Anorak raised US$5 million in Pre-Seed funding. Backed VC and Play Ventures co-led the round. The company builds interactive entertainment for niche interests and operates from London and Chengdu.
Investor support
Supercell and MTG also participated in the round. Angel investors include Justin Waldron, co-founder of Zynga. The co-founders described the backing as an endorsement of their vision.
Company background
Anorak was founded by Shaun Rutland, Jonathan Alpine, and Tak Fung. Rutland serves as CEO, Alpine serves as CCO, and Fung runs the AI lab in Chengdu. The team has 20 people across London and Chengdu.
Planned formats
Anorak wants to make any pursuit playable. It is working on formats for anglers, sneakerheads, birdwatchers, and padel players. The company says these communities remain underserved.
The funding will help grow the existing 20-person team. Anorak plans to bring its first playable formats to market with the new capital. It also aims to open a creator platform in early 2027.