Seed funding: Melbourne startup raises $9m for mental wellness game based on tending houseplants

Funding for Kinder World mobile app said to be largest venture capital seed investment for game studio founded by women in Australia

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A Melbourne startup has raised $9m in funding for a mobile game aimed at mental wellness in what is said to be the largest venture capital seed investment for a game studio founded by women in Australia.

Lumi Interactive has been developing Kinder World since 2020. Its players take care of houseplants - which can't be killed, and won't die if they leave the game for too long. There are emotional check-ins where they can write down how they are feeling, or express daily gratitude, and message-in-a-bottle type kindness notes can be left for other players.