ARCTIC7 SECURES $2M SEED INVESTMENT IN RAISE LED BY GRISHIN ROBOTICS
- Funding to enable tech development and international expansion
Austin, Texas, March 14, 2022 - Arctic7, a newly announced games development company founded by Igor Efremov, Mark Rizzo and Alan Van Slyke, has today announced that it has successfully closed its seed round of $2million. Bay Area-based venture capital firm Grishin Robotics leads the round, along side two angel investors.
A brand-new venture delivering technical and creative solutions within the games industry, Arctic 7’s ambition is to establish itself as a leading game developer, focusing on quality, technical excellence, and creative output.
Arctic7 sees the trio build upon their previous successes at companies including Epic Games, Microsoft, Sony and Electronic Arts, where they spearheaded the development of game franchises including Gears of War, Assassin’s Creed, FIFA, The Sims, Need for Speed and more.
Igor Efremov, Co-Founder of Arctic7, comments,“Mark, Alan and I have long shared a vision of creating a company that is built on our personal beliefs and ambitions. With Arctic7, we can look forward to identifying industry opportunities and seizing them, and we are incredibly grateful that our investors have decided to come onboard for the journey ahead. The initial funding – which exceeded expectations - gives us the launchpad to realise those ambitions, deliver top quality game experiences, and establish ourselves as a first-class developer.”
A spokesperson at Grishin Robotics, commented, “The Arctic7 team has a proven track record of working on some of the most successful projects at the biggest companies. In short, Arctic7is a start-up that is born from decades of experience and solid industry contacts and we can’t wait to see its success unfold.”
More about Arctic7:
Arctic7 is a next generation independent games company, founded in 2021 by Igor Efremov, Mark Rizzo and Alan Van Slyke. The company is headquartered in Austin, Texas and has development teams around the world. Arctic7’s vision is to create an environment where creativity is nurtured and every partnership remains personal. Through their combined decades of experience working in games, Efremov, Rizzo and Van Slyke know that every project is only as good as the people behind it. The company is committed to hiring and inspiring the best talent and is proud of theever-growing team it has assembled since its creation. Arctic7 is currently working on an unannounced project for an international publisher, and has a number of partner projects planned for 2022 and beyond.
More about Igor Efremov, Mark Rizzo and Alan Van Slyke:
Igor Efremov began his games career at Electronic Arts before co-founding Sperasoft with Mark Rizzo; a games development studio that was acquired by Keyword Studios in 2017. The acquisition resulted in Efremov becoming Keyword Studios’ Chief Commercial Officer, responsible for sales and services across the company.
Mark Rizzo has also held a number of senior leadership technical and operations roles at companies including Sony, Electronic Arts and most recently Keyword Studios, where he held the role of Global Operations Director.
Alan Van Slyke has over two decades of game development experience, working in senior production roles at Epic Games, Electronic Arts and Sony Computer Entertainment, and most recently served as Chief Operating Officer at Microsoft Studio, Undead Labs.
About Grishin Robotics:
Grishin Robotics is a Bay Area based venture capital firm focused on investing in early-stage companies. Founded by Dmitry Grishin, the mission of Grishin Robotics is to bring real change to the physical world by supporting companies that combine software innovation and tangible hardware products.
Grishin Robotics has invested in many category-defining companies such as - Ring (acquired by Amazon for $1B), Spin (personal mobility, acquired by Ford), Zipline (last-miledrone delivery), Starship (last mile robot delivery), Sphero (smart robotic toys), Eero (smart home wi-fi system, acquired by Amazon), and many others.
