India-based gaming startup Matiks has just secured $10 million in pre-Series A funding to expand its math, logic, puzzle, and memory game app. The round is led by General Catalyst, with participation from Ronnie Screwvala plus existing investors Info Edge Ventures, Tanglin Venture Partners, and Untitled Ventures. With this infusion, Matiks’ total capital raised so far surpasses $13.5 million.
Launched two years ago, Matiks has seen its daily user base surge from about 22,000 earlier in the year to over 300,000 by September. Monthly active users during that month reached 2.2 million. The surge in engagement has helped the company attract investors and emphasize its potential in a market crowded with AI-driven content.
The founders—Sudhanshu Bhatia, Mohan Kumar, and Sushant Timmapur—met in college. Their inspiration came from competitive mental math and puzzles: Bhatia first conceived of Matiks while working on anti-money laundering systems at American Express. The startup blends entertainment with brain training, offering users a range of game categories—Math, Puzzle, Memory, Logic—where they can compete first against bots and then against real players. Additional formats include challenges, quests, streak tracking, and unlockable game content.
Monetization and Market Expansion
Matiks is just beginning to test monetization options. This month it rolled out a subscription that unlocks perks like game analysis, practice tools, and extra features. It also supports in-app purchases—for skipping challenges, maintaining winning streaks, or accelerating experience (XP) gains.
Though the majority of its users are in India, interest abroad is growing—particularly in the U.S., South Korea, and Japan. To capture those markets, Matiks plans to introduce localized content. The company also launched an experimental tool called Jelo, allowing users to build and publish their own games—strengthening its social and creative angle in gaming.
With just 41 full-time employees, Matiks aims to use the fresh capital to scale its product, deepen user engagement, attract paying customers, and broaden its reach—especially across non-Indian markets. General Catalyst says Matiks’ fast product iteration and strong engagement metrics convinced them this was a solid bet.
What this round signals is more than money—it reflects a shift in how users are valuing brain games over passive consumption. In an era where AI-generated content floods feeds, Matiks offers focused mental workout gaming that rewards skill and practice. What to watch: whether the subscription model sticks, how well Matiks adapts locally (language, cultural fit), and whether user-generated tools like Jelo can foster enough community to differentiate from rivals. Momentum is real—but execution will determine if Matiks becomes the math-puzzle platform global users can’t put down.
