# Pierre Planche
Pierre Planche (Pierre-Edouard Planche) is a Partner at [Griffin Gaming Partners](https://www.edgepedia.org/griffin-gaming-partners), a United States venture capital firm focused exclusively on gaming, where he invests across game studios, platforms, and technology.[1](https://griffingp.com/ggp-team/) He joined the firm in June 2020 as a Venture Partner, served as Principal from June 2021 to June 2022, and has been a Partner since June 2022, based in the [San Francisco Bay Area](https://www.edgepedia.org/san-francisco-bay-area); before Griffin he spent nearly six years at [Dassault Systèmes](https://www.edgepedia.org/dassault-systemes) in product and corporate development roles.[2](https://www.linkedin.com/in/pierreplanche)
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Role | Partner at Griffin Gaming Partners since June 2022; joined as Venture Partner in June 2020[2](https://www.linkedin.com/in/pierreplanche) |
| Firm | Griffin Gaming Partners, a gaming-exclusive venture fund with $1.5 billion under management, investing from Pre-Seed to Pre-IPO[3](https://griffingp.com/) |
| Prior career | Dassault Systèmes, 2015–2021: Product Manager, Manager of Strategy & Business Development, then Senior Manager of Corporate Development (M&A)[2](https://www.linkedin.com/in/pierreplanche) |
| Education | Bates College; captained the Varsity Men's Tennis team, two-time NCAA All-American, NCAA Finalist, ITA Northeast Doubles Champion[2](https://www.linkedin.com/in/pierreplanche) |
| Angel investing | Angel investor since January 2019[2](https://www.linkedin.com/in/pierreplanche) |
| Public positions | Board member of The Gathering; committee member of Game7, a $500M blockchain-in-gaming initiative[1](https://griffingp.com/ggp-team/) • [4](https://arctic15.com/portfolio/pierre-planche/) |
| Recent activity | Shared Griffin's announcement that the firm led the seed investment in One Rule Games (January 2026); reshared the firm's $100M Special Opportunities Fund for indie studios (May 2026)[2](https://www.linkedin.com/in/pierreplanche) |
## Early life and education
Planche studied at [Bates College](https://www.edgepedia.org/bates-college) in [Lewiston, Maine](https://www.edgepedia.org/lewiston-maine), where he combined competitive athletics with what became his professional focus. He captained the Varsity Men's Tennis team, was a two-time NCAA All-American and NCAA Finalist, and won the ITA Northeast Doubles Championship.[2](https://www.linkedin.com/in/pierreplanche) His own team profile at Griffin also describes him as an avid gamer and a former esports competitor, an angle he brought into venture investing.[1](https://griffingp.com/ggp-team/)
## Career
Before venture capital, Planche spent nearly six years at Dassault Systèmes in the [Greater Boston](https://www.edgepedia.org/greater-boston) area, moving through three roles: Product Manager from 2015 to 2017, Manager of Strategy & Business Development from 2017 to 2019, and Senior Manager of Corporate Development (M&A) from July 2019 to June 2021.[2](https://www.linkedin.com/in/pierreplanche) His conference bio describes this phase as leading software development teams as a product leader before turning to investing.[4](https://arctic15.com/portfolio/pierre-planche/)
He began angel investing in January 2019, joined Griffin Gaming Partners as a Venture Partner in June 2020 while still at Dassault Systèmes, and moved full-time into the firm as Principal in June 2021 before his promotion to Partner in June 2022.[2](https://www.linkedin.com/in/pierreplanche) Griffin's team page summarizes the resulting profile as over a decade of investing, product, and corporate development (M&A) expertise.[1](https://griffingp.com/ggp-team/)
## Role at Griffin Gaming Partners
Griffin Gaming Partners describes itself on its website as one of the world's leading venture funds focused exclusively on gaming, with $1.5 billion under management, investing at the intersection of content, social platforms, and software infrastructure, from Pre-Seed to Pre-IPO.[3](https://griffingp.com/) Planche's own profile header states the figure as $1.2B+ AUM across seed through growth, and lists the firm's portfolio as including AppLovin, Discord, Scopely, Skillz, Second Dinner, Spyke, WinZO, Overwolf, BIT ODD, ForthStar, Gunzilla, and Shrapnel.[2](https://www.linkedin.com/in/pierreplanche)
Within that mandate, his team-page description says he invests across game studios, platforms, and tech.[1](https://griffingp.com/ggp-team/)
## Notable investments
In January 2026, Griffin Gaming Partners led the seed funding round in One Rule Games, backing what his announcement described as a top-tier 0–1 mobile gaming team. Planche shared the announcement.[2](https://www.linkedin.com/in/pierreplanche)
In May 2026, he reshared Griffin's launch of a $100 million Special Opportunities Fund, which provides capital directly to indie studios on a no-recoup, no-equity basis, in exchange for a flat percentage revenue share.[2](https://www.linkedin.com/in/pierreplanche)
## Public positions
Griffin's team page states that Planche is currently also a board member of The Gathering.[1](https://griffingp.com/ggp-team/) He also states that he helped form and sits on the committee of Game7, a $500 million initiative funding research, education, and grants to advance the adoption of blockchain and emerging technologies in gaming; this appears both on his LinkedIn profile and in his ARCTIC15 2026 speaker bio.[2](https://www.linkedin.com/in/pierreplanche) • [4](https://arctic15.com/portfolio/pierre-planche/)
Danish company registry records list Pierre-Edouard Planche as a board member (bestyrelsesmedlem) of Griffin Gaming Partners II L.P. in Denmark since 29 August 2022, and record a former position held from 7 July 2023 until 11 July 2025.[5](https://companydata.dk/en/deltager/4009377633-pierre-edouard-planche)
## Recent developments
The visible record shows three shifts. His formal role has been stable at Partner since June 2022.[2](https://www.linkedin.com/in/pierreplanche) Deal activity has continued, with the One Rule Games seed round led in January 2026.[2](https://www.linkedin.com/in/pierreplanche) And the firm has added a new financing format, the $100 million no-recoup, no-equity Special Opportunities Fund announced in May 2026, which extends what he can offer indie studios beyond conventional equity rounds.[2](https://www.linkedin.com/in/pierreplanche)
## References
1. The Team - Griffin Gaming Partners — https://griffingp.com/ggp-team/
2. Pierre Planche (LinkedIn profile) — https://www.linkedin.com/in/pierreplanche
3. Home - Griffin Gaming Partners — https://griffingp.com/
4. Pierre Planche — ARCTIC15 2026 speaker bio — https://arctic15.com/portfolio/pierre-planche/
5. Pierre-Edouard Planche | companydata.dk (Danish company registry) — https://companydata.dk/en/deltager/4009377633-pierre-edouard-planche
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Economics and business › Founders, operators, and investors › Venture and growth investors › Consumer, marketplace, and media investors*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Edited: Oct 11, 2026; Oct 15, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license