1UP

What they do

Founded in 2019 by former Microsoft Vice President and Xbox co-creator Ed Fries, 1Up Ventures is a highly specialized early-stage venture fund based in the Seattle area. The firm is uniquely positioned as a "community of independent game developers," providing not just capital but a collaborative ecosystem where founders share knowledge and resources. They are highly respected in the gaming industry for their founder-friendly, standardized investment approach and their deep domain expertise in game publishing, community building, and free-to-play economics.

What they look for

1Up Ventures states their mission is to build a "diverse and inclusive community of the most talented, experienced, and creative independent game developers in the world." They believe that by working together, indie developers can help each other achieve sustainable success. They look for independent game studios developing original IP across all platforms (PC, console, and mobile) and actively champion diversity, aiming for approximately one-third of their portfolio companies to be female-founded or co-founded.

Stage

Pre-seed, Seed, Series A

Sectors

Consumer

Based

Kirkland, US