KRAFTON India's KIGI Program Gets Major Boost with New Tech Giants Onboard; Google Cloud, AWS & More

Business Wire India

• New alliances with Google Cloud, AWS, AccelByte, GameRefinery, AppMagic, and Lysto aim to accelerate development and scale for KIGI-backed studios
• Partnerships extend KIGI’s incubation model with powerful infrastructure, analytics, and testing tools to boost game quality and market readiness

 

today announced a series of strategic collaborations with leading global technology and analytics platforms to enhance its support infrastructure for startups under the KRAFTON India Gaming Incubator (KIGI). These collaborations provide early-stage gaming studios access to vital tools and services needed to develop, test, scale, and market their games more effectively.

The collaborations span across cloud services, backend platforms, game analytics, market intelligence, and feature testing, ensuring KIGI teams have the resources to bring high-quality games to market faster and more efficiently.

Key Offerings Include:

Google Cloud

 

• Google Cloud Credits
• Technical support through dedicated office hours and workshops
• Access to Startup Success Managers for personalized guidance
• Google Workspace Business Plus free for 1 year (new signups only)
• Google Cloud Enhanced Support for 1 year upon upgrade to Scale Tier

 

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

 

• AWS to access a wide suite of services across computing, storage, databases, and more
• Scalable cloud infrastructure spanning global data centers
• Support for development, deployment, and growth of game backends

 

AccelByte

 

• AccelByte is redefining backend infrastructure for game developers with a flexible platform that seamlessly supports cross-platform play, data storage, monetization, matchmaking, and rich social features
• Designed to adapt to a wide range of game development needs, AccelByte enables studios to fully implement backend features without relying on a large backend or LiveOps team
• Robust infrastructure helps developers to scale confidently and quickly, maintaining control and customization without compromising performance; Game studios benefit from enterprise-grade backend capabilities that keep pace with their creative vision

 

GameRefinery, A Liftoff Company

 

• GameRefinery is a mobile game analytics platform that provides insights into over 100,000 games, helping developers understand what drives player engagement, monetization, and market success.
• It offers deep analysis of game features, tracking revenue/download trends, and showing how updates affect performance.
• Developers can also use it for competitive benchmarking, with access to feature breakdowns, player behavior trends, and subgenre-level market share insights.
• Liftoff helps mobile businesses maximize revenue through AI-powered marketing, monetization, and creative solutions that deliver better ad experiences and connect people with the products they love.

 

AppMagic

 

• AppMagic provides competitive intelligence and market research tools tailored for mobile games, enabling teams to track competitor performance and emerging feature trends.
• It supports product planning and user acquisition strategies by offering data-driven insights into market movements and game performance.
• The platform is available to all KIGI-incubated teams throughout the duration of their program to aid in strategic decision-making.

 

Lysto

 

• Lysto is an AI-native playtesting and research platform that helps gaming studios build better games through structured, insight-driven feedback across all stages of game development, from concept and prototypes, unreleased as well as live titles (including competitor playtesting).
• Recruits real gamers globally from a panel of 1M+ players, using advanced targeting across region, demographics, and behavior, ensuring the right players for every test.
• Supports qualitative and quantitative studies to identify friction points, validate features, and improve FTUE, retention, and overall experience.
• KIGI teams receive platform credits and expert support to run flexible, need-based playtests across all development stages.

 

Speaking on the development, Anuj Sahani, Head of KRAFTON India Gaming Incubator, said:
"We’re proud to provide our KIGI startups access to some of the world’s most advanced tools and platforms through these partnerships. With cloud infrastructure from Google Cloud and AWS, backend integration support from AccelByte, and market intelligence platforms like GameRefinery and AppMagic, we’re ensuring that every studio in our program has access to global-grade infrastructure from day one. These collaborations will dramatically reduce development cycles, improve scalability, and empower founders to focus more on creative innovation rather than operational hurdles. Our aim is to help promising Indian developers break past early-stage challenges and deliver games that can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with international titles.”

