According to a Game Venture Capital Firm report, investment in global games in 2024 has increased by $ 3.1 billion to $ 38 %. Hiro Capital。
Looking at games, complex reality, and sports technology, it indicated that more than $ 10 billion was invested in these categories in 2024 based on the data of DealRoom analyzed by Hiro Capital.
In an interview with Gamesbeat, Luke Alvarez, a HIRO Capital established manage partner, stated Global Games Investment, despite the overall stagnation of the overall funding.
“We’re pretty optimistic,” Alvares said. “We continue to make games with a huge and exciting sector and have declined, but it has recovered, and high -quality game makers continue to make wonderful games and make money for investors. We are enthusiastic about all of these fields such as sports and deep technology.
He pointed out that the British and European game industry worth nearly $ 200 million. In the UK, investment in spatial computing increased by 141 % in 2024, and AR, VR, and 3D technology are widely used in industry that exceeds games such as healthcare. I also like reports in sports technology that prefer $ 1.8 billion investment in 2023 to $ 1.8 billion.
Immnivated technology such as spatial computing and AI has rebuilt industries such as health care, cars, and skirt training to move beyond entertainment. This is an exciting 2025 stage because these new technologies have begun to be realized.
In 2024, spatial computing companies raised $ 4.5 billion, and AR and VR applications increased significantly beyond the game.
“We are in the new computing paradigm Casp,” Alvares said. “The fifth era of computing will fundamentally change our interaction, creation, and experience methods. Our role is to support the pioneers to build this future The opportunity may be a combination of all of these subsectors to find a new way to integrate technology into our lives.
Continuous interest in Games Tech
According to DealRoom data, the US and European game funds reached $ 3.5 billion, almost doubled from $ 1.8 billion in 2023. Globally, games have increased from $ 3.1 billion to $ 4.3 billion. This is promoted by the permanent popularity of established triple A live service games as the release of entertainment and destructive new indies in 2024, such as Palworld, Heldivers II, HIRO’s own portfolio company KEEN GAMES ‘ENSHROUDED. Masu.
The United States continued to invest in games and donated $ 2.9 billion from $ 1 billion in 2023. The late transaction, such as the $ 1.5 billion of the EPIC, exceeded the financing ($ 1.1 billion) of the total game procured in the United States in 2023.
“We are considering DealRoom data. From the viewpoint of HIRO, we look at various investment banks that cover the space. Everyone has a slightly different cut in these numbers. Alvarez says, “the scale is almost the same.”
He added as follows: “I was north of $ 10 billion in 2022. In 2023 it was $ 3.1 billion, and this year we have increased significantly since 2023, but half of the 2022 peak Last year, it has increased significantly and claims that the quality of better quality companies has improved. “There are some very large private market transactions such as rocket boys and infinite reality.”
In the UK, investment in 2024 fell by 15 % year -on -year to $ 313 million. We have demonstrated the continuous activities of.
In Europe, there are fewer game unicorns than the United States (34) over time (31). However, the fact that this is very close is the strength of the European game industry because the United States has more than three times the unicorn than Europe. However, in terms of corporate value, Europe is still delayed in the United States. The European and British game sector is worth $ 1974 billion and employs 271,000 employees.
Good portfolio
Of course, Alvarez is optimistic about the HIRO Capital game investment portfolio.
“The portfolio has a really high quality game studio and game skills. KEEN GAMES was really good at Enshrouded, and we are satisfied with it,” he said. “There was a Belgian studio, Happy Volcano, and a really good followon transaction that came back a few years ago. The soccer invested in 2023 was launched.”
Regarding Reof, he said that 2024 was a challenging year for the industry. A large -scale integrated industry was actively recruiting in the pandemic era, and Alvares said, “I got over their skiing.” “Not all capitals are allocated. We all have a paper saying that too much money is too high and may be wonderful from the founder’s point of view, It’s not always good for the studio because you spend too much, you are excessively refilled, and you have a high combustion rate.
On the other hand, the profits of companies such as Epic Games and companies in the public market have been improved (at least recently in electronic art companies). HIRO CAPITAL was an ESPORTS investor, and its sector was struggling, but Team Liquid doubled and profitable.
“Even this tough market feels pretty pleasant in 2025,” he said. “The sector is picking up and people are growing again. Cutting it as an indie or new studio would be more difficult, but if you are making amazing fun and innovative game plane. You can get through the ENSHROUDED in 2024 in 2024.
He believes that strategic investors are back to the M & A transaction market and Windows is back for IPO. He said that companies with empty pipelines in the latter half of 2025 and 2026 will probably buy the road to the market.
Young distorted
He stated that there are companies that make a comeback and bright spots like a young gamer market.
“In the industry, there are specific companies that are starting to work really well. We are in partnership with Galena and seed company, and they have regained Mojo. Many companies have survived the storm. I think it’s a great way, but I don’t think they are in good shape. It is very strict, and some of them are still doing their performance.
For the buyer, he states: “If you want to get a strategic, wonderful new game studio or important new technology, it’s probably a pretty good time to do it. But I think people want quality. They want a really good -looking -loving game, they want to make money in the place where they are purchasing. I want a suitable technique and I hope that the unit is good, so there is almost no speculative nonsense.
He stated that the company made some investments just before the age of the year. Some of them reflect that “gamers tend to be at the end of new computing technology.”
Very bullish about VR and immersive technology
Due to the convergence of AR and AI and the demand in immersive environments promoted by the breakthrough of hardware, the UK spatial computing company (AR, VR, and 3D technology) raised $ 2.2 billion in 2024. 。
As a result, the European investment was raised to a quarter to $ 2.7 billion. In 2024, these technologies have moved to an application for automobiles, health care, and industrial training beyond the scope of the game, including VR Medicult Rening Startup and Oxford Medical Simulation $ 12.6 million series A.
Overall, spatial computing funds decreased by 20 % to $ 4.5 billion, but the United States ruled out transactions again and raised $ 3.1 billion.
Alvarez is a virtual reality, as VR says that young people of GEN Z and GEN ALPHA are attractive. He is VR because Dr. DOOM’s AJ Shewki has started a partnership with Meta, and his company LIV can put the camera in Horizo N VR and put it in the popular VR game GORILLA tag. Make it possible to share the results.
“It’s actually a 3D social network that DRESS for gorillas for children of that age,” he said. “The number of monthly active creator streakers is solid and growing. We are a little older, probably like Roblox, Fortnite, and its generations. I think it’s optimistic for the children who are coming.
He is also excited about the VR studio like Polyarc and MAKING OF MOSS. He believes that Google and Samsung will release something good in Android XR by the end of the year, and the meta will revive new hardware. He said that Apple might start over again.
“I think the space, the space is coming,” he said.
Sports, technology and games
Alvares said he was at the intersection of games, technology and sports. Alvarez liked CARVSKI. This is an AI game built for skiers connected to clip -on -wear. The wearable is tracked 100 times in real time, 1 second and real -time, and in real time.
“When skiing the mountains, it provides feedback on how to improve your ski technique, and when you turn, you will always hear happy noise every time you make a turn. He always hears a happy noise, so you are always listening to a happy noise, “he said. “It’s like playing a candy crash, except that your body is tracking what you are doing in real time in a real time, and when you are down the mountain It is reacting to.
He added as follows: “I think it’s really interesting. Is it a game? Is it a human suth business? Is it a device? Well, it’s just a part of them, but it’s like a partially digitized cyborg. I’m changing to something.
