Lirui Ding

Lirui is the Principal at a leading gaming VC Transcend Fund. Transcend Fund has invested in over 40 gaming companies globally including thatgamecompany (developer of Sky: Children of the Light), Singularity 6 (developer of Palia), Ruckus Games, Stress Level Zero, Cosmic Lounge, etc. 

Prior to Transcend, Lirui worked with the Executive Leadership team at Activision Blizzard on a range of pivotal initiatives from M&A, investment strategy to game development and strategy review. Before Activision Blizzard, Lirui was a strategy consultant, advising clients on operations, M&A, and investment strategy in the gaming industry. Lirui was also a global top 20 esports player with 400+ APM. Lirui is a regular speaker at leading gaming industry conferences including MWC Barcelona, PGC London, DICE, PGC San Francisco, ChinaJoy, etc. 

Funding the Future: Investment and Fundraising Strategies in the Gaming Industry

Globally, the gaming industry received only about 25% of the funding in 2023 that it did in 2022. The process of securing funding is a major challenge for gaming studios of every size, as 2024 highlights a variety of new and ongoing difficulties and opportunities. This roundtable will bring together attendees to discuss the burning questions surrounding financing in the gaming sector, touching on the latest investment trends in the gaming sector and practical insights into securing impactful funding for their businesses as well as exploring strategies to attract investors, navigate funding options, and make informed financial decisions.

Some of the key questions the roundtable will explore include:

• What are the key factors that gaming companies and VCs consider when investing in game studios?
• What are the challenges and opportunities presented by different types of funding?
• How do game studios successfully navigate the fundraising process?