Top Games Startups in 2027

Inworld is the leading AI engine for games, enabling developers to build groundbreaking game mechanics, dynamic NPCs and worlds that evolve with each action. Inworld powers experiences built by Niantic, NetEase Games and LG, among others, and has partnerships with key industry players such as Nvidia, Ubisoft, Microsoft/Xbox, Epic Games and Unity. Inworld is the best-funded startup in AI and games with a $500 million valuation and backing from top tier investors , incuding Intel, Microsoft, Lightspeed, Bitkraft, Founders Fund, Kleiner Perkins, and more. Inworld was recognized by CB Insights as one of the 100 most promising AI companies in the world and was nominated alongside Anthropic, DeepMind, OpenAI and Nvidia for Generative AI Innovator of the Year at the VentureBeat Awards 2023.

Founded in 2011, scopely is fueled by a world-class team and a proprietary technology platform that supports one of the most diversified mobile games portfolios in the west. with expertise in game design and development, live services, marketing, analytics and more, we are dedicated to creating engaging mobile experiences that players return to for years to come.

Our business model is to invent disruptive technologies, patent them, and monetize them through technology transfer, licensing, strategic partnership, or investment. Our team has built a two-decade long track record of inventing successful technologies used worldwide. Our prior successes include selling a significant technology portfolio to a tech consortium including Microsoft, IBM, Oracle, and SAP, and creating a successful startup.

Founded in 2015, Discord is a voice, video and text app that helps friends and communities come together to hang out and explore their interests - from artists and activists, to study groups, sneakerheads, plant parents, and more. With 150 million monthly users across 19 million active communities, called servers, Discord has grown to become one of the most popular communications services in the world. Discord was built without selling ads or user data and instead, offers a premium subscription called Nitro that gives users special perks like higher quality streams and fun customizations.

Skillz is the leading marketplace platform that helps players discover mobile games and compete against other players around the world. At the same time, the company helps developers build multi-million dollar franchises by enabling social competition in their games. Leveraging its patented technology, Skillz has hosted over 2 billion tournaments entries for 30 million mobile players worldwide and distributes over $60 million in prizes each month. Headquartered in San Francisco and Portland, the company is backed by leading venture capitalists, media companies, and professional sports leagues and franchises including the investment arm of the NFL and owners of the New England Patriots, Milwaukee Bucks, New York Mets and Sacramento Kings. Skillz has also earned recognition as one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies, CNBC’s Disruptor 50, Forbes’ Next Billion-Dollar Startups, and the #1 fastest-growing company in America on the Inc. 5000.

#1 Gamified Sports & Entertainment Platform for Next-Gen Fans Think modern-day Barstool Sports x Duolingo for sports. Our Flagship Product: Stadium Live Our Lifestyle Brand: Stadiumlife We are backed by Union Square Ventures, KB Partners, 35 Ventures (Kevin Durant), Origins VC (Blaise Matuidi), Dapper Labs, 6th Man VC, Valhalla Ventures, 305 Ventures, Golden Ventures,, Maple VC, Intonation, Secocha Ventures, and other amazing angels. Find out more here: stadiumliveapp.com

Volley builds the best voice-controlled games and entertainment experiences for Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, smartphones, and Fire TVs. Popular Volley voice games include Song Quiz, Jeopardy!, and The Price Is Right. Our voice apps are used by millions of people every month. We believe voice control will become the main way people access entertainment in their bedrooms, kitchens, living rooms, and cars, and our goal is to become the "Netflix of Voice" for this emerging category of devices. Volley was founded by Max Child and James Wilsterman in 2016. We're a 60+ person hybrid remote/in-person company, headquartered in the Hayes Valley neighborhood of San Francisco. While we work to make home entertainment more accessible and engaging, we like to have fun along the way, with team lunches, Friday happy hours, and very active #food and #pets slack channels. If any of this sounds fun to you (we promise it is), come join us! Read more about Volley's culture and mission here: volleythat.com/post/volley-mission-culture-and-what-we-create

We launched Riot Games in 2006 to develop, publish, and support games made by players, for players. In 2009, we released our debut title, League of Legends. League has gone on to be the most-played PC game in the world and a key driver of the explosive growth of esports. Players are the foundation of our community and it’s for them that we continue to evolve the League experience both in and out of game. Founded by Brandon Beck and Marc Merrill, and currently under the leadership of CEO Nicolo Laurent, we're headquartered in Los Angeles, California, and have 2,500+ Rioters in 20+ offices worldwide.

Sleeper's mission is to connect people over sports. We believe the most important aspect of sports is its ability to bring friends and communities together. We do this via multi-player games like fantasy leagues, with messaging at the core of the experience. We're hiring and would love to meet you!

Sorare is at the intersection of sports, gaming, and NFT collectibles. Through tradable digital cards, Sorare is designing a collective fantasy sports experience where you can manage your favorite players, hone your passion to earn prizes, and be part of a thriving community. Anyone, anywhere, can connect with the game on Sorare. The company’s mission is to build “the game within the game” and to give fans, players and clubs the platform to celebrate, share, and own your game. Founded in 2018, Sorare has seen tremendous growth. The platform has a card sales volume of over $400M since January 2021 (up from $8M in sales in 2020) and now has exclusive partnerships with over 250 football (soccer) clubs, the MLB & MLBPA, and the NBA & NBPA. Sorare is trusted by a world-class team of investors including Softbank, Benchmark, Accel Partners, athletes such as Serena Williams and Kylian Mbappé, and key tech investors such as Alexis Ohania - all who believe in the future of integrating NFTs with Gameplay.