SPARQ, a UAE-based startup building what it calls an AI-native game engine, has opened an $8.5m seed round with early participation from the a16z Scout Fund, the vehicle Andreessen Horowitz uses to back early-stage deals through external scouts.
The cheque size from the scout fund was not disclosed; typical a16z scout deals run between $10,000 and $25,000, with some scouts deploying six-figure budgets.That nuance matters for how the round is read.
The round leads with the Andreessen Horowitz brand, but the actual participation is via the scout programme rather than an a16z partner-led cheque; the bulk of the $8.5m will come from other investors not yet publicly disclosed. SPARQ itself characterises the round as “opening,” suggesting further close-outs to come.
The company, founded by Christopher Pail and Christoffer Wilhelmsen and headquartered at Ras Al Khaimah’s Innovation City free zone, spent two years building before raising. The founders contributed $2.5m of their own capital, assembled a team of more than 20 engineers and shipped a proprietary C++ engine that the company describes as AAA-grade.
A 6,000-person creator waitlist has signed up for beta access. Senior leadership includes alumni of Disney Gaming, the company said.
