming Partners or Makers Fund without a warm intro. LA investors expect working prototypes and clear monetization before seed rounds.

Quick list

Why LA dominates gaming investments

Los Angeles is the second-largest gaming hub in the US after San Francisco. The city pulled $2.1B in gaming investments during 2025, with mobile gaming taking 45% of total deal volume. Average seed rounds hit $4.2M for game studios, higher than Austin but lower than SF.

LA's advantage is talent density. You've got ex-Riot, Activision Blizzard, and Disney employees everywhere. Most LA gaming investors expect teams with AAA experience before writing checks. The downside is competition - you're pitching against 200+ other studios with shipped titles.

Culver City and Santa Monica host most gaming venture capitals. Westside funds move faster than SF investors but slower than Miami. Expect 4-6 meetings before term sheets. Web3 gaming gets funded easily here, traditional mobile needs traction.

Picking the right LA gaming investor

Local presence matters in LA gaming because investors attend playtests and studio visits. Most deals happen through in-person demos at Griffin's Santa Monica office or Makers Fund events. Remote pitches rarely convert unless you've shipped a hit game.

Portfolio companies should include at least 3-5 LA studios. Check if they backed Scopely, Artie, or Super League Gaming. Those relationships mean they understand LA's talent market and can intro you to publishing partners. Griffin Gaming Partners knows every senior designer in LA - that network is worth more than their $750M fund size.

Check sizes in LA gaming range from $500K for indie studios to $25M for growth rounds. Seed rounds average $4.2M, Series A hits $12-18M. Web3 gaming studios raise 30% more than mobile at seed stage. Most LA investors write $2-5M initial checks and reserve 2x for follow-ons.

Local network access is critical. Bitkraft can intro you to esports orgs, Riot Ventures connects you to League of Legends ecosystem, Sony Innovation Fund opens publishing conversations. Upload your pitch deck to Ellty and share trackable links with each investor. You'll see which ones actually review your gameplay footage versus just skimming slides.

Follow-on capacity exists in LA for Series B but you'll need SF or NYC investors for $50M+ rounds. Griffin and Makers have deep pockets, smaller funds like 1Up Ventures typically don't lead past Series A. Plan your cap table accordingly.

How to find and approach LA gaming investors

Research local deals through Venturebeat's GamesBeat coverage and PocketGamer.biz LA studio profiles. Check which funds led rounds for Scopely, Theorycraft Games, and Canvas. Those investors are actively deploying in LA.

Leverage local ecosystem starts with GamesBeat Summit and Casual Connect events in Santa Monica. Most LA gaming deals originate from introductions at these conferences, not cold emails. Join LA Game Space meetups in Culver City - founders share which VCs actually respond.

Build relationships first by attending Griffin Gaming Partners' demo days and Makers Fund portfolio events. LA gaming investors expect to see your game running before discussing terms. Share an Ellty link with your pitch deck and gameplay video after you meet. Track which investors spend time on your monetization slides versus skipping to team backgrounds.

Attend local events like GamesBeat Summit LA, E3 (when it runs), and Casual Connect USA. These aren't networking mixers - deals actually close here. Skip the small indie meetups unless you need early feedback. Platform Ventures hosts quarterly gaming events in Santa Monica where you'll meet Bitkraft and Galaxy partners.

Connect with portfolio founders at Scopely, Artie, and Super League Gaming. They'll tell you Griffin expects $500K monthly revenue before Series A, Makers wants web3 studios with 10K+ wallet holders, Bitkraft only funds esports-adjacent companies. This saves you months of bad-fit pitches.

Organize due diligence materials before first meetings. Set up an Ellty data room with your game design document, financial model, and player retention metrics. LA gaming investors want to see D1/D7/D30 retention curves and LTV/CAC ratios in the first conversation. Email threads with 15 attachments kill momentum.

Understand local pace - LA gaming investors take 6-8 weeks from first meeting to term sheet. That's faster than traditional enterprise VCs but slower than consumer apps. They'll want to playtest your game 2-3 times and meet your full team. When they ask for more builds, share updated versions through your Ellty link so you can see which features they're testing.

LA gaming investors vs other markets

LA gaming investors prefer studios with proven teams over first-time founders. If you haven't shipped a game that did $1M+ revenue, you'll struggle to raise seed rounds here. That's different from SF where product vision can carry you to $3M raises.

Most LA funds close deals in 8-10 weeks versus 4-6 in SF. They want deeper diligence on player retention and studio culture. Competition is intense - you're pitching against teams from Riot, Activision Blizzard, and Infinity Ward. Bring metrics that prove traction.

Mobile gaming gets 50% more funding than PC/console in LA. Web3 gaming raises at 2x higher valuations than traditional games but you need smart contract audits before term sheets. Live service games with strong retention raise easier than premium titles.

18 top gaming investors in Los Angeles

1. Griffin Gaming Partners

Griffin is the largest gaming-only fund in LA with $750M under management and they don't waste time on untested studios.