Sean Hyunil Sohn, CEO of KRAFTON India, added:
“KIGI reflects our long-term commitment to building India as a global gaming hub. Through these strategic partnerships, we’re enabling Indian game studios to access critical capabilities whether that’s real-time analytics, monetization insights, or backend stability that are typically available only to mature developers in more established markets. These tools not only elevate the technical foundation of each startup, but also fuel their ambition to think bigger, build faster, and reach wider audiences. We believe these collaborations will play a pivotal role in unlocking a new generation of globally successful games made in India.”

The KRAFTON India Gaming Incubator (KIGI) aims to nurture the next generation of gaming talent in India by offering financial assistance, mentorship, product development guidance, and now, enhanced tech and analytics capabilities through these collaborations. Since its launch in October 2023, the program has run two editions: the inaugural cohort selected four startups from over 200 applications, and the second cohort onboarded six studios from emerging hubs including Madurai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Delhi.

Across both batches, KIGI has provided milestone-based grants ranging from $50,000 to $150,000 per team, in addition to 6–12 months of mentorship, workshops, cloud credits (Google Cloud & AWS), and access to data tools like AppMagic, GameRefinery, and AccelByte.

With its growing network of global partners and a focus on regional representation, KIGI continues to empower Indian game developers to build innovative, scalable, and globally relevant gaming experiences from the ground up.

About KRAFTON India Gaming Incubator (KIGI)

KRAFTON India Gaming Incubator (KIGI) is a mentorship-focused incubation program launched in 2023 to support and accelerate India's game development ecosystem. Designed to nurture emerging game developers, it provides financial assistance, hands-on mentorship from globally renowned industry veterans, and access to KRAFTON’s vast suite of resources. Participants receive financial assistance ranging between $50,000 and $150,000, along with expert guidance from seasoned professionals based across India, South Korea, and other key gaming ecosystems the world over, equipping them with the tools to build successful games. Beyond incubation, KIGI also opens avenues for publishing, venture capital funding, and potential equity investment from KRAFTON. The inaugural cohort includes ReDimension Games, Shura Games, Dunali Games, and Arjuna Studios. With the second cohort now underway, KIGI continues to empower Indian game developers in creating globally competitive, high-quality games.

About KRAFTON, Inc. 

Headquartered in South Korea, KRAFTON, Inc. is dedicated to discovering and publishing captivating games that offer fun and unique experiences. Established in 2007, KRAFTON is home to globally renowned developers that include PUBG STUDIOS, Striking Distance Studios, Unknown Worlds, VECTOR NORTH, Neon Giant, KRAFTON Montréal Studio, Bluehole Studio, RisingWings, 5minlab, Dreamotion, ReLU Games, Flyway Games, Tango Gameworks and inZOI Studio. Each studio strives to continuously take on new challenges and leverage innovative technologies. Their goal is to win over more fans by broadening KRAFTON’s platforms and services. With a passionate and driven team across the globe, KRAFTON is a tech-forward company that possesses world-class capabilities and is set on expanding its business horizons to encompass multimedia entertainment and deep learning. For more information, visit?www.krafton.com. 

About KRAFTON India 

In India, KRAFTON is responsible for premier mobile games, including BATTLEGROUNDS MOBILE INDIA (BGMI), which has surpassed 200 million downloads, Bullet Echo India, Road To Valor: Empires, and CookieRun India, among others. Committed to enhancing the start-up ecosystem in India, KRAFTON has invested over $170 million in several Indian startups across interactive entertainment, gaming, Esports, and technology, since 2021. KRAFTON actively supports India’s game development ecosystem through its KRAFTON India Gaming Incubator (KIGI) while strengthening the Esports ecosystem with flagship events like the BATTLEGROUNDS MOBILE INDIA SERIES (BGIS) and BATTLEGROUNDS MOBILE INDIA PRO SERIES (BMPS). For more information, visit https://krafton.in/