ForgeGUI founder, 18, raises $3.2M seed at $40M valuation for AI game tools
What's the deal? ForgeGUI, an AI game development startup founded by 18-year-old Giulio Greco, has raised $3.2 million in a seed round at a $40 million valuation. Verdict CapitalDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → led the financing, contributing $2 million.
What's the endgame? ForgeGUI, launched on March 12, builds AI-powered tools that make game development more accessible to individual creators. It uses models from companies like OpenAI to help makers quickly build three-dimensional assets.
Why now? The startup crossed 300,000 users on July 28, and Greco expects to reach one million by the end of 2026. In late July 2026, the company said it plans to use some of the funding to hire more engineers; it currently has one founding engineer besides Greco.
Who's backing it? Verdict Capital founder and managing director Niko BonatsosDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → said Greco's age did not faze him, noting that he and partner Michael Fertik had worked with teenage founders "quite a few times." He cited Greco's eight years of experience in the user-generated content space and rapid user growth as validation.
"His parents had to sign documents when we invested," Bonatsos said. Greco secured the deal at 17, before celebrating his 18th birthday at the end of June.
What's next? Greco, a longtime creator in the MinecraftDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → and Roblox space, participated in the Z FellowsDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → accelerator in May 2026. He has since moved from Texas to San Francisco and does not plan to attend college.
"What's our long-term financial future? IPO, for sure," Greco said. "I'm not going to sell."
The signal: Greco's raise reflects growing acceptance of younger founders in venture. As Bonatsos put it, Verdict is "on the lookout for young freaks, in a good way — for extreme, high-slope-learning animals who are obsessed with what they're doing."
Read more: GamesBeat
