Remote-working game developers Jam & Tea Studios has raised $3.15 million in seed funding to create a new generation of multiplayer role-playing video games based on generative AI. Games industry expert London Venture Partners led the funding round. Sisu Game Ventures and 1Up Ventures also contributed.
“We started Jam & Tea Studios to make collaborative and uncompromisingly multiplayer games,” says CEO and co-founder Carl Kwoh. “We believe in the power of games to serve as a space for folks to form positive and playful social connections. We also are excited about games as a means to deliver truly novel and immersive experiences.”
Founded in 2023
The studio was founded in August this year by J. Aaron Farr, M Yichao, and T Carl Kwoh, all of whom have vast experience in the gaming industry. Jam & Tea Studios utilises innovative AI technologies to develop new gaming experiences previously impossible to create.
“I’m most excited for the new creative possibilities AI-powered tools can unleash for our designers and artists,” says CCO and co-founder M Yichao. “As the volume of generated content grows with easier-to-use AI tools, the need for human innovation will grow as well. If you’re a game developer and a creative who is excited to explore new frontiers of possibilities, making the games we only dreamed of as kids, we’d love to hear from you.”
The company aims to give players a higher level of agency than ever before. Sam Bong acts as the company’s COO while Jake Mott is the brand’s principal designer. Rounding out the development team are Max Shawabkeh, gameplay engineer; and Yudi Xue, ML engineer. Mack Growen, general partner at London Venture Partners, is joining the studio’s board.
Growen said, “We are convinced that new delightful and fun game features and formats will be born in the coming years as AI matures and gets integrated into game development and operations, so when we met Jam & Tea, we immediately wanted to join them on this journey. Their clarity of vision and experience puts them in a perfect position to uncover this potential.”
Jack Brassell is a freelance journalist and aspiring novelist. Jack is a self-proclaimed nerd with a lifelong passion for storytelling. As an author, Jack writes mostly horror and young adult fantasy. Also an avid gamer, she works as the lead news editor at Hardcore Droid. When she isn't writing or playing games, she can often be found binge-watching Parks & Rec or The Office, proudly considering herself to be a cross between Leslie Knope and Pam Beasley.
