# Mitch Lasky

> Mitch Lasky is a General Partner at Benchmark Capital and one of the most successful gaming investors in venture capital history. A Harvard-educated IP lawyer turned game studio executive, he rose through Activision and took mobile gaming startup JAMDAT public before selling it to EA for $680M. At Benchmark he backed Riot Games (~$7M early investment, now $20B+), Snap (led Series A at $70M valuation, IPO'd at $24B), Discord, and dozens of other landmark gaming and consumer internet companies. A five-time Forbes Midas List honoree, LAFC co-owner, and host of the GameCraft podcast, Lasky's career is a master class in recognizing non-obvious founders before the market does.

- **Role:** General Partner at Benchmark Capital
- **Organizations:** Benchmark Capital, LAFC (LA Football Club), Snap Inc. (Board Member)
- **From:** Los Angeles, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** B.A. in History and Literature, Harvard College, J.D., University of Virginia School of Law
- **Known for:** Five-time Forbes Midas List honoree (2015, 2016, 2017, 2019 and additional year), Led Benchmark's Series A in Snapchat at $70M valuation - IPO'd at $24B valuation in 2017, Early investor in Riot Games (~$7M); company later valued at $20B+ after Tencent acquisition

## Career timeline

- **1987** — Began career as IP litigation attorney at Irell & Manella, Los Angeles
- **1993** — Joined The Walt Disney Company in a legal/business capacity
- **1994** — Founded Serum Entertainment Software, an early multiplayer online gaming company
- **1995** — Joined Activision, eventually rising to EVP of Worldwide Studios
- **1997** — Oversaw launch of Quake III Arena, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, and Spider-Man at Activision
- **2000** — Joined JAMDAT Mobile as CEO, a mobile games startup at the dawn of the mobile era
- **2004** — Took JAMDAT public on NASDAQ
- **2006** — Sold JAMDAT to Electronic Arts for $680 million in cash
- **2006** — Served as EVP of Mobile and Online Games at Electronic Arts post-acquisition
- **2007** — Joined Benchmark Capital as General Partner
- **2008** — Led early investment in Riot Games (approximately $7M seed/early stage)
- **2013** — Led Snapchat Series A ($13.5M at $70M valuation)
- **2015** — Named to Forbes Midas List for the first of five times
- **2016** — Joined LA Football Club (LAFC) ownership consortium ahead of 2018 MLS debut
- **2017** — Snap IPO at $24B valuation; began selling shares as board member
- **2018** — Stopped making new investments for Benchmark; continued managing existing portfolio
- **2023** — Launched GameCraft podcast with Blake Robbins (Season 1, January 2023)
- **2024** — Angel investment in Levellr (November 2024)
- **2025** — Spoke at GamesBeat Summit 2025 in Los Angeles on the games industry's new normal
- **2026** — GameCraft Season 4 launched April 2026

## Achievements

- Five-time Forbes Midas List honoree (2015, 2016, 2017, 2019 and additional year)
- Led Benchmark's Series A in Snapchat at $70M valuation - IPO'd at $24B valuation in 2017
- Early investor in Riot Games (~$7M); company later valued at $20B+ after Tencent acquisition
- CEO of JAMDAT Mobile - took it public on NASDAQ in 2004, sold to EA for $680M in 2006
- EVP of Worldwide Studios at Activision overseeing Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, Quake III Arena, Spider-Man
- Early investor in Discord - now one of gaming's most important social platforms
- Board member of Snap Inc. (SNAP) - ongoing since Series A
- Co-owner and board member of LAFC (LA Football Club), one of MLS's most valuable franchises
- Host of GameCraft podcast, a leading voice on the history and future of the video game business
- NaturalMotion board member (acquired by Zynga for ~$527M); PlayFab board member (acquired by Microsoft)

## Latest updates

- **2026-04** — GameCraft podcast Season 4 launched
- **2025-10** — GameCraft special episode on Electronic Arts' $55B leveraged buyout by Saudi Private Investment Fund, Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners
- **2025-05** — Spoke at GamesBeat Summit 2025 in Los Angeles on 'How to Navigate the Games New Normal'
- **2024-11** — Angel investment in Levellr (business/productivity software)

## Links

- Website: https://www.mitchlasky.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitchlasky
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/mitchlasky

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/mitch-lasky
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-05-05