Behind the Scenes of Game Funding
Want a candid look at what it’s really like to fund a game? Ed Fries and Emily Greer’s 2026 GDC talk pulls back the curtain on how studio funding actually works. It’s a great companion to our 2023 Equity Investment 101 talk below.
In today’s volatile funding landscape, building a studio independently takes more than creativity – it takes the right capital partnerships. Ed Fries and Emily Greer share how investment decisions really get made and how risk is evaluated.
They walk through the full range of funding paths available to studios: from traditional avenues like venture capital, publishing deals, and crowdfunding to newer approaches like UA financing, revenue-based financing, and IP licensing.
Click to watch the full talk!
Equity Investment 101
Curious to learn more about how equity investing works in the games space? Our 2023 GDC talk on this subject is available for free on the GDC Vault! We cover the basics of equity finance (ie investment) in games and how that differs from project financing (ie publishing).
VC investment in the games space is growing but many folks may not be familiar with how it works. Ed and Kelly go over the questions they get asked the most about on calls with founders and talk about what to expect if you’re thinking to raise money for your studio through investment. We also talk about how 1Up Fund is structured and our place in the ecosystem.
We love helping folks out on their journey and hope that having this kind of information available will allow founders make more informed decisions about what’s best for their studio.
If you’re interested in submitting your materials for review, you can learn more on our Contact Us page.
We encourage studios targeting all platforms, audiences and genres to submit their information. We believe in a diverse portfolio approach and in creating an inclusive supportive community.