Portfolio Highlight: STAN - The Ultimate Gaming Community

The gaming industry has witnessed a massive transformation in recent years, with the creator economy emerging as a key force driving engagement and monetization. 

However, despite the rapid expansion of this global market, gamers, creators, and developers still face significant challenges in community engagement, monetization, and game discovery. Enter STAN—a revolutionary platform designed to bridge these gaps and create a thriving ecosystem for all stakeholders in the gaming space.

Redefining the gaming creator economy

The gaming content creator economy is a massive $150 billion global market, projected to grow at a CAGR of 17.7% over the next four to five years. Despite its size, the ecosystem faces persistent challenges:

• Gamers lack trusted spaces to engage, compete, and build meaningful connections.
• Gaming creators struggle with inconsistent monetization and limited tools to foster fan loyalty.
• Game developers face inefficient discovery channels and limited feedback loops.

STAN’s solution

STAN unites gamers, creators, and developers in one dynamic community. With trusted Game Rooms, STAN provides engaging spaces for socializing, competing, and rewarding players—going beyond gameplay to foster deeper connections and collaboration.

By empowering creators with robust monetization tools and giving developers direct access to an engaged audience, STAN builds an ecosystem where everyone thrives.

What sets STAN apart?

Unlike traditional gaming apps that focus solely on gameplay or tournaments, STAN is a community-first platform that seamlessly integrates gaming and social engagement. Here’s how STAN stands out:

• Game Rooms: Real-time, voice-based spaces where gamers and creators connect, interact, and form communities.

STAN's Game Room features

• Creator Program: Innovative monetization tools such as fan gifting, exclusive content, and premium passes to drive engagement and revenue.
• Engaging Tournaments: A unique approach to tournaments that recognizes both winners and participants, ensuring that everyone feels valued.

By prioritizing content, rewards, and companionship, STAN has built a sustainable ecosystem that fuels long-term engagement and growth for gamers, creators, and developers alike.

Building a thriving community

Community-building is at the heart of STAN’s strategy, extending beyond digital platforms into real-world events. Here’s how STAN is driving engagement:

• Game Rooms: A digital upgrade to classic gaming cafés, these rooms offer exclusive spaces for gamers to hang out, earn rewards, and build connections.
• Offline Events: Initiatives like STANfest and Campus Connect transform online energy into real-world experiences, strengthening the community.
• Social Media as a Digital Hangout: STAN’s social channels serve as an extension of its ecosystem, offering a space for vibrant engagement and interaction.

At STAN, inclusivity isn’t just a goal—it’s the foundation of a gaming ecosystem where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

STAN's community engagement features

Meet the founding team

STAN’s leadership team combines deep expertise in gaming, tech, and business, bringing a strategic vision to revolutionize the gaming industry.

• Parth Chaddha, CEO: With 8+ years in gaming, Parth co-founded E-war Games and previously worked at JP Morgan before launching STAN to contribute to the esports community.
• Rahul Singh, CTO: A gaming and app gamification expert, Rahul co-founded E-war Games and worked at Myntra, ensuring seamless development at STAN.
• Nauman Mulla, COO: With 6+ years in esports, Nauman’s experience at India Today Gaming, Nimo TV, and Huya helps drive strategic sponsorships and partnerships.
• Ankit Chowdhary, Head of Business & Strategy: With 10+ years of experience in business growth at Vedantu, Mahindra, and CK Birla Group, Ankit joined STAN in 2022 to lead its strategic expansion.

The founding team identified a crucial gap: gamers lacked monetization tools and meaningful platforms for connection. STAN was born from these insights, designed to empower gamers and creators alike.

Future plans and growth trajectory

STAN is on a rapid growth trajectory, solidifying its position as a leading gaming social platform in India while eyeing global expansion. Recent milestones include:

• 20M+ users actively engaged on the platform.
• 1M+ gaming creators and companions building strong communities.
• High retention rates, showcasing a loyal and engaged user base.

Looking ahead, STAN aims to:

• Double its user base and capture a dominant market share.
• Expand internationally, addressing unmet gamer needs worldwide.
• Achieve $100M in revenue within the next 2-3 years.

“STAN is an emerging platform for the gaming community in India to come together,” said Jeremy Lim, Principal at GFR Fund. “The team has demonstrated its ability to rally gamers together at scale, both online and offline. We believe that STAN is well-positioned to be at the forefront of the explosive growth across gaming in India.”

By redefining gaming experiences and fostering a vibrant community, STAN is well on its way to becoming a global leader in the gaming creator economy.

There is no guarantee that the portfolio companies mentioned in this blog will be profitable or will remain in the fund. Portfolio companies are shown for illustrative purposes only. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

Certain information contained herein has been obtained from published sources and/or prepared by third parties.

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