LVL ZERO, INDIA’S FIRST gaming incubator backed by MIXI Global Investments, Nazara Technologies, and Chimera VC, hosted its inaugural Demo Day in Bengaluru earlier this week.
The event marked the culmination of a 100-day incubation programme, during which ten startups selected from over 240 applications received mentorship, industry access, and a USD 10,000 equity-free grant each. The cohort included Kyrel Games, Trojan Productions, Wrought Studios, Impulse Mechanics, YK Game Studio, Arckon Arts, Xigma Games, Prescription Studios, Rudrac Games, and KALP Studio, building across PC, console, and mobile platforms.
The event saw participation from Sony Interactive Entertainment, Krafton, Roblox, Unity, Google, Elevation Capital, Blume Ventures, India Quotient, Yale University Endowment Fund, PhonePe’s Indus Appstore, Accel, and AppsFlyer, among others.
MIXI Global Investments Managing Director of Investments Tomoharu Urabe said, “LVL Zero was created with a simple belief that India has extraordinary game development talent, and the ecosystem needs stronger platforms to help that talent reach global markets. Over the last 100 days, we’ve seen founders refine their products, sharpen their business thinking, and take meaningful steps toward building globally competitive studios. What makes this especially exciting is that LVL Zero is not just supporting individual startups, it is helping strengthen the broader game development ecosystem. Demo Day is a reflection of what can happen when founders, mentors, investors, publishers, and ecosystem partners come together with a shared vision of building the future of gaming.”
Nazara Technologies Head of Strategy Deepak MV said, “When we launched LVL Zero, our objective was not simply to support game development, but to help founders improve their ability to execute. Over the course of the program, we’ve seen remarkable progress across the cohort, from stronger products and clearer go-to-market strategies to a deeper understanding of studio building and long-term growth. India has no shortage of talent or creativity; what has often been missing is structured support, mentorship, and access to the right networks. Seeing the transformation of these startups over the last 100 days reinforces our belief that initiatives like LVL Zero can play an important role in building a sustainable pipeline of globally competitive gaming companies from India.”
The Demo Day highlighted a shift among Indian developers toward PC and console platforms, reflecting growing ambitions beyond mobile-first models. LVL Zero focuses on providing founders access across five pillars — capital, knowledge, talent, distribution, and global expansion — through industry partnerships and a global mentor network.
LVL Zero Managing Partner, Chimera VC and Founding Partner Krish Anurag also commented, “One of the key goals behind LVL Zero was to help game developers think beyond individual titles and start building long-term, scalable companies. Over the last 100 days, founders have worked closely with mentors, industry experts, publishers, and investors to strengthen not only their games but also their business fundamentals. The diversity of projects showcased today across PC, console, mobile, narrative, strategy, and multiplayer experiences highlights the depth of talent emerging from India. More importantly, it demonstrates that Indian studios are increasingly building with global ambition from day one. We believe this is just the beginning of a much larger opportunity for India to establish itself as a meaningful contributor to the global game development ecosystem.”
According to a FICCI-EY report, Indian studios with globally successful titles generated between USD 0.8 billion and USD 1.2 billion in revenue in 2025-26, with 40% to over 90% coming from international markets. Global revenues from games built in India are projected to grow at 20-30% annually, reaching USD 2.8 billion to USD 4.8 billion by 2028-29. LVL Zero aims to support more than 100 gaming startups over the next five years.
