Best Gaming Companies in Chicago, United States
The 50 best Gaming companies in Chicago, United States in 2026, ranked by funding and momentum. Funding, investors, founders, valuation, tech stack and live signals. Top: Metaplex.
Our analysis of 71 Gaming companies
$20.0b in tracked funding; 97% of the stack-profiled cohort runs cloud-native; funding activity peaked in 2025.
Ranked: Best Gaming companies in Chicago
| # | Company | Disclosed funding | Last round | Stage | Founder | Founded | Tech stack | Patents & IP focus | Recent signals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Metaplex Online platform for developing NFTs marketplaces | $46M | 54 mo ago | Series C | — | 2021 | TurbopackNode.jsRadix UI+17 | — | — |
| 2 | Lightstream Web-based streaming software | $10M | 89 mo ago | Acquired | Ryan Forquer Co-Founder & CCO | 2014 | WordPressMySQLPHP+35 | 12 patents Pipeline cured‑in‑place liners and high‑power flash lamp cooling systems | — |
| 3 | Resilient Games Studio Educational games studio creating impactful learning experiences for students and educators 40Funding top 43%Talent bottom 45%Global bottom 29% All 3 signals ▾Fundingtop 43% Talentbottom 45% Globalbottom 29% Funding: Raised $6.0M across 8 rounds · 8 rounds over 10 yrs (0.8/yr) Talent: 1 named leader on record rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 40/100 | $6M | 16 mo ago | Funding Raised | Melissa Gilliam Co-Founder | 2015 | — | — | — |
| 4 | iiRcade Provider of gaming arcade machines | $6M | 69 mo ago | Deadpooled | Jong Shin CEO | 2019 | — | 4 patents Arcade gaming cabinets and networked software for facilitating arcade game play | — |
| 5 | Tap.Me Connecting pilots and passengers for unforgettable flight experiences since 1994 | $5M | 172 mo ago | Acqui-Hired | — | 2009 | — | 18 patents Pressurized beverage container caps and dispensing hardware for tap-based drink systems | — |
| 6 | Mode Mobile Web3 platform with reward-based game NFTs 57Customers top 18%Tech top 33%Talent top 38%Fin. health top 42% All 10 signals ▾Customerstop 18% Techtop 33% Talenttop 38% Fin. healthtop 42% Fundingtop 44% Markettop 50% Growthbottom 48% Productbottom 40% Globalbottom 39% Moatbottom 38% Customers: Play-Store rating 4.49★ across 3,568,337 ratings (1 apps) · Review volume +5% in 6 mo Tech: 42 technologies across 6/8 capability areas · Cloud: Amazon S3, Amazon Web Services rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 57/100 | $5M | 14 mo ago | Seed | Kiran Panesar Co-Founder & CTO | 2017 | WebflowVimeoStripe+28 | — | — |
| 7 | Atom Switch Developer of PC and console-based casual games | $3M | 47 mo ago | Seed | Dan Sandberg CEO | 2009 | — | — | — |
| 8 | Toy Studio Mobile game development studio | $3M | 126 mo ago | Deadpooled | — | 2009 | — | — | — |
| 9 | Phantasia Provider of a blockchain-based fantasy sports platform | $2M | 55 mo ago | Seed | — | 2021 | — | — | — |
| 10 | LitHit Game developer specializing in shooting devices for games | $120K | 112 mo ago | Seed | Anthony Crivolio Co-Founder & CEO | 2017 | — | — | — |
Top 12 Gaming companies in Chicago
#1
Funding Raised · Chicago, Illinois · founded 2015$6Mraised▾
Educational games studio creating impactful learning experiences for students and educators. They publish games designed to make a positive impact, offering interactive learning experiences through educational video games and board games. Their creations aim to provide diverse, research-driven educational experiences for students and new interventions for education workers. They focus on developing games that address social and health-related issues, using research and development techniques to ensure their products make a difference. They also provide a platform for game authors to bring their educational game ideas to life. Their games encourage STEM career interest in youth, opening new perspectives and opportunities for students. They offer interactive learning experiences.
- Mar 2025Grant (prize money)$1.7M
- Aug 2022Grant (prize money)$1.7M
- Sep 2021Grant (prize money)$243.3K
- Sep 2020Grant (prize money)$251.3K
#2
Seed · Chicago, Illinois · founded 2017 · 20 employees$4.6Mraised▾
Web3 platform with reward-based game NFTs. It provides games that are integrated into the Blockchain network, which enables players to trade in in-game assets. Its features include play-to-earn and engage platforms, games, and fan rewards.
- May 2025Seed$3M
- Dec 2024Seed$33.4K
- Dec 2023Seed$1.3M
- Apr 2020Conventional Debt$354.4K
#3
Series C · Chicago, Illinois · founded 2021 · 61 employees$46Mraised▾
Online platform for developing NFTs marketplaces. It is an online blockchain-based marketplace to sell and buy in-game virtual items or goods. It is a decentralized platform built on the Solana blockchain, enabling the creation, sale, and management of programmable non-fungible tokens and digital assets.
