Matiks Raises $10M Led by General Catalyst as Brain Gaming App Hits 2.2M Monthly Users

Indian gaming startup Matiks has raised $10 million in a Pre-Series A funding round led by General Catalyst, as it expands its math, logic, memory and puzzle gaming platform. The round included Indian entrepreneur Ronnie Screwvala and existing investors Info Edge Ventures, Tanglin Venture Partners and Untitled Ventures.

Founded by Sudhanshu Bhatia, Mohan Kumar and Sushant Timmapur, Matiks is building a gaming experience around short, competitive brain games. The company reported 2.2 million monthly active users in September 2026, while its daily user count grew from 22,000 earlier in the year to more than 300,000 by September.

The new investment will support international expansion and the development of Jelo, Matiks' experimental AI-powered game creation platform. The company has raised more than $13.5 million in total funding to date, according to TechCrunch.

From Mental Maths to Competitive Brain Gaming

Matiks began with a focus on mental mathematics before expanding into a broader platform covering math, puzzles, memory and logic.

Founder Sudhanshu Bhatia developed the idea while working at American Express on anti-money laundering strategy. With a background in competitive mental mathematics, he saw an opportunity to make brain games more engaging by borrowing elements from competitive sports and popular gaming formats.

The platform allows users to practise against bots before competing against other players. Users can also take part in challenges and quests, earn points, maintain streaks and unlock additional games.

The objective is to make skill-based games entertaining enough for people to return regularly, rather than treating them only as exercises or educational tools.

Matiks' approach combines short gameplay sessions with competitive elements and social features. Players can choose from different categories and engage in duels, challenges and other activities designed to encourage repeat use.

2.2 Million Monthly Active Users in September

Matiks reported 2.2 million monthly active users in September 2026. Its daily user count also increased significantly, rising from 22,000 earlier in the year to more than 300,000 by September.

The growth has attracted fresh investor interest and gives the company a larger base from which to expand its monetisation strategy.

Matiks has so far prioritised user growth. According to TechCrunch, the startup began testing a subscription offering in October 2026.

The subscription unlocks features such as game analysis, tips, practice tools and additional capabilities. The company also offers in-game purchases that allow users to skip certain challenges, maintain streaks and increase experience points.

These features represent early steps towards generating revenue from a platform that has focused heavily on growing its audience.

General Catalyst partner Rahul Humayun told TechCrunch that the company's product iteration and user engagement were encouraging signs. He highlighted the community and engagement across features including duels, social experiences, SNAC and game creation.

The company's next challenge will be to translate that engagement into a sustainable business model while keeping the core gaming experience appealing to users.

Building an Alternative to Endless Scrolling

Matiks is positioning its games as an alternative to passive entertainment and the flood of low-quality, AI-generated content across digital platforms.

Bhatia told TechCrunch that the team wanted to make math-related games as fun and entertaining as other forms of digital content. The company believes competitive gameplay can make activities such as solving puzzles and testing memory more compelling.

This positioning comes as mobile gaming companies compete for users' attention across a crowded market. Matiks is betting that quick, skill-based experiences can encourage people to spend time actively playing rather than endlessly consuming content.

Its games are designed to be completed in short sessions, making them accessible to users who want a brief challenge during the day.

The company is also developing social and competitive features to give players reasons to return. Rather than relying solely on an expanding catalogue of games, Matiks is combining challenges, progression systems and player-versus-player competition.

Jelo: An AI Platform for Creating Games

Although Matiks is positioning itself around brain games as an alternative to AI-generated content feeds, the company is also using AI to develop a new product.

Its experimental game creation platform, Jelo, allows users to make their own games and lets other people play them.

The idea could extend Matiks beyond games developed internally by giving users a role in creating new experiences. If the platform makes game creation accessible to people without technical skills, it could help expand the range of games available to its community.

The space is becoming increasingly competitive. TechCrunch points to other AI-powered game creation efforts, including Google's experimental Playground platform.

Matiks plans to use its new funding to scale Jelo and expand into additional markets. The company's ability to make user-created games engaging, discoverable and easy to share will be important to the product's success.

International Expansion and Localisation

Matiks says most of its players are currently based in India, but it has also seen traction in the United States, South Korea and Japan.

The company plans to focus initially on the US market and introduce localisation to help grow its presence in South Korea and Japan.

Localisation can involve adapting the product to different languages and user expectations, helping gaming platforms reach audiences beyond their original markets.

Matiks has 41 full-time employees, according to TechCrunch. The new funding is expected to support its expansion plans and further development of its gaming and creation products.

What Comes Next for Matiks?

Matiks is pursuing two related opportunities: growing its competitive brain gaming platform and enabling users to create their own games through AI.

Its reported 2.2 million monthly active users and more than 300,000 daily users in September 2026 indicate growing engagement. Its subscription test also marks an early step towards monetisation.

The company will need to sustain that engagement as it expands internationally, introduces more features and competes with established gaming platforms and emerging AI-powered alternatives.

Jelo could provide another source of growth if users begin creating and sharing games at scale. However, the platform remains experimental, and its longer-term impact will depend on adoption and the quality of the games created.

With General Catalyst leading the latest round, Matiks now has additional capital to pursue its ambition of making brain games more social, competitive and accessible while exploring AI-assisted game creation.