GDC 2025 Session Viewer
Funding Futures Series: Chasing Unicorns: How Venture Funding Really Works
Jason Della Rocca (Co-Founder, Execution Labs)
Sigurlina Ingvarsdottir (Founding Partner, Behold Ventures)
Kelly Wallick (Partner & Community Builder, 1Up Ventures)
Jonathan Lai (General Partner, Andreessen Horowitz/a16z)
Are Mack Growen (General Partner, London Venture Partners)
Location: Room 3005, West Hall
Date: Thursday, March 20
Time: 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Pass Type: All Access Pass, Core Pass - Get your pass now!
Track: Business & Marketing, Production & Team Leadership
Format: Panel
Vault Recording: Video
Audience Level: All
The session will focus on how venture capital funding (broadly) and VC funds (specifically) operate and how they are completely different from publishers and other sources of project funding. We'll explore the logic behind “VC math” and why they primarily invest in GaaS+F2P, and studios that are on a path to scale to unicorn valuations (ie, $1billion). This will also uncover why chasing VCs is usually a waste of time for game developers… as we better understand what they actually look for in a potential deal. We will also examine how things are evolving since the pandemic, particularly at early stages and the need for more evidence.
Takeaway
Attendees will gain an understanding of how equity-based venture funding works, and whether is a viable option to pursue. They will also gain insights on what investors are looking for and how deals are done, along with the evolving nature of early-stage investing.
Intended Audience
All game entrepreneurs and game studio leaders that are exploring the option of getting funding from equity-based venture investors (ie, angels, VC funds, strategics) and/or who are actively pitching investors.