• Recent Deals: Scopely $340M Series E (2024), Artie $10M Series A (2024), Theorycraft Games $37.5M Series A (2024)
• LinkedIn: Nick Tuosto
• Sector Focus: Mobile gaming, PC/Console, Web3 gaming, Gaming infrastructure
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B, Growth
• Office Location: Santa Monica, California
• Website: griffingp.com

2. Makers Fund

Makers backs technical founders building ambitious games and they're one of the few LA funds that leads $15M+ rounds.

• Recent Deals: Artie $10M Series A (2024), Disappearing Inc $8M Series A (2023), Theorycraft Games $37.5M Series A (2024)
• LinkedIn: Jayson Chi
• Sector Focus: Web3 gaming, Mobile gaming, PC/Console, Game engines
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: Santa Monica, California
• Website: makersfund.com

3. Bitkraft Ventures

Bitkraft funds esports, gaming infrastructure, and web3 games with a strict focus on network effects.

• Recent Deals: XSET $7.5M Series A (2021), FaZe Clan investments (multiple rounds), Polygon Studios partnerships
• LinkedIn: Jens Hilgers
• Sector Focus: Esports, Web3 gaming, Gaming infrastructure, Metaverse
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: Los Angeles, California
• Website: bitkraft.vc

4. Galaxy Interactive

Galaxy targets social gaming and metaverse platforms with check sizes starting at $5M.

• Recent Deals: Supersocial $15M Series A (2022), Ethyrial $6M seed (2022), QORPO $3.2M seed (2023)
• LinkedIn: Sam Englebardt
• Sector Focus: Social gaming, Web3 gaming, Metaverse, Gaming platforms
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: Los Angeles, California
• Website: galaxy.com/ventures

5. Konvoy Ventures

Konvoy invests exclusively in gaming and esports with a focus on mobile-first studios.

• Recent Deals: Bunch $20M Series A (2021), ReadySet $6M Series A (2021), Pragma $22M Series A (2022)
• LinkedIn: Jason Chapman
• Sector Focus: Mobile gaming, Esports, Gaming infrastructure, Social gaming
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: Los Angeles, California
• Website: konvoy.vc

6. 1Up Ventures

1Up writes smaller checks for indie studios and first-time founders building innovative gameplay.

• Recent Deals: Paper Trail $3.2M seed (2023), Wildlight Entertainment seed (2022), Fusionplay seed (2023)
• LinkedIn: Ed Fries
• Sector Focus: Indie games, Mobile gaming, PC/Console
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed
• Office Location: Santa Monica, California
• Website: 1up.vc

7. Transcend Fund

Transcend backs AAA studio founders leaving big publishers to start independent teams.

• Recent Deals: Theorycraft Games $37.5M Series A (2024), Manticore Games investments, Haven Studios pre-acquisition
• LinkedIn: Shanti Bergel
• Sector Focus: PC/Console, AAA games, Game engines
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: Los Angeles, California
• Website: transcend.vc

8. London Venture Partners

LVP operates from Santa Monica and focuses on mobile gaming studios with proven monetization.

• Recent Deals: Bunch early rounds, PicsArt investments, multiple mobile gaming studios
• LinkedIn: David Gardner
• Sector Focus: Mobile gaming, Casual games, Social gaming
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: Santa Monica, California
• Website: londonvp.com

9. Krafton Ventures

Krafton (PUBG creators) invests strategically in studios that complement their publishing pipeline.

• Recent Deals: Unknown Worlds acquisition support, Neon Giant investments, multiple mobile studios
• LinkedIn: Maria Park
• Sector Focus: PC/Console, Mobile gaming, Battle royale
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Growth
• Office Location: Los Angeles, California
• Website: krafton.com/en/investment

10. Riot Games Ventures

Riot invests in studios building adjacent to League of Legends ecosystem and web3 gaming.

• Recent Deals: Odyssey Interactive $6M seed (2024), Conduit $7M seed (2023), multiple web3 studios
• LinkedIn: Brian Cho
• Sector Focus: Web3 gaming, PC gaming, Esports
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: West Los Angeles, California
• Website: riotgames.com/en/ventures

11. Sony Innovation Fund

Sony backs studios with strong IP potential and publishing partnerships in mind.

• Recent Deals: Disappearing Inc Series A (2023), Wētā Workshop partnership, multiple VR studios
• LinkedIn: Toshimoto Mitomo
• Sector Focus: PC/Console, VR gaming, Game engines, IP development
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Growth
• Office Location: Culver City, California
• Website: sonyinnovationfund.com

12. Play Ventures

Play targets mobile gaming studios in Asia and LA with data-driven investment strategies.

• Recent Deals: Canvas $3M seed (2022), Habby investments, multiple hyper-casual studios
• LinkedIn: Henric Suuronen
• Sector Focus: Mobile gaming, Hyper-casual, Casual games
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed
• Office Location: Los Angeles, California
• Website: play.vc

13. Everblue Management

Everblue invests in growth-stage gaming companies with proven revenue models.

