Stan

What Stan does

STAN is a Bengaluru-based, mobile-first social gaming and creator community platform founded in 2022. It serves Indian mobile gamers, esports fans, and gaming creators — with a deliberate concentration in Tier 2 and Tier 3 ("Bharat") cities, which account for 67% of its 45M+ user base and 72% of its monetized engagement, and which deliver 17–18% higher ARPU than Tier 1 metros. The product combines live audio clubs, group gaming, in-app currency, and creator monetization tools, and is optimized for low-end Android devices, low-bandwidth environments, and vernacular interaction.

The platform is built around a community-led growth model — approximately 75% of three-year 60x user growth has come organically through creator communities, referrals, and in-product social interactions rather than paid acquisition. Core technology includes AI-driven personalization and moderation, an AI-enabled creator tooling suite, and the Photon engagement-rewards protocol built on the Aptos blockchain, which integrates with partners such as Nazara Games and World Cricket Championship. STAN also operates STANshop, an embedded commerce and rewards module that distributes third-party offers (e.g., discounted ZEE5 subscriptions).

STAN's revenue model is multi-stream: freemium with in-app purchases of digital goods and NFTs (500K+ paid users reported as of 2024), creator monetization infrastructure (usage-based), in-game advertising, and affiliate/referral revenue from STANshop offers. The company has raised approximately $15.9M of cumulative equity across a $2.5M seed (May 2022, General Catalyst), a $2.7M pre-Series A (Jan 2024, Aptos Labs-led), a $2.2M secondary to Nazara Technologies (Sept 2024), and a $10.5M Series A (Aug 2025 led by Google AI Futures Fund, expanded in Nov 2025 with Sony Innovation Fund), with additional participation from Bandai Namco, Square Enix, Reazon Holdings, Pix Capital, Maelstrom, GFR Fund, CoinDCX, and CoinSwitch. The company is co-founded and led by Parth Chadha (CEO), with Rahul Singh (CTO) and Nauman Mulla (COO) as co-founders.

Name

Stan

Legal name

STAN

Website

https://getstan.app

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

STAN is a Bengaluru-based mobile-first social gaming and creator community platform serving 45M+ Indian users and 1M+ creators, with a Tier 2/3 India focus, AI-driven personalization, and a blockchain engagement protocol (Photon) on Aptos.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Gaming Platform

NAICS

Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210)

SIC

Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)

akta.pro primary industry

Creator Monetization & Fan Funding (Subscriptions, Tips, Memberships, Patronage) (MPAFAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Creator Commerce & Affiliate Monetization Platforms (MPACAFAF)

Keywords

• Social gaming platform
• Creator economy
• Mobile esports community
• Blockchain engagement protocol
• In-app commerce rewards

Headquarters

HQ city

Bangalore

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. In-app purchases of digital goods and NFTs: Users buy in-game items, props, and NFT products on the platform; over 500,000 paid users reported as of 2024.
2. In-app currency and rewards economy: Freemium model in which users earn and spend in-app currency as part of engagement loops; supported by AI moderation and creator tools.
3. Creator monetization tools and infrastructure: Platform provides monetization infrastructure for creators and gaming influencers, including tools developed in collaboration with gaming legends.
4. STANshop commerce and rewards distribution: STANshop, the in-app commerce and rewards module, distributes third-party offers (e.g., discounted ZEE5 subscriptions) to users, generating affiliate/referral and partnership revenue.
5. In-game advertising: STAN participates in India's in-game advertising market, with industry executives citing rewarded video, native placements, and hybrid monetisation as core revenue pillars.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

STAN is a mobile-first social gaming platform that connects gaming creators, publishers, and their fan communities through live audio clubs, group gaming, fan-creator interactions, and creator monetization tools. The platform supports in-app purchases of digital items and NFTs, an in-app currency and rewards economy, and an embedded commerce module (STANshop) that distributes third-party subscription offers. STAN also operates Photon, a blockchain-based engagement-rewards protocol on the Aptos blockchain that integrates with third-party games such as Nazara Games and World Cricket Championship.

