Google AI Fund Invests in Indian Gaming Platform STAN

Indian social gaming platform STAN has secured an $8.5 million equity funding round, with notable investment from Google. The round also saw participation from major Japanese gaming companies Bandai Namco Entertainment, Square Enix, and Reazon Holdings, alongside Aptos Labs, King River Capital, and existing investors General Catalyst and GFR Fund. Google’s contribution came through its AI Futures Fund, established in May to support startups leveraging its artificial intelligence tools.

Headquartered in Singapore, STAN aims to establish itself as a prominent gaming community platform, positioning itself as a rival to Discord, though with a distinct market approach. The platform allows users to earn an in-app currency called “Gems” by participating in and winning games such as Krafton’s Battlegrounds Mobile India, Garena’s Free Fire Max, Minecraft, Call of Duty, and even casual titles like Ludo and Snakes & Ladders.

Creators on STAN can set up “Clubs,” which are dedicated chat rooms tailored for specific games. While these Clubs are open for anyone to join, accessing exclusive “gaming experiences” offered by creators requires payment using a social currency. STAN generates revenue by taking a commission from these transactions.

A primary draw for users is the utility of the “Gems,” which can be redeemed for vouchers on popular e-commerce platforms like Amazon, PhonePe, and Flipkart. Users can also accumulate currency through referrals, a spin-to-win feature, and daily rewards. This monetization model, where users actively earn rewards through platform interactions, distinguishes STAN from platforms like Discord, where user engagement typically does not yield tangible financial benefits beyond social capital.

Despite its unique approach, STAN openly aspires to emulate Discord’s success. The company reports having amassed over 25 million downloads across the Play Store and App Store, with approximately 5.5 million monthly active users.

Parth Chadha, co-founder and CEO of STAN, describes the platform as “the hangout place for gamers,” fostering a fusion of social interaction and gaming where users can connect, play, and converse. Chadha attributes the platform’s recent growth to a strategic shift last year, which opened the platform to user-generated content, allowing anyone to stream live. This change, he noted, significantly boosted both downloads and user engagement.

STAN also collaborates with game publishers, studios, and developers, including Krafton, Garena, and Roblox. These partners pay STAN to connect them with the platform’s extensive network of gamers and creators. Chadha revealed that nearly 100 such entities have joined the platform in the past two quarters, with more than 20 new partners being onboarded each month, contributing to a rapidly growing revenue stream.

Looking ahead, STAN plans to leverage Google’s investment to advance its AI capabilities, particularly in moderation. Currently, 70-80% of moderation on the platform is handled by AI, with a human team managing the rest. The company aims to further reduce human intervention through enhanced AI. Additionally, STAN intends to introduce AI-powered toolkits for creators, enabling features like avatar and meme generation, quick replies, and chat filtering. Chadha emphasized the collaboration with Google in integrating “plug-and-play” AI models to scale the business.

STAN is not the first Indian startup to receive backing from Google’s AI Futures Fund; that distinction belongs to Toonsutra, a company using AI to enhance comic-reading experiences. Google has confirmed investments totaling over $5.5 billion in India to date, with its portfolio including startups like Toonsutra, STAN, Pixxel, and Adda 24X7.

While STAN’s app is currently geo-restricted to India, it observes 5-6% of its engagement from international users, often accessing the platform via Indian phone numbers and accounts. The company plans to expand its global footprint within the next year, starting with the Indian subcontinent, followed by Southeast Asia and Latin America.

STAN’s CEO stated that the startup was profitable for a few months but chose to reinvest funds for scaling. The company now aims to achieve sustained profitability by 2027. STAN currently employs approximately 40 individuals, with fewer than 30 focused on product engineering.

With this latest funding, STAN’s total equity funding has reached approximately $15 million.