MIXI Global Investments, Nazara Technologies & ChimeraVC jointly bring ‘LVL Zero’ gaming incubator in India

MIXI Global Investments, Nazara Technologies and ChimeraVC have officially joined forces to launch LVL Zero, a gaming incubator designed to help India’s gaming startups accelerate product execution and achieve investor and publisher readiness  within 100 days. The initiative is supported by Google Play, which joins as the knowledge partner, offering  technical mentorship, platform guidance and developer best practices.

With global investors and publishers increasingly viewing India as a hub for creative talent and innovation, LVL Zero brings together some of the biggest names in the industry to bridge this gap. Offering equity-free grants and open to all game developers in the ecosystem, the incubator will provide mentorship, access to tools, and support to help Indian startups build sustainable ventures and compete on a global stage.

The LVL Zero incubator offers:

• LVL Zero is built to fast-track startups from concept to investor and publisher readiness in 100 days through structured, measurable goals.
• Each cohort startup is matched with mentors who align with their current challenge whether it’s game design, development, analytics, or live-ops. 
• A USD 10,000 equity-free grant for 10 startups each, along with access to global and Indian mentors, tools, platforms, and growth infrastructure provided by partners.
• LVL Zero connects developers with publishers, investors, and ecosystem partners to open pathways to distribution and funding.
• The programme focuses equally on product quality, data-led decision-making, business scalability, and product narratives, preparing startups to operate at global standards.

How the LVL Zero incubator will work:

• The LVL Zero framework is designed to compress years of learning and growth into a focused 100-day execution cycle. It is an outcome-driven sprint with defined phases and checkpoints. 
• Three-phase structure: Each team starts by pinpointing its biggest challenges and goals, builds through guided mentorship, testing and feedback cycles, and finishes ready for publisher reviews, investor outreach, and scale-up opportunities.
• Hands-on mentorship: Teams work closely with domain specialists from across the globe across game design, production, user acquisition, monetisation, and business strategy and more. 
• Sprints and reviews: Regular product reviews and data checkpoints ensure measurable progress toward publishing and funding readiness.
• Demo Day: The cycle concludes with a demo day, where startups pitch to a curated panel of publishers, investors, and strategic partners for potential capital, distribution and growth opportunities.
• Ecosystem support: After demo day, teams remain connected to the LVL Zero network for ongoing mentorship, partnership and fund raising introductions.

“With Chimera, we’ve always worked with founders at level one- the seed stage where conviction meets capital. LVL Zero allows us to start even earlier, at the stage where belief forms before traction and ideas are still taking shape. Most founders meet investors once they have momentum; LVL Zero lets them meet conviction first. It completes the loop for us, helping founders start earlier, think globally, and build more sustainably,” said Chimera VC managing partner Krish Anurag.

“At Nazara, we have always believed that India’s gaming story will be written by its startups. With LVL Zero, we are helping turn ambition into execution,” said Nazara Technologies joint MD & CEO Nitish Mittersain. “This collaboration allows us to bring publishing experience, analytics insights, and go-to-market knowledge directly to developers who are ready to take the next leap.”

“We’ve been impressed by the energy and creativity of India’s game developer community. Through LVL Zero, we aim not only to invest but also to contribute to the country’s broader ecosystem, supporting emerging talent to grow and building a lasting bridge between Japan and India’s gaming industries,” said MIXI Global Investments, managing director of investments Tomoharu Urabe.

As knowledge partner, Google Play will provide participating teams with developer resources, technical mentorship and insights on discovery, retention and monetisation. The platform’s deep understanding of developer growth and user engagement will help startups maximise their reach and success.

The launch of LVL Zero comes at a time when India’s gaming ecosystem is growing rapidly, supported by the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, expanding 5G networks and the mainstream acceptance of gaming as a viable career option. The incubator aims to support more than 100 high-performing startups over the next five years, nurturing a new generation of Indian gaming startups ready for global markets.

By focusing on execution, mentorship and access to the gaming industry, LVL Zero bridges a critical gap in the ecosystem, helping startups move from early-stage prototypes to globally competitive products. As more Indian teams build with global benchmarks, the impact will strengthen the entire industry: better talent retention, greater investor confidence and increased publisher trust in Indian game IP.