HT Syndication
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], June 22: KRAFTON India today announced a strategic investment in BITKRAFT Ventures' Global Fund, deepening its commitment to supporting the growth of India's gaming and startup ecosystem. The investment builds on KRAFTON's longstanding relationship with BITKRAFT Ventures, a leading global investment platform focused on gaming, interactive media and emerging technologies. It reflects a shared belief in the opportunities emerging at the intersection of gaming, technology and digital entertainment.
India has rapidly emerged as one of the world's most dynamic markets for gaming and digital innovation, driven by a growing base of entrepreneurs building products with both local relevance and global potential. Through this investment, KRAFTON aims to expand access to capital, industry expertise and international networks for Indian startups, helping them scale faster and compete on a global stage. The partnership also supports the continued maturation of India's gaming ecosystem by connecting promising founders with resources that can accelerate long-term business growth. The investment underscores KRAFTON and BITKRAFT Ventures' confidence in the strength of India's entrepreneurial talent and the long-term potential of the market.
BITKRAFT Ventures' Global Fund invests in startups from pre-seed to Series A, providing founders with capital, operational expertise and access to a global network of industry leaders. Through the partnership, KRAFTON and BITKRAFT will back early-stage founders building the next generation of gaming and interactive media experiences, as well as other emerging technology platforms. For KRAFTON, the fund provides a strategic avenue to identify and support high-potential companies early in their growth journey alongside a partner with deep sector knowledge.
Some of the early investments of the fund in India have been in Actioneer, an enterprise AI transformation platform, and AiroClip, an AI-powered gaming studio. These investments highlight the diversity of entrepreneurial talent emerging from India and the range of opportunities being created across gaming, applied gaming mechanics and AI tech & Tools. This approach aligns closely with KRAFTON's broader efforts to strengthen India's gaming and startup ecosystem through strategic investments, incubation programs and initiatives that support emerging talent. The investment in BITKRAFT Ventures' Global Fund further expands KRAFTON's ability to engage with and support the next generation of entrepreneurs building from India for global markets.
Sean Hyunil Sohn, CEO, KRAFTON India, said, "What stands out about India today is not just the scale of the market, but the quality of entrepreneurs emerging from it. We are seeing founders build with a global mindset from the outset, creating products and technologies that have the potential to resonate far beyond India. Our partnership with BITKRAFT Ventures reflects a shared conviction in this new generation of builders and our commitment to supporting them as they create the future of gaming and interactive entertainment."
Jens Hilgers, Founding GP, BITKRAFT, said, "We are incredibly excited to deepen our relationship with KRAFTON in India through this strategic investment. India's gaming and consumer AI ecosystem is at a thrilling inflection point, driven by exceptional talent and is now starting to see exits for global investors as well. The market is ripe for disruption for global investor with unique local opportunities in early stage and growth opportunities."
Anuj Tandon, Partner (emerging markets), BITKRAFT, said, "Indian founders are building for a global consumer in gaming and consumer AI from day one. Our global expertise aligned with KRAFTON validates the talent pipeline we see on the ground in India. This partnership gives us the firepower to provide early-stage builders with the capital and cross border expertise and validation to win."
Together, KRAFTON India and BITKRAFT Ventures aim to broaden access to the capital, expertise and networks needed to help ambitious founders transform promising ideas into globally relevant businesses.
About KRAFTON, Inc.
Headquartered in Korea, KRAFTON, Inc. is dedicated to discovering and publishing captivating games that offer fun and unique experiences. Established in 2007, KRAFTON is built on a global network of 19 creative studios that include PUBG STUDIOS, Striking Distance Studios, Unknown Worlds, Neon Giant, KRAFTON Montreal Studio, Bluehole Studio, RisingWings, 5minlab, Dreamotion, ReLU Games, Flyway Games, Tango Gameworks, inZOI Studio, JOFSOFT, Eleventh Hour Games, OmniCraft Labs, Olivetree Games, Loonshot Games, and 9B STUDIO. Each independent studio strives to continuously take on new challenges and leverage innovative technologies. Their goal is to win over more fans by broadening KRAFTON's platforms and services.
KRAFTON is responsible for premier game IPs, including PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS, PUBG MOBILE, PUBG: BLINDSPOT, inZOI, Subnautica, MIMESIS, Hi-Fi Rush, Dinkum, TERA, My Little Puppy, and more. With a passionate and driven team across the globe, KRAFTON is a tech-forward company with world-class development capabilities, continuously exploring new possibilities that enhance the gameplay experience -- including AI and other emerging technologies. For more information, visit www.krafton.com.
About KRAFTON India
In India, KRAFTON is responsible for premier mobile games, including BATTLEGROUNDS MOBILE INDIA (BGMI), which has surpassed 260 million downloads, Bullet Echo India, Road To Valor: Empires, and CookieRun India, among others. Committed to enhancing the start-up ecosystem in India, KRAFTON has invested over $250 million in several Indian startups across interactive entertainment, gaming, Esports, and technology, since 2021. KRAFTON actively supports India's game development ecosystem through its KRAFTON India Gaming Incubator (KIGI) while strengthening the Esports ecosystem with flagship events like the BATTLEGROUNDS MOBILE INDIA SERIES (BGIS) and BATTLEGROUNDS MOBILE INDIA PRO SERIES (BMPS). For more information, visit https://krafton.in/
About BITKRAFT Ventures
BITKRAFT Ventures is a global investment platform at the intersection of games, immersive technology, Web3, and AI. With over $1B in assets under management and more than 130 portfolio companies, BITKRAFT is built by founders for founders. The firm leverages deep domain expertise, a decentralized global presence, and institutional-grade infrastructure to back visionary teams building in interactive media and adjacent verticals. BITKRAFT's core belief is that gaming is not just the largest entertainment sector--it is a catalyst for consumer and technology innovation and a blueprint for the future of digital experiences.
Founded by industry veterans with decades of entrepreneurial experience, BITKRAFT delivers a unique combination of high-conviction investing, hands-on operational support, and a strong network of strategic LPs. We've raised and deployed capital across multiple fund strategies--venture, growth, Web3, and emerging markets--consistently outperforming benchmarks with top-quartile returns. Our thesis centers on "Synthetic Reality™," a future where digital worlds are central to life, work, and identity. By investing at the frontier of this shift, BITKRAFT is shaping the companies and infrastructure that will define the next generation of entertainment and human interaction.
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