From IIT Guwahati to a $13.5 Million Startup: How Matiks Is Turning Brain Games Into a Global Gaming Revolution

Three college friends, 2.2 million monthly players, and $10 million in fresh funding: Matiks is challenging the way the world thinks about digital entertainment.

What if the next big gaming sensation does not involve defeating enemies, building virtual empires or scrolling through endless videos—but solving a puzzle faster than someone else?

That is the ambitious idea behind Matiks, a Bengaluru-based social gaming startup that is transforming mathematics, memory, logic and puzzles into competitive entertainment.

Founded in 2024 by three friends from IIT Guwahati, Matiks has attracted millions of players and significant investor attention. On October 26, 2026, the company announced a $10 million pre-Series A funding round led by General Catalyst, taking its total funding to more than $13.5 million.

The investment marks an important milestone for the startup as it prepares to expand internationally, develop new gaming experiences and explore artificial intelligence-powered game creation.

But the real story behind Matiks is not just the money it has raised. It is the company’s attempt to establish a new category of digital entertainment—one where using your brain becomes as engaging as playing a conventional video game.

Matiks raises $10 million: Who is backing the startup?

Matiks’ latest funding round was led by General Catalyst, a global venture capital firm known for investing in technology companies.

The round also included participation from entrepreneur Ronnie Screwvala and existing investors Info Edge Ventures, Tanglin Venture Partners and Untitled Ventures.

With this investment, Matiks has raised more than $13.5 million in total funding. Its previous funding round, announced in August 2025, was approximately $3.14 million.

The latest investment reflects growing confidence in the company’s product, expanding player community and ambition to build a global mind-sports platform.

According to TechCrunch, Matiks plans to use the fresh capital to expand into new markets and strengthen its technology and product development capabilities.

For an Indian gaming startup, attracting this level of investment is a significant achievement. More importantly, it provides the company with resources to test whether its fast-growing audience can support a sustainable international business.

What is Matiks, and how does it work?

Matiks is a social gaming platform that turns mental challenges into short, competitive experiences.

The platform offers four primary categories: mathematics, puzzles, memory and logic.

Players can practise against computer-controlled opponents before competing with real users. They can also participate in challenges, complete quests, maintain streaks, earn points and unlock additional games.

Unlike traditional educational applications, Matiks positions itself as an entertainment product rather than a classroom tool.

The objective is to make mental challenges enjoyable enough that people voluntarily return to play, improve their skills and compete with others.

Its broader ambition is to make mind sports as culturally relevant as physical sports and esports.

Three founders, one ambitious idea

Matiks was founded by Sudhanshu Bhatia, Mohan Kumar and Sushant Timmapur, who met while studying at IIT Guwahati.

Their shared interest in mathematics and problem-solving helped shape the company’s original concept.

Bhatia’s background in competitive mental mathematics was particularly influential. He began exploring the idea while working at American Express, where he was involved in anti-money laundering strategy.

He recognised that mental arithmetic already had a competitive ecosystem, but it lacked the accessibility and entertainment value of mainstream gaming.

The founders set out to change that by building a platform where players could compete, practise and improve through games that take only a few minutes to complete.

Their approach demonstrates how a familiar activity can become a new consumer product when combined with engaging design, competition and social interaction.

From 22,000 daily users to 2.2 million monthly players

One of the most impressive aspects of Matiks’ growth is the speed at which its audience has expanded.

According to figures reported by the company, its daily active users increased from approximately 22,000 earlier in 2026 to more than 300,000 by September.

During September alone, 2.2 million people played approximately 48 million games on the platform.

These figures indicate that Matiks is attracting users beyond the traditional audience for educational or brain-training applications.

The company has also reported early engagement in international markets, including the United States, Japan and South Korea.

India remains its largest market, but the growing international interest suggests that the appeal of short, competitive mental games is not limited to one country.

For Matiks, this expanding community is an important foundation for its next phase of growth.

How will Matiks use its latest funding?

The $10 million investment will support several areas of the company’s expansion.

1. International expansion

Matiks plans to prioritise the United States as it expands internationally, followed by other major markets.

The company also intends to strengthen its presence in Japan and South Korea through localised gaming experiences.

This strategy will require more than simply making the application available in different countries. The startup will need to understand local gaming preferences, build communities and create experiences that resonate with players in each market.

2. New games and social experiences

The company plans to develop additional games and features that encourage competition, interaction and community participation.

Its existing combination of mathematics, puzzles, memory and logic gives it a foundation for introducing new formats.

Expanding this range could help Matiks appeal to a wider audience while encouraging existing users to remain active.

3. Investment in technology and talent

The funding will also support investments in engineering, artificial intelligence, product development, design and growth.

These capabilities will become increasingly important as Matiks expands its user base and introduces more complex gaming experiences.

The company also plans to strengthen creator partnerships and global distribution.

AI-powered game creation: Matiks’ next big opportunity

One of the most ambitious initiatives emerging from Matiks’ funding announcement is its proposed AI-powered game creation engine.

The platform is intended to allow users to create, publish and share their own brain games without writing code.

Matiks has already experimented with this concept through Jelo, an early game-creation platform.

The larger opportunity is to transform players into creators.

Instead of relying entirely on the company’s internal development team to produce new games, Matiks could allow its community to contribute new puzzles, challenges and gaming experiences.

This could increase the variety of content available on the platform and create new reasons for players to return.

However, user-generated content also introduces challenges around quality, moderation and maintaining a consistent gaming experience.

The success of this initiative will depend on whether Matiks can make game creation accessible while ensuring that the resulting experiences remain engaging and reliable.

Can Matiks turn its growing audience into a profitable business?

Rapid user growth is an important milestone, but it does not automatically translate into a sustainable business.

Matiks has begun testing paid subscriptions that offer features such as game analysis, practice tools, tips and additional functionality.

The platform also offers in-game purchases that allow users to skip certain challenges, maintain streaks and boost experience points.

These initiatives represent the company’s early attempts to monetise its audience.

The challenge ahead is to establish a revenue model that generates income without reducing the accessibility and enjoyment that attract players in the first place.

Retention, subscription adoption and international growth will be important indicators of whether Matiks can build a scalable business.

The road ahead: Can mind sports become mainstream?

Matiks’ latest funding round highlights the potential of Indian gaming startups to build products that appeal to international audiences.

Its approach is different from conventional gaming categories because it combines entertainment with mental challenges and social competition.

The company’s long-term vision extends beyond mathematics. Its focus on puzzles, memory and logic creates opportunities to explore multiple forms of competitive mind sports.

However, the next phase of growth will require Matiks to demonstrate that its audience remains engaged, that its monetisation strategy is sustainable and that its product can succeed in different international markets.

The company must also ensure that its AI-powered creation platform adds genuine value to the player experience.

If Matiks can achieve these objectives, it could help establish a new category of digital entertainment where mental skills become a central part of competitive gaming.

Conclusion

Matiks’ $10 million funding round is an important milestone in the journey of a startup that began with a simple idea: making mathematics and mental challenges more enjoyable.

With more than $13.5 million raised, millions of players and ambitions to expand internationally, the company is preparing for a new phase of growth.

Its success will ultimately depend on whether it can turn early momentum into a lasting gaming community and a sustainable global business.

For now, Matiks offers an interesting example of how Indian founders are exploring new opportunities in digital entertainment.

The next generation of gaming may not just be about how fast we can react or how far we can explore virtual worlds. It may also be about how creatively, quickly and competitively we can use our minds.

Written By Hemanth