• Recent Deals: Scopely Series E participation (2024), Dream Games investments, mobile gaming studios
• LinkedIn: Steve Olsher
• Sector Focus: Mobile gaming, Growth-stage, Live service games
• Stage Focus: Series B, Growth
• Office Location: Beverly Hills, California
• Website: everbluemanagement.com

14. March Capital

March is a generalist fund that backs gaming studios alongside their core tech portfolio.

• Recent Deals: Scopely Series E participation (2024), esports infrastructure companies, streaming platforms
• LinkedIn: Sumant Mandal
• Sector Focus: Mobile gaming, Esports, Gaming infrastructure
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Growth
• Office Location: Santa Monica, California
• Website: marchcp.com

15. Upfront Ventures

Upfront invests in LA tech broadly but has backed several gaming platforms and esports companies.

• Recent Deals: Super League Gaming early rounds, esports platforms, gaming creator tools
• LinkedIn: Mark Suster
• Sector Focus: Gaming platforms, Esports, Creator tools
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: Santa Monica, California
• Website: upfront.com

16. M13

M13 backs consumer tech including web3 gaming and creator economy platforms.

• Recent Deals: Artie web3 gaming investments, Genies avatar platform, multiple metaverse studios
• LinkedIn: Courtney Reum
• Sector Focus: Web3 gaming, Metaverse, Creator economy
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: Santa Monica, California
• Website: m13.co

17. Greycroft

Greycroft is a bi-coastal fund that invests in LA gaming studios with strong founding teams.

• Recent Deals: Theorycraft Games co-investment (2024), mobile gaming studios, esports organizations
• LinkedIn: Dana Settle
• Sector Focus: Mobile gaming, PC/Console, Esports
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: Santa Monica, California
• Website: greycroft.com

18. Kowloon Nights

Kowloon offers revenue share deals instead of equity, funding indie studios without dilution.

• Recent Deals: Multiple LA indie studios (non-disclosed), mid-core gaming projects, premium PC games
• LinkedIn: Alexis Garavaryan
• Sector Focus: Indie games, PC gaming, Premium games
• Stage Focus: Seed, Early development
• Office Location: Los Angeles, California
• Website: kowloon.gg

Start tracking your LA gaming investor outreach

These 18 investors closed 150+ LA gaming deals in 2024-2025. Before you start pitching Santa Monica and Culver City funds, set up proper tracking.

Upload your deck to Ellty and create a unique link for each LA gaming investor. You'll see exactly which slides they view and how long they spend on your monetization model and player retention metrics. LA gaming investors typically skip market size slides but drill into unit economics and team backgrounds - your analytics will show this pattern immediately.

When Griffin or Makers asks for your game design document, financial model, and player data, share an Ellty data room instead of emailing 12 attachments. Your retention curves, LTV/CAC analysis, and build roadmap in one secure place with view analytics. You'll know which investors are seriously evaluating your studio versus just being polite.

Common questions

Do I need to be based in LA to raise from LA gaming investors?

Not required but it helps significantly. Most LA gaming funds expect you to relocate if you raise a seed round. Remote studios struggle to access playtesting events and studio culture diligence that LA investors require. If you're outside LA, focus on Griffin or Makers - they back remote teams occasionally.

How does LA compare to SF for gaming fundraising?

LA has deeper gaming expertise but smaller check sizes at seed stage. SF investors write $5-8M seeds for gaming studios, LA averages $4.2M. LA has better access to AAA talent from Riot and Activision. SF has more late-stage capital for $50M+ rounds. Raise your seed in LA, Series B in SF.

What's the average seed round size for LA gaming studios?

$4.2M for mobile gaming studios with traction, $3.5M for indie/PC studios pre-launch, $6M+ for web3 gaming studios. AAA studios with proven teams can raise $10M+ at seed. First-time founders without shipped games rarely raise above $2M in LA.

Should I raise from LA investors or go straight to SF?

Raise in LA if you have AAA experience and need gaming-specific expertise. Griffin and Makers provide better support for game studios than generalist SF VCs. Go to SF if you need larger checks ($8M+ seeds) or you're building gaming infrastructure instead of games. Don't split the difference - pick one market and focus there.

Do LA gaming investors expect in-person meetings?

Yes for first meetings and playtests. You can do initial intros on Zoom but Griffin, Makers, and Bitkraft want to see your game running in person before discussing terms. Plan to spend 2-3 days in Santa Monica for investor meetings. Some funds like 1Up Ventures are more flexible with remote pitches.

What types of games get funded most in LA?

Mobile gaming takes 45% of LA deal volume, web3 gaming gets 25%, PC/console games get 20%, esports infrastructure gets 10%. Live service games with strong retention raise easier than premium titles. Free-to-play mobile studios with $100K+ monthly revenue get term sheets fastest. Web3 games need 5K+ active wallet holders before seed rounds.