About ZeniMax
ZeniMax is a Media & Entertainment company based in Washington (United States) founded in 1999, and was acquired by Microsoft in September 2020. Video games are developed and published by ZeniMax through subsidiaries. ZeniMax has raised $495.58 million across 12 funding rounds from investors including Microsoft and Providence Equity. The company has 2,745 employees. ZeniMax has completed 5 acquisitions, including Arkane Studios, Escalation Studios and Machine Games. ZeniMax was last valued at $7.5 billion in April 2026. Its website zenimax.com draws about 90 thousand monthly visits. Its focus areas include Gaming, eSports, Game Developers and FPS. Its legal entity is ZENIMAX MEDIA INC. Its competitors include Riot Games, Activision Blizzard and Blizzard Entertainment; 1 of its 3 listed competitors has raised funding.
Company details
ZeniMax Media was founded in 1999 as a video game development and publishing entity. Operations are conducted via subsidiaries such as Bethesda Softworks, id Software, Arkane Studios, Tango Gameworks, MachineGames, and BattleCry Studios. Emphasis is placed on first-person shooter titles, including Doom, Quake, and Fallout, within the broader gaming sector.
- Headquarters Washington, United States
- Employees 2,745
- Stage Acquired
- SectorsMedia & Entertainment
- Website zenimax.com
- Social LinkedIn X
- Acquired by Microsoft (Sep 2020)
- Legal Name Zenimax Media Inc.
- Total Equity Funding$495.58M (USD)
in 12 rounds
- Latest Funding Round$6.6M (USD), Series E
May 2017
- InvestorsMicrosoft
& 1 more
- Employee Count2,745
- Investments & AcquisitionsArkane Studios
& 4 more
- Acquired byMicrosoft
(Sep 2020)
Funding Insights of ZeniMax
ZeniMax has successfully raised a total of $495.58M across 12 strategic funding rounds. The most recent funding activity was a Series E round of $6.6 million completed in May 2017. This substantial capital infusion reflects strong investor confidence in the company's business model, growth potential, and market opportunities. The funding enables strategic expansion, product development, market penetration, and operational scaling to drive long-term value creation and competitive advantage.
- Total Funding $495.58M
- Total Rounds 12
- Last Round Series E — $6.6M
- First Round $300M
(Oct 2007)
- Investors Count 2
Latest 10 of 12 funding rounds of ZeniMax with amounts and investors; the two latest post-money valuations are shown, the rest are part of the premium plan.
| Date | Amount | Transaction Name | Valuation | Lead Investors | Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2017 | $6.6M | Series E | – | – | – |
| Mar 2016 | $4.52M | Series E | – | – | – |
| Apr 2014 | $1.2M | Series E | – | – | – |
| Nov 2013 | $1.2M | Series E | – | – | – |
| Apr 2012 | $2.12M | Series E | – | – | – |
| Oct 2011 | $2.12M | Series E | – | – | – |
| Oct 2010 | $150M | Series E | – | Providence Equity Partners | – |
| Feb 2010 | $17.55M | Series D | – | – | – |
| Jun 2009 | $105M | Debt – Conventional | – | – | – |
| Jun 2008 | $360,000 | Series D | – | – | – |
| Date | Valuation | Stage |
|---|
Full valuation and stage history of ZeniMax
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Last known valuation $7.5B (Apr 2026). 2 investors in total: 2 institutional.
Investors in ZeniMax
ZeniMax has secured backing from 2 investors, including venture fund and institutional investors. Prominent investors backing the company include Microsoft and Providence Equity.
| Investor | Description | Founded Year | Domain | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Private equity investments in media, communications, education, and technology sectors. | provequity.com | |||
Microsoft is recognized for software, hardware, and gaming solutions. | 1975 | microsoft.com | Redmond, United States |
Investor details for ZeniMax
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People of ZeniMax
557 people are tracked at ZeniMax (306 in leadership, 11 in board & advisors, 240 in team); the tracked headcount is 2,745.