Product overview

Stan operates a single unified mobile-first social gaming and creator community platform with several named modules layered on top. The core product is the STAN social gaming platform (45M+ users, 1M+ creators, live audio clubs, group gaming, and creator-fan interactions), on top of which Stan ships distinct modules: STANshop (a commerce and rewards module distributing third-party digital subscription offers such as discounted ZEE5), Photon (a blockchain-based engagement-rewards protocol on the Aptos blockchain that integrates with partners including Nazara Games and World Cricket Championship), the Live Audio Clubs feature, and the Creator Tools & Monetization Suite (AI-enabled creator infrastructure). Together these form a platform-plus-modules architecture centered on community, AI personalization, and creator monetization in India's Tier 2/3 markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• STANshop: Commerce and rewards platform within STAN offering discounted subscription deals and fan-centric commerce experiences, such as discounted ZEE5 subscriptions for FIFA coverage.
• Photon

Products and services

• STAN (Social Gaming Platform) Mobile-first social gaming and creator community platform hosting live audio clubs, group gaming, fan-creator interactions, in-app currency, and creator monetization; used by Indian mobile gamers, esports fans, and gaming creators (45M+ users, 1M+ creators).
• STANshop Commerce and rewards module embedded in the STAN app that distributes discounted third-party digital subscription offers (e.g., ZEE5 FIFA coverage at up to 25% off) to users for in-app redemption.
• Photon (Engagement-Rewards Protocol) Blockchain-based engagement-rewards protocol built on the Aptos blockchain that rewards STAN users for their online attention and provides digital businesses with engagement signals; integrates with partners such as Nazara Games and World Cricket Championship.

Quantifiable outcome

• 60x user growth in 3 years, reaching 45M+ users
• +4 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability7 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Nazara GamescoreTechnology or IntegrationIntegrated partner for STAN's Photon blockchain-based engagement protocol, enabling user rewards and engagement signals within Nazara Games titles.
• World Cricket ChampionshipcoreTechnology or IntegrationIntegrated partner for STAN's Photon blockchain-based engagement protocol, enabling user rewards and engagement signals inside the World Cricket Championship game.
• ZEE5coreGTM or Marketing PartnerSTANshop, the in-app commerce and rewards platform within STAN, launched a discounted ZEE5 subscription offer (up to 25% off) for FIFA coverage, making premium sports content more accessible to football fans in India.
• Reliance Jio (via Aptos)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAptos (STAN's blockchain partner) has strategic partnerships with Reliance Jio in India; STAN is cited by Aptos as a key Indian startup building real-world blockchain applications on Aptos.
• Gaming legends / creators (collaboration)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSTAN is collaborating with gaming legends to develop infrastructure for creators, leveraging AI to enhance the creator economy and expand across India and the South Asian subcontinent.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Loco: Indian live streaming and creator-economy platform focused on gaming and esports, directly competing with STAN for gaming creators and viewers in India with similar live-audio and community-led formats.
• Eloelo: India-based social gaming and live-audio platform targeting Tier 2/3 users with group games and creator-led rooms, closely overlapping with STAN's Bharat user base and live audio club model.
• WinZO: Indian social gaming platform operating vernacular, low-bandwidth mobile games for Tier 2/3 audiences with a creator/partnership layer, comparable to STAN's Bharat-focused product strategy.
• Rooter: India-focused gaming content and creator monetization platform serving esports fans and streamers, directly comparable to STAN's gaming creator economy positioning.
• Bunch: Mobile social gaming app with group video chat and party games, conceptually similar to STAN's group-gaming and live-audio social experiences for mobile-native users.

Broad incumbents

• Nazara Technologies: India-listed gaming publisher and investor in STAN (15.86% stake), integrating Photon into Nazara Games titles; serves as both partner and broad incumbent in the Indian gaming ecosystem.
• Mobile Premier League (MPL): Large Indian mobile gaming and esports platform with vernacular, low-end Android focus and a wide portfolio of casual/social games; overlaps with STAN's Bharat audience but operates a much broader gaming portfolio.
• Games24x7: India-headquartered online gaming operator (fantasy, casual) targeting vernacular Tier 2/3 users, comparable to STAN's Bharat focus but with a broader real-money and casual gaming portfolio.
• Discord: Global community and live-audio platform widely used by gaming creators and communities; competes with STAN for creator-led community engagement, especially as STAN expands internationally.

Others

• Aptos Labs: Blockchain infrastructure provider and STAN investor/partner whose Aptos chain underpins the Photon protocol; comparable as an enabling technology and ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/getstanapp
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/getstan

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors26 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Stan