LVL Zero Incubator Unveils Global And Indian Mentors To Accelerate India’s Game Developers

LVL Zero, a gaming incubator backed by MIXI Global Investments, Nazara Technologies, and Chimera VC, announced its mentor network on May 13, 2026. The mentors will support 10 startups in the first cohort. LVL Zero said the support will run through a 100-day execution programme. The network includes Indian and global specialists from game studios, publishers, and platforms.

The incubator said the mentors will work closely with founders during product development. LVL Zero plans to move teams from early builds to market-ready products. It said mentorship will cover design, publishing, live-ops, growth, and investment readiness. The programme aims to help startups ship playable builds and prepare pitches for publishers and investors.

LVL Zero said

the mentor group covers areas needed to build and scale studios. These areas include game design, player experience, and production. The network also covers publishing across PC, console, and mobile. Other areas include live-ops, retention, analytics, marketing, and user acquisition. It also includes go-to-market planning, startup operations, pitching, and investment preparation.

Mentors named by LVL Zero include Ankit Garg (Zombie Art School) and Dr. Yaraslau Kot (University of Warsaw). The list also includes Terry Lee (Fusebox) and Claire Roazain (RZAIN). LVL Zero also named Dong Dong (NCSoft), Sophie Vo (Rise & Play), and Taha Tinwala (Gameramp). LVL Zero said more mentors will support the cohort.

Other specialists include Vivek Ramachandaran (Gameramp) and Shashank Vandarangi (Gameramp). LVL Zero also listed Mariusz Gasiewski (Google) and Balaji Vijayan (formerly FRVR). The group includes Jia Ling Hoo (ID@Xbox). LVL Zero also named Dilpesh Parmar (Investor & Advisor, multiple startups).

LVL Zero also named Charu Desodt (INT./Night) and Nilesh Mange (Mother Grace Productions). The list includes Pratik Jaiswal (Sri Durga Arts) and Per-Arne (Amplifier Game Invest). LVL Zero added Federico Chichi (ROLI) and Matthew Quek (Iterco). Esteban Grellier (NAGA Publishing) was also included.

Further support comes from Gorkem (LUDUS Ventures) and Kirill Akimkin (Polden Publishing). LVL Zero also listed Sushant Kulkarni (24 Track Legends). The group includes Ravi Mantena and Deepak Gurijala (1312 Interactive). It also includes Anurag Choudhary (Felicity) and Sadiq Ahamed (Lysto).

LVL Zero added Robert Huynh (Reforged Labs) and Imtiaz Hussain (formerly Yesgnome). LVL Zero said these mentors will plug gaps for Indian studios. The incubator pointed to global publishing access and live-service knowledge. It also flagged distribution planning and investor readiness. LVL Zero said the aim is stronger execution for global markets.

LVL Zero said it will embed mentors into each startup's product lifecycle. Each team will be paired with mentors that match platform and stage. The incubator will also offer wider access for specialist inputs. Mentors will join bi-weekly sprint reviews. They will also support design feedback loops and QA analysis from playtesting data.

LVL Zero mapped the programme into three phases.

Phase	Days	Focus
Ignition	Days 1-15	Milestones, product vision, execution roadmap
Core Build	Days 16-70	Iteration, playtesting, validation
Market Readiness	Days 71-100	Launch prep, publishing, investor engagement

Sagar Nair, Head of Incubation, LVL Zero said, "Access to capital is important, but what early-stage game studios in India have lacked most is access to real, hands-on expertise. With this mentor network, we are bringing in operators who have built, shipped, and scaled games globally, and embedding them directly into the founders' journey. This isn't advisory in isolation, it's execution support at every step. Over the next 100 days, our focus is simply to help these teams build better products, faster, and prepare them to compete on a global stage. "

LVL Zero said the mentor-led model will act as an execution layer for India's gaming ecosystem. It said Indian studios are aiming to build IP across PC, console, and mobile. LVL Zero said access to experienced operators can help teams iterate and scale. The incubator said the first cohort will be guided through tight timelines during the 100-day programme.