Updated Below
You’re reading it here first. ContentSutra has learnt that Clearstone Venture Partners has invested in casual gaming company Games2Win. There’s been a heady industry buzz about this funding, particularly since former MTV Creative Head Cyrus Oshidar joined Games2Win, and we’ve only just got a confirmation from the Games2Win PR. We’ll update with details when we get them.
Games2Win is a casual gaming portal, and is part of Alok Kejriwal’s Contests2Win. Rahul Khanna, who heads Clearstone Venture Partners’ India operations has been rather bullish on the gaming space: In an interview with Animation Express last month, Khanna had talked about gaming being about socializing and becoming a lifestyle spend, and mentioned interest in Game cafe chains, and about the advent of of casual gaming as an encouraging trend.

Update:
As per an official release, Games2Win has received around $5 Million from Clearstone Venture Partners and SVB Financial Group, with Clearstone as the lead investor. Games2Win will use the investment for “capital investments, joint ventures, brand building and working capital requirements.” The company has plans for developing the Multiplayer Online Games (MMOG) business in India and has signed up an exclusive title for release in India in April 2007. As per Alok Kejriwal, CEO of Games2win, SVB and Clearstone are well placed for subsequent funding of Games2win, and also bring with them global connections to help grow the business.
As per the release, Games2win India Pvt Ltd was hived off from Contests2Win.com as a separate entity in late 2006, with Alok Kejriwal as CEO, and Cyrus Oshidar and Mahesh Khambadkone (previously with Dhruva Interactive and Lisle Technologies) as co-founders.

Related:
-- Alok Kejriwal To Raise Funding For Games2win