SNAK Venture Partners announced Wednesday the close of its oversubsubscribed $50 million debut fund, anchored by the investment firm Pritzker Group (founded by Illinois governor JB Pritzker and his brother, Tony). SNAK founders Sonia Nagar and Adam Koopersmith worked at the firm and helped lead investments in companies like the auto marketplace Backlot Cars and TicketsNow (exited to Ticketmaster). The duo decided to break out on their own and, earlier this year, launched their firm to back digital marketplaces.
In a post on X (formerly known as Twitter), Sweeney said, "It makes no sense for game stores, where AI will be involved in nearly all future production." He also underscored that an AI tag is more relevant when it comes to art exhibits for authorship disclosure, and digital content licensing marketplaces where the buyer needs to understand the rights.
The financial companies came under fire in August after refusing to process payments for providers of adult online games, forcing a variety of websites, including PC gaming marketplaces Steam and Itch.io, to delist thousands of Not Safe For Work (NSFW) titles or else lose their main method of completing transactions. Visa and Mastercard took the took the step after facing political pressure for the anti-pornography group Collective Shout, which called for all adult content to be delisted.
Gaming is one of the clearest examples. Fortnite, with its global player base, has created an entire culture where digital progress now carries real-world value. Marketplaces that handle trades, such as platforms offering GG Chest Fortnite accounts, show just how quickly hobbies can turn into entrepreneurial ventures. In the past, this might have sounded far-fetched. But in today's world, it has definitely become part of a booming digital economy.