- Jan 2022Series C$46M
#4
Seed · Chicago, Illinois · founded 2009 · 9 employees$3.4Mraised▾
Developer of PC and console-based casual games. It offers Infestation a cooperative survival genre where players scavenge derelict spaceships.
- Aug 2022Seed$3.4M
#5
Acquired · Chicago, Illinois · founded 2014 · 15 employees$9.9Mraised▾
Lightstream is a web-based streaming software that enables users to broadcast in real-time on multiple platforms like Twitch, Facebook, Beam, YouTube etc. Does not require any additional equipment for streaming and supports both Mac and Windows PC's. Is cloud platform encodes content for delivery across devices. Pricing is yet to be decided as of June 2017.
- Feb 2019Series A$8M
- Feb 2016Seed$1.8M
- 2015Seed$120K
- 2015Seed—
#6
Deadpooled · Chicago, Illinois · founded 2019 · 7 employees$5.5Mraised▾
Provider of gaming arcade machines. It provides a gaming arcade machine for players to play different genres of video games.
- Oct 2020Seed$5.5M
#7
Seed · Chicago, Illinois · founded 2021 · 6 employees$1.9Mraised▾
Provider of a blockchain-based fantasy sports platform. It offers a play to earn model fantasy sports platform based on blockchain technology. It allows players to earn NFT tokens on winning the games and in-game contests. It facilitates the creation of exclusive clubs and participation in club level games.
- Dec 2021ICO$2.1M
- Nov 2021Seed$1.9M
#8
Acqui-Hired · Chicago, Illinois · founded 2009 · 12 employees$5.4Mraised▾
Connecting pilots and passengers for unforgettable flight experiences since 1994. It is an online platform that facilitates booking scenic flights and day trips with licensed pilots. With a wide selection of flight offerings, users can search for flights based on location and preferences. The platform connects individuals with vetted private and commercial pilots, ensuring safety and a personalized experience. It offers gift vouchers for various amounts, redeemable for any flight on the site. The booking process involves searching for a flight, selecting a date and time, and coordinating directly with the pilot after confirmation. The platform caters to both individual adventurers and groups seeking custom flight experiences. It also provides an opportunity for pilots to share their passion for flying and offset flight costs by connecting with passengers. The website offers pilot registration, login, search, cart, and secure payment options.
- Mar 2012Series C$3.2M
- Dec 2011Series B$423.9K
- May 2011Series B$1.5M
- Sep 2010Series A$325K
#9
Deadpooled · Chicago, Illinois · founded 2009 · 26 employees$2.9Mraised▾
Toy Studio LLC is a game studio focusing on the development of HTML.5 games for mobile and web devices. The studio has a portfolio of over 30 games and popular titles include 'Bee Control' - a platformer game and 'Boulder Dash' - an action puzzle.
- Jan 2016Series A$2.9M
#10
Seed · Chicago, Illinois · founded 2022$20Kraised▾
Developer of casual video games. It is a startup that creates audio-responsive video games for music students, making music practice more fun and engaging. The company was founded by Northwestern University students and has been featured in various publications.
- Sep 2023Seed$20K
#11
Seed · Chicago, Illinois · founded 2017 · 2 employees$120Kraised▾
Game developer specializing in shooting devices for games. It develops shooting devices to give a learning experience to gamers. It integrates with gamer's mobile device and improves shooter performance with real-time analytics and games.
- Mar 2017Seed$120K
#12
Deadpooled · Chicago, Illinois · founded 2019$50Kraised▾
Online esports organization platform for gamers
- Sep 2019Seed$50K
Funding & investor landscape
Notable founders
Market landscape — 10 sub-themes by coverage
Share of Gaming coverage by sub-theme.
Regulatory-risk over time rising
Funding & growth over time
funding rising · growth rising
How research on Gaming Technology is moving in the United States
A read on the academic research around Gaming Technology — which themes are gaining ground, the institutions and researchers driving them, and how the tone is shifting. Based on 670 United States-affiliated papers.
- Carnegie Mellon University23
- Nvidia20
- University of Utah16
- University of California, Davis16
- Cornell University15
- Image-based modeling and rendering7→15
- Alternate frame rendering2→10
- Gaussian4→9
- Augmented reality2→7
- 3D rendering9→13
- Context (archaeology)3→4
- Rendering (computer graphics)25
- Computer graphics (images)19
- Game engine10
- Real-time rendering9
- Human–computer interaction8
Where gaming tech is researched across United States
Location clusters by institution affiliation — each city's volume, stance tone, and a quick read on its hot topic, what's advancing, the opening opportunity, and the main concern.
Who's filing gaming tech patents in the United States
United States gaming tech patent filing is accelerating — 406 filings from 157 assignees (2016–2025), led by Sony Interactive Entertainment, SONY Interactive Entertainment A, Microsoft; annual filings 10→50.
- Sony Interactive Entertainment98
- SONY Interactive Entertainment A50
- Microsoft41
- Google36
- Intel35
- Tencent America21
- Nvidia18
- Electronic ARTS14
Common questions
Rohit lives in the feed. He covers what's moving right now — the funding rounds, launches and shifts breaking across the trade press — and ties them back to where the sector is heading.