Funding · AI & Deep Tech

LightFury Games raises $11 million for eCricket launch

By Startup Enthusiast · 23 April 2026

What they do

LightFury Games builds high-quality mobile games using Unreal Engine 5 technology

The company raised $11 million in a pre-Series A round led by Blume Ventures

Investors include V3 Ventures and Indian cricketers like MS Dhoni and Jasprit Bumrah

LightFury Games has raised $11 million in a pre-Series A funding round.
The investment was led by Blume Ventures with participation from other firms.
Strategic investors include prominent Indian cricketers such as MS Dhoni and Jasprit Bumrah.
The startup plans to use the funds to develop its debut title, eCricket.
The money will also bolster live operations and infrastructure for post-launch scale.
This follows an $8.5 million seed round secured by the company in 2024.
The new capital supports the global launch targeting 2.5 billion cricket enthusiasts.
The company aims to deliver AAA-rated graphics and performance on mobile devices.

The Indian gaming ecosystem is projected to reach $9.89 billion by 2031.
Karnataka announced a Centre of Excellence for gaming in Bengaluru earlier this year.
The MeitY notified the Online Gaming Act 2025 framework effective May 1.
The regulatory framework bans online real money gaming and mandates age verification.
Competitor Spill Games raised $3 million in seed funding earlier this week.

The company focuses on building AI-powered gaming experiences for mobile platforms.
Its debut product is eCricket, described as an AAA-rated mobile game.
The game uses Unreal Engine 5 for high-fidelity graphics and performance.
Features include real-time multiplayer battles and dynamic AI commentary systems.
Players can engage in strategic batting and bowling within the game environment.
The studio holds licenses for over 600 professional cricketers globally.
Notable licensed players include Chris Gayle, Ben Stokes, and Pat Cummins.
The platform includes live esports tournaments for competitive player engagement.
The company targets a global audience of 2.5 billion cricket fans worldwide.

Blume Ventures (lead) — Venture capital firm that also led the previous seed round.
V3 Ventures (participated) — Venture capital firm investing in early-stage startups.
MIXI (participated) — Japanese internet company known for social media platforms.
Times Internet (participated) — Digital arm of The Times Group focusing on consumer tech.
MS Dhoni (strategic) — Former Indian cricket captain and brand ambassador.
Jasprit Bumrah (strategic) — Indian international cricket bowler.
Hardik Pandya (strategic) — Indian international cricket all-rounder.
Shreyas Iyer (strategic) — Indian international cricket batsman.
Ravindra Jadeja (strategic) — Indian international cricket all-rounder.
Tilak Varma (strategic) — Indian international cricket batsman.
Sai Sudharsan (strategic) — Indian international cricket batsman.

Product: AAA-rated cricket game eCricket with 700+ officially licensed cricketers and squad mode
Customers: Global mobile gamers passionate about cricket
How it makes money: Premium mobile gaming with officially licensed content and in-app monetization
What sets it apart: Exclusive partnerships with ICC and featuring officially licensed cricketers; phased closed beta approach with 300,000+ signups