Funding · Consumer Internet & Media

Icc in talks to invest in LightFury Games

By Startup Enthusiast · 14 July 2026

What they do

LightFury Games builds premium cross-platform titles for global audiences

ICC is in advanced talks to invest, its first startup investment, after granting LightFury official gaming rights

The studio is developing E-Cricket, aiming to become cricket's first breakout gaming franchise like FIFA

ICC is in advanced talks to invest in LightFury Games, its first startup investment.
LightFury Games has secured ICC's official gaming rights across mobile, PC, and console globally.
The rights are granted for all platforms simultaneously, a rare occurrence.
LightFury Games is developing E-Cricket, a big-budget AAA cricket game.
E-Cricket aims to be ICC's official cricket game with a real-time multiplayer experience similar to FIFA/EA Sports FC.
The studio also secured a global player roster license of over 600 professional cricketers via a Winners Alliance partnership.
ICC and LightFury Games declined to comment; an announcement is expected in the coming weeks.

Cricket lacks a breakout gaming franchise on the scale of FIFA, leaving a large market gap.
India has 600 million active gamers, with nearly 8 billion mobile game downloads in 2025.
India's in-app purchase revenue crossed $800 million in 2025 and is projected to reach nearly $2 billion by 2029.
ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta said mobile gaming in cricket will be bigger than the movies.

LightFury Games is a gaming studio focused on premium cross-platform titles for global audiences.
The company builds original IP and works on licensed gaming experiences.
AI is central to its strategy, reducing AAA title production time to about 2 years from the typical 3-5 years.
E-Cricket will debut on iOS and Android in 2027, later on PC and consoles.
The leadership team includes veterans from Ubisoft, Improbable, and Electronic Arts, who have collectively shipped over 40 AAA titles.

ICC (lead) — International Cricket Council, the global governing body for cricket.
MS Dhoni (angel) — Former Indian cricket captain.
Jasprit Bumrah (angel) — Indian cricketer.
Hardik Pandya (angel) — Indian cricketer.
Shreyas Iyer (angel) — Indian cricketer.
Ravindra Jadeja (angel) — Indian cricketer.
V3 Ventures (institutional) — Venture capital firm.
Mixi (institutional) — Japanese gaming and social media company.
Blume Ventures (institutional) — Indian venture capital firm.
Times Internet (institutional) — Digital arm of the Times Group.
Kunal Shah (angel) — WhatsApp global chief.
Gaurav Munjal (angel) — Unacademy co-founder.

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