Ventana Ventures

Fit first

• Sector: gaming and interactive media only. The site lists mobile, PC, console, esports and gaming technology enablers.
• Stage: pre-seed or seed, ideally moving from prototype to beta testing or launch.
• Team: the firm says it looks for versatile teams across gaming, coding, engineering and art.

How to approach

• Use the contact form on the Reach Out page, or write to the pitch inbox it lists. The site gives no deadline or fixed intake window.
• Attach a short deck or game build link using the optional file field.
• Say what stage the game is at, what you are testing in beta, and what you want from an investor beyond capital.

What the site does not say

• It does not publish an evaluation checklist or a timeline for replies. The Reach Out page has a question on how it evaluates investments, but its answer was not shown on the page.
• The firm's blog articles and media page are a useful way to see how it thinks about gaming founders and publishing before you write.

Ventana Ventures is a micro venture capital firm that invests only in gaming and interactive media start-ups. It describes itself as an India-based gaming VC, and its Reach Out page gives an office in Udupi, Karnataka. It backs founders at the pre-seed and seed stage, and it pairs the investment with coaching and help raising the next round.

Stage and what it backs

Ventana says it invests in pre-seed and seed-stage gaming start-ups that are moving from the prototype phase to beta testing or the launch stage. Its Reach Out page says it looks at many game genres: games on mobile, PC, console or esports, and gaming technology enablers. It also says it scouts versatile teams across gaming, coding, engineering and art. If you are building a non-gaming product, this is not the right door.

What founders get besides capital

The firm says it does not stop at the cheque. Its template-based coaching models are meant to help teams avoid early-stage mistakes, save time and speed up game releases. It says it guides teams through beta testing, and that it assists promising titles in raising capital for Pre-series A or Series A rounds. It also describes a collaborative space where founding teams learn from each other. The site hosts blog articles on topics such as evaluating gaming founders, game publishing and government policies for gaming start-ups, and its media page lists events such as a masterclass on investor decks.

Portfolio and track record

The portfolio page names Brewed Games, MetaShot, Norian Games, Plazmo, Qila Games, SportVot and Wippi. It also reports its first exit from the Fund I portfolio, SportVot, through a secondary sale. These are the firm's own statements and have not been checked against other sources.

How to reach Ventana

The site does not run an application programme with fixed dates. The route it shows is a contact form on the Reach Out page, which takes your name, email, phone number and an optional file, and the page also lists a pitch inbox and a phone number. The site says nothing about a selection process, so treat your first message as an introduction and expect no set timeline.

Who runs it

The fund is named Ventana Ventures Trust, registered as a Category II alternative investment fund, and its investment manager is Ventana Ventures and Advisors LLP, according to the firm's legal disclosure page. The About page lists a founding general partner, a vice president for operations, a vice president for investments and finance, and an investment analyst.