Video games VC funding reaches new plateau after 72% YoY decline | PitchBook

Enterprise capital funding in video games leveled out and established a brand new baseline in line with PitchBook’s This fall 2023 Gaming Report. During the last 5 quarters, gaming startups have raised between $900 million and $1.3 billion. Equally, the variety of offers closed has usually trended downwards. Fewer than 200 offers closed in every of the final 5 quarters.

“This stage of exercise doubtless represents a extra practical stage of funding than the height years of 2020 to 2022, which attracted nonendemic and ‘vacationer’ buyers throughout Web3 and metaverse hype-cycles,” mentioned PitchBook’s report.

Video games VC funding developments

On account of this new baseline, 2023’s annual funding totals have been a major step again in comparison with the prior yr. In whole, enterprise capital corporations invested $4.1 billion into gaming startups throughout 572 offers in 2023. As compared, gaming startups raised $14.6 billion (-72% YoY) throughout 1,083 offers (-47% YoY) in 2022. Whereas 2023’s deal worth barely exceed’s 2019’s $3.8 billion, it’s the second lowest annual whole since 2017.

Consequently, the median deal dimension fell to $3.6 million in 2023 from 2022’s $4.1 million. Late stage offers have been the one class to extend, with a modest bump from $7.0 million to $7.9 million. In any other case, early stage and enterprise development offers contracted, whereas pre-seed/seed stage offers held regular at $3.0 million.

Deal worth for late stage startups ($1.7 billion) edged out early levels raises ($1.3 billion) in 2023. Nonetheless, extra early stage corporations (203) closed offers in comparison with their late stage counterparts (128).

Excluding enterprise development offers which held flat, valuation step-ups fell throughout all levels in 2023. Final yr’s median step up was 1.5-times the earlier valuation, properly beneath 2022’s 2.5-times multiplier. This step up decline has hit early stage startups hardest, contracting from 3.0-times in 2022 to 1.5-times in 2023.

Content material corporations (publishers, builders, studios, video games, platforms and playing) accounted for the a plurality of funding raised and a majority of offers closed. At $1.9 billion throughout 321 offers, content material corporations contributed 47% of funding and 55% of offers closed. Growth corporations (sport engines, developer instruments and know-how companies) adopted with $1.4 billion (34%) raised throughout 120 offers (21%).

PitchBook’s report additionally highlights Backend-as-a-service corporations and content material moderation as rising alternatives.

Exits and PitchBook’s Outlook

Throughout 2023, VC exit exercise remained muted totaling $5.5 billion throughout 38 offers. Notably, nearly all of exits usually are not disclosing transaction worth. Exterior of Aonic’s $110 million acquisition of nDreams, the remaining 15 exits in This fall didn’t disclose the transaction worth.

Whereas 2023’s exit market dimension was up 45% in comparison with 2022’s $3.8 billion whole, the quantity pales compared to previous years. Final yr’s whole was the second lowest for exits since 2016.

Incentives are shifting for buyers, particularly those that sought publicity to video games in the course of the pandemic. With low rates of interest and lockdowns within the rear view mirror, many are grappling with the time and capital-intensive nature of sport improvement. PitchBook expects buyers to shift their focus in direction of acquainted enterprise fashions, like software-as-a-service (SaaS) platforms and developer instruments, and away from studios.

The close to time period outlook for video games investing is pointing in direction of headwinds for startups and cutbacks for established corporations. Nonetheless, PitchBook factors to upwards revisions for market sizing estimates in direction of the top of the 2020s as a purpose to be optimistic in the long term.