In 2021, women-led game studios received $1.2 million in funding, while male-led studios amassed $4.1 billion in investment. This significant disparity in funding allocation is highlighted in a report by research firm PitchBook, featured in a Polygon article on investment support for marginalized developers.
The report reveals that on average, women-founded studios received $240,000 in venture capital funding, while male-led studios received an average of $18.4 million. This underfunding of women-led studios has prompted calls for greater equity in the industry.
Industry professionals such as Eliana Oikawa, CEO of games fund Wings Interactive, have expressed concern over the discrepancies in funding, stating that projects led by women and other marginalized genders are grossly underfunded compared to projects from cis-male teams.
The Polygon report also includes first-hand accounts from developers who have experienced these disparities. Dani Lalonders, the founder of Veritable Joy Studios, highlighted the lack of opportunities given to women-led studios, stating that they are often not even given a chance to enter the room to pitch their projects.
Chella Ramanan from 3-Fold Games shared a similar experience, expressing frustration at the amount of energy and time spent applying for funding that ultimately does not come through. The report also notes that publishers often cater their questions about target audiences towards men, further marginalizing women-led studios.
The report underscores the need for greater investment and support for women-led game studios. It also highlights the broader issue of disparities faced by developers from marginalized races and ethnicities.
