Investing in Digital Play
Is your gaming studio currently raising a funding round and looking for venture capital investors? At LEGO Ventures, we invest in startups and entrepreneurs passionate about developing innovations in creativity, learning, and play through games.
To find out more about our investment philosophy and raising capital as a digital play startup, take a look at our Investment Areas or, if you want to speak directly to one of our gaming investors, visit our Team page.
Learn How We’re Investing in Gaming Startups
As an investor, we look to work with gaming studios who have a strong alignment with our mission and vision for the future of play. In trying to find the ideal investor to help make your business a success, it’s vital you get the right information about what to expect, as well as the unique value beyond financial investments that a VC can offer you. Learn what sets us apart from other venture capital firms or read more about our investment process below.
Our strength comes from concentrating on the idea. Dig deep, range wide – and the ideas will come.
Some of the investments we’ve made to date. See our entire portfolio here.
FAQs
What is LEGO Ventures?
Founded in 2018, LEGO Ventures is the corporate venture capital arm of the LEGO® brand. Our investment philosophy is to work with ventures who share our core idea of playful learning and developing systematic creativity.
Our two investment pillars are Education and Digital Play. Within our Digital Play focus, we invest in gaming studios that align with our overarching vision of ‘learning through play’. We believe that using technological and digital experiences to engage children can spark playful learning experiences through imagination and creativity.
Our gaming investors are based globally, with a presence across the US, UK, Denmark, and China. We aim to be a supportive investor with a long-term focus – and through our dedicated Value Creation Team, we look beyond a purely financial investment to help ventures along their growth journey.
What type of investor are you?
We’re a long-term investor with patient capital. We look for companies that strongly align with our vision, with the capability to both foster and execute gaming concepts for the future. Startups in our portfolio also have the opportunity to secure follow-on funding if their venture continues to strongly align with our mandate. We work with startups throughout their growth journey to provide them with the support and mentorship they need to succeed.
We make investments in companies with an open mindset to new concepts and insights, willing to create and innovate to become leaders in the gaming industry.
What kind of venture capital do you provide?
We provide investment for entrepreneurs and startups in digital play across aspects like gaming, adaptive education, and VR/AR.
At LEGO Ventures, we look to partner with startups who align with our philosophy on learning through play. We believe that using digital games to stimulate children’s imagination, creative expression, and online social interactions provides an opportunity support their development in fun and innovative ways. We view games as an important avenue for 21st Century skill development, and we’re committed to working with entrepreneurs who will inspire the industry and use their concepts as a platform for change.
What do you look for when investing in gaming studios?
We partner with independent gaming studios who are looking for industry investors to fund their vision for the future of creativity, learning, and play.
When we look at the right studio for investment, suitable games will enable collaboration, communication, and open-ended creativity. The experience should appeal to a large target audience rather than an elite or niche group. It should also focus on fostering creativity, challenging preconceptions, building skills, and enabling social interactivity through playful and connective experiences.
When considering investment opportunities, our investors look for bold visions, progressive business models, and emerging platforms, working with startups who have a passion for developing digital play with meaning.
What type of games do you look for when considering an investment opportunity?
We look to invest in studios and startups creating games in some of the following categories and genres:
- Mobile
- PC
- Console
- Browser-based
- UGC (user-generated content)
- Platform
- Ecosystem
- MMO
- RPG
- MMORPG
- Sandbox
- Puzzle
- Narrative
If your company specializes in one of these areas and are looking for investment, get in touch with our gaming investors by visiting our Team page.
We also offer investment to startups specializing in EdTech (for K-12, Pre-K, early childhood development, B2B, B2C, D2C, and B2B2C). To learn more about our EdTech and Gaming investment pillars, visit our ‘Investment Areas’ page.
Do you invest in gaming companies at any fundraising stage?
We typically look for growth stage startups who are raising a Series A or Series B round of funding. We invest in gaming startups globally and have a current portfolio of investments across the UK, the US, and China, but are open to opportunities around the world.
What types of entrepreneurs do you look for?
Founders within LEGO Ventures portfolio will be comfortable in taking a rough idea from concept all the way to product launch, demonstrating strong market traction. The entrepreneurs we work with typically have a background in game development, animation, product management, design, or computer science. As an investor, we aim to work with entrepreneurs who have a finger on the pulse of the gaming industry, including developments at the forefront of creative and fun gaming.
Why choose LEGO Ventures to invest in your gaming company?
When you partner with us, it’s not just about the financial investment! We’re dedicated to helping your startup succeed and transform the future of learning through play. This means taking the time to understand your needs, and connecting you with the right teams, resources, and expertise you need to propel your venture to the next level.
We’re fortunate to be part of the LEGO® Ecosystem, which has a diverse network and expertise in creativity, learning, and play. We ultimately want to help our portfolio shape the future of digital play, and aim to be a practical and reliable partner for you along your entrepreneurial journey.
Looking for Investors for your Gaming Startup?
If you have a gaming startup looking for investment, you can connect with our team of global investors to learn more about who we are as an investor. Our team spans across the UK, Denmark, the US, and China, and is open to opportunities around the world that fit well within our investment thesis.