Exiles Interactives Gaming Startup Raises $355K from Chimera VC

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In a significant boost to India’s rapidly growing gaming ecosystem, Exiles Interactives Gaming Startup Raises $355K in a pre-seed funding round led by Chimera VC, alongside participation from Warmup Ventures, IndigoEdge, angel investor Dhruv Vohra, and existing shareholder Sourav Gupta.

The Bengaluru-based company will therefore use the newly raised funds to accelerate the development of its browser-native social gaming platform, “Centarius.” Moreover, it plans to expand marketing initiatives in the coming months to strengthen visibility before launch. By integrating multiplayer gaming, social connectivity, and a cross-device experience, Exiles Interactives aims to redefine how Indian gamers discover and engage with mid-core browser titles.

The funding marks a strong vote of confidence in India’s gaming sector, which has become one of the world’s fastest-growing entertainment industries.

1. Background & Founding Journey

Founded in 2023 and incorporated as Exiles Interactives Private Limited, the startup reflects India’s next generation of gaming innovation. Headquartered in Bengaluru, the company was built on the belief that the future of gaming lies in seamless accessibility without app downloads, hardware restrictions, or expensive consoles.

1.1 Vision and Founders

The founding team, comprising passionate game developers and tech entrepreneurs, identified an untapped niche in browser-native gaming. Unlike traditional gaming companies that focus primarily on mobile or console platforms, Exiles Interactives, on the other hand, is betting on mid-core browser experiences that seamlessly combine storytelling, progression, and social interactions. Moreover, all of these features are easily accessible through a simple web link, making gameplay smoother and more inclusive for users across devices.

2. Business Model and Core Offering

At the heart of Exiles Interactives is Centarius, a browser-based gaming ecosystem designed to be device-agnostic. Players can join, play, and interact without downloads or installations.

The business model revolves around three pillars:

1. Game Publishing and Development: Exiles Interactives will initially launch its own proprietary IPs. At the same time, it will host select third-party titles under revenue-sharing agreements, thereby creating a balanced ecosystem of in-house and partner-driven content.
2. Community Engagement: Centarius integrates built-in chat systems, guilds, and social leaderboards to build long-term engagement.
3. Monetization: The startup plans to introduce in-game cosmetics, event passes, and creator-based rewards instead of intrusive ads.

With India’s online gaming user base expected to cross 650 million by 2025. The potential for browser-based social platforms is immense.

3. Market Opportunity and Industry Context

India’s gaming industry is on an explosive trajectory. Market size for online gaming in India was valued at $2.6 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 25–30% through 2028.

Key factors driving this growth include:

• Widespread smartphone and broadband penetration.
• Gen Z’s preference for social and multiplayer experiences.
• The rise of UGC-driven gaming formats and real-time interaction.

While most players in India focus on mobile-first experiences, Exiles Interactives is differentiating itself through browser-native accessibility and a cross-device social layer reducing friction for gamers who want instant access without downloads.

This strategic positioning places it between mobile gaming startups like Loco, Gamezop, and WinZO, and larger global publishers targeting console or PC ecosystems.

4. Competitor Landscape

The Indian gaming startup scene is evolving rapidly. Exiles Interactives enters a competitive but opportunity-rich segment, with notable players including:

Competitor	Focus Area	Funding Stage	Differentiator
Loco	Game streaming & eSports	Series B	Streaming-first approach
Gamezop	HTML5 casual games	Growth	Embedded browser games
WinZO	Real-money gaming	Series C	Monetized tournaments
JetSynthesys	Publishing & IP creation	Late Stage	Licensed IPs and celebrity tie-ins
Exiles Interactives	Browser-native mid-core games	Pre-seed	Cross-device social gaming ecosystem

Unlike others, Exiles Interactives is blending the HTML5 lightweight model with mid-core gameplay depth, offering both accessibility and sustained engagement.

5. Funding Details

The $355,000 (₹2.95 crore) pre-seed funding round was led by Chimera VC, marking its first major investment in India’s browser-based gaming ecosystem. Other participants include Warmup Ventures, IndigoEdge, angel investor Dhruv Vohra, and existing backer Sourav Gupta.

The funds will primarily be used for:

• Finalizing Centarius product development and beta testing.
• Building community tools for player communication and collaboration.
• Recruiting key technical talent and expanding the development team.
• Launching early creator campaigns to engage streamers and content partners.

The founders also indicated that a seed round may follow in early 2026 once traction metrics are validated through user engagement data.

6. Product Roadmap and Future Vision

Exiles Interactives’ product roadmap spans three major phases:

1. Alpha Launch (Q4 2025): Closed testing for invited users, introducing the first three proprietary titles within the Centarius ecosystem.
2. Open Beta (Q1 2026): Full platform release with integrated community tools and real-time player-versus-player (PvP) matchmaking.
3. Expansion (Mid 2026 onward): Integration with creators, publishers, and advertisers to establish a creator-driven economy inside the platform.

In the long term, Exiles Interactives aims to position Centarius as India’s first large-scale browser-native gaming social network, bridging the gap between players, creators, and developers.

7. Founders’ Perspective

In a statement, the founders shared,

“Our goal is to make gaming instantly accessible, no downloads, no restrictions. With Centarius, we want to bring high-quality mid-core experiences to everyone with just a link.”

Investors have also expressed optimism about the model’s scalability, citing India’s young demographic, rising engagement hours, and browser gaming’s lower acquisition costs as powerful growth levers.

8. Industry Insight

India’s gaming sector is set for massive growth as Exiles Interactives Gaming Startup Raises $355K, marking a strong signal for investor confidence. The sector is projected to attract over $1.5 billion in venture funding within the next three years. Industry experts identify browser-native and cloud-based gaming as the next frontier because these models deliver faster distribution, easier entry, and community-led monetization.

By 2027, analysts estimate that browser and cloud gaming will drive over 20% of India’s total gaming sessions. Exiles Interactives aims to lead this transformation with its browser-first platform, designed to scale rapidly as the market evolves.

Summary

The $355K pre-seed funding for Exiles Interactives marks a major milestone for the company. It also reflects India’s rapidly evolving gaming industry. Furthermore, the investment highlights growing investor confidence in browser-native and socially driven gaming startups.

With a browser-first strategy, focus on social play, and strong investor backing, the startup is paving the way for the next generation of immersive, accessible gaming experiences.

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