1Up Ventures

1Up Ventures is an investment firm based in Kirkland, Washington, specializing in venture capital. The firm manages 1Up Ventures Fund II, which is a 2022 vintage fund focused on identifying and supporting promising startups and early-stage companies. Through its investment strategies, 1Up Ventures aims to foster innovation and growth in a variety of sectors, contributing to the development of the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Ed Fries

Founder & General Partner

Past deals in Gaming

Legendary Play

Series A in 2022
Legendary Play is a mobile game developer and publisher based in Berlin, Germany, established in 2017. The company specializes in creating games tailored for esports enthusiasts, focusing on delivering engaging and competitive experiences for mobile platforms. By combining innovative game design with an understanding of the esports community, Legendary Play aims to provide high-quality gaming experiences that resonate with fans of competitive gaming.

Core Loop Games

Series A in 2021
Core Loop Games engages in building the next generation of MMOs. Gameplay and social cooperation are the core of its mission. They want to reimagine how players cooperate on a large scale together. The company was founded by veterans from MachineZone, GREE, and Funzio. It is VC backed and building a remote team of engineers and artists.

FuzzyBot

Seed Round in 2021
FuzzyBot is building genre-crossing games within imaginative worlds that spark excitement and creativity. Founded in 2020, FuzzyBot is a team of experienced and versatile industry veterans with AAA backgrounds from studios like Ubisoft, Bungie, and EA. Our development philosophy is around dreaming big, but building smart – maintaining a pragmatic, flexible, and down-to-earth approach focused on shipping games. We are focused on creating games that connect players across generations by creating universes of curiosity and excitement, combining the joy of creation with the thrill of AAA action.

Toya Pioneering Women

Seed Round in 2021
Toya is developing multilayer games for girls on a Minecraft platform. The playful learning experience enables girls to become the heroes while revealing the life stories of exceptional women.

1047 Games

Venture Round in 2021
1047 Games develops and offers console games. The company is headquartered in the United States.

Lightforge Games

Seed Round in 2021
Lightforge Games is an all-remote gaming studio comprised of industry veterans focused on revolutionizing the role-playing game (RPG) genre. The company aims to create a unique gaming experience by fostering a culture of empathy, honesty, and growth. Through its innovative approach, Lightforge Games seeks to engage a diverse range of creative thinkers and dreamers, building a sustainable studio dedicated to developing and publishing RPGs that resonate with players.

Twin Suns

Seed Round in 2021
Twin Suns Corp is a video game studio developing action games for console and PC. The company creates video games with its AAA class platform title, which will debut with an original game franchise, providing players around the world with creative and unexpected experiences. Tim Longo, Forest Swartout, and Jeff Morris co-founded the company.

Lightfox Games

Seed Round in 2020
Lightfox Games, Inc. designs and develops multiplayer mobile game applications. The company was incorporated in 2019 and is based in Seattle, Washington.

Core Loop Games

Seed Round in 2020
Core Loop Games engages in building the next generation of MMOs. Gameplay and social cooperation are the core of its mission. They want to reimagine how players cooperate on a large scale together. The company was founded by veterans from MachineZone, GREE, and Funzio. It is VC backed and building a remote team of engineers and artists.

Robin Games

Seed Round in 2020
Robin Games, Inc., a lifestyle gaming company, develops mobile games. The company was incorporated in 2019 and is based in Venice, California.

Bit Fry Game Studios

Series A in 2020
Bit Fry Game Studios, Inc. develops game titles for the next generation of console and mobile gaming platforms. The company was incorporated in 2013 and is based in Portsmouth, New Hampshire with with additional offices in Los Angeles and New York City.

Double Loop Games

Seed Round in 2020
Double Loop Games Inc., a mobile studio, designs and develops mobile games. The company was founded in 2019 and is based in San Francisco, California.

Elodie Games

Venture Round in 2020
Elodie Games connect gamers around the globe by creating games with deep co-op gameplay and endlessly engaging experiences. They engaged with the community to evolve and improve the player experience. Elodie's studio is located in Venice California. It was co-founded by Christina Norman and David Banks.

Playable Worlds

Seed Round in 2019
Playable Worlds is a computer games company that specializes in the fields of game development, online games, and gamification. The company is driven by its mission is to build a truly cloud-native game, taking advantage of technology to create a true persistent work that involves and changes over-time.