| Name | Role | Group |
|---|---|---|
Gary Sun | Director | Leadership |
Bill Duff | CVP & CFO, Consumer & Devices | Leadership |
Alex Pepperl | Director, Head Of Retail Media Adtech Partnerships | Leadership |
Bernando Caldas | VP, Program Management | Leadership |
Christopher Bishop | Technical Fellow & Director of Microsoft Research AI4Science | Leadership |
Ugur Yilmaz | Director - Microsoft IT | Middle East & Africa Region | Leadership |
Kevin Scott | CTO & EVP, Technology & Research | Leadership |
Pascal Walschots | Senior Director Business Applications Solutions Play | Leadership |
Erik Sevenants | Director, Partner Development, Healthcare & Life Sciences, Global Isv's | Leadership |
Lee Grigsby | Director Support Engineering - Security Global Lead | Leadership |
Christine Schanne | Software & Digital Platforms - Partner Strategist | Leadership |
Ed D'Esposito | Global Client Technology Director | Leadership |
Janett Garcia-Riseland | Senior Director | Leadership |
Amanda Langowski | Head of Microsoft Insider Program | Leadership |
Kirk Koenigsbauer | CVP & COO, Experiences & Devices Group | Leadership |
Barry Chami | Director Asia Business Sales Operations | Leadership |
Taylor Black | Director Of AI & Venture Ecosystems, Strategic Programs & Communities Team | Leadership |
Dilraj Kundi | Sr. Director, Global Strategic Pursuits | Leadership |
Nick Parker | President, Industry & Partnerships | Leadership |
Brad Smith | President & Vice Chair | Leadership |
537 more people are available in the full profile.
Complete people profiles for ZeniMax
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Investments & Acquisitions by ZeniMax
ZeniMax has strategically engaged in corporate development activities, having acquired 5 companies. Notable acquisitions include Arkane Studios, Escalation Studios and Machine Games.
| Company Name | Description | Domain | Location | Founded | Acquired | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Video games are developed for mobile, PC, and consoles. | escalation.com | Dallas, United States | 2007 | Feb 2017 | •••• | |
First-person shooter games are developed by this Swedish studio. | machinegames.com | Uppsala, Sweden | 2009 | Nov 2010 | •••• | |
Video games are developed by Tango Gameworks in Japan. | tangogameworks.com | Tokyo, Japan | 2008 | Oct 2010 | •••• | |
Indie video game development company based in France | arkane-studios.com | Lyon, France | 1999 | Aug 2010 | •••• | |
Video games for PC and console platforms are developed. | idsoftware.com | Richardson, United States | 1991 | Jun 2009 | •••• |
Complete acquisition details for ZeniMax
Acquired stakes, deal sources and the complete acquisition history require an active premium plan.
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- Complete history
- Exports
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Timeline of ZeniMax
10 dated milestones of ZeniMax across 21 years, from founding to its latest funding, stage changes and deals.
- Founded ZeniMax is founded.
- Funding First funding round of $300.0M.
- Acquisition Acquires id Software.
- Acquisition Acquires Arkane Studios.
- Acquisition Acquires Tango Gameworks.
- Acquisition Acquires Machine Games.
- Milestone Reaches Unicorn status.
- Acquisition Acquires Escalation Studios.
- Funding Latest funding round, Series E, of $6.6M.
- Exit Acquired by Microsoft.
Competitors of ZeniMax
ZeniMax has 3 listed competitors in our database, 1 of them funded. They include Riot Games, Activision Blizzard and Blizzard Entertainment.
| Company Name | Domain | Founded | HQ Location | Total funding | Employees | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| riotgames.com | 2006 | San Francisco, United States | $15M | Video games are developed and eSports tournaments are organized. | ||
| activisionblizzard.com | 1991 | Santa Monica, United States | 7,924 | Video games are developed and published by Activision Blizzard. | ||
| blizzard.com | 1994 | Irvine, United States | Develops and publishes popular video games like MMORPGs and action RPGs. |
Detailed competitors of ZeniMax
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Web traffic of ZeniMax
The website of ZeniMax (zenimax.com) receives about 90.4K visits a month.
- Monthly visits90.4K
▲ 32.6% vs previous month
Websites whose visitors overlap most with ZeniMax. Affinity shows how closely the audiences match.
| Website | Domain | Audience affinity | Monthly visits | Global rank | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| zenimaxonline.com | 100% | #1,820,086 | View details | ||
bethsoft.com | bethsoft.com | 89% | #236,696 | – | |
| bethesdagamestudios.com | 88% | #609,204 | View details | ||
elderscrolls.com | elderscrolls.com | 87% | – | ||
| bethesda.net | 73% | 4.6M | #10,494 | View details | |
| •••••••••• | ••••••.com | ••% | •.•M | #••••• | – |
| •••••••••• | ••••••.com | ••% | •.•M | #••••• | – |
| •••••••••• | ••••••.com | ••% | •.•M | #••••• | – |
All 30 similar websites and full traffic analytics for ZeniMax
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Top companies in eSports & Competitive Gaming
3 companies that operate in the same segment as ZeniMax (eSports & Competitive Gaming) in United States, ranked by their profile score on The Company Check.
| Company | Description | Founded | Location | Total funding | Revenue | Employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ESports social video streaming platform | 2006 | San Francisco, California, United States | USD 35.12 M | |||
Video games are developed and eSports tournaments are organized. | 2006 | San Francisco, California, United States | USD 15 M | USD 630.41 K | 4 | |
Esports league organization and organizer | 2010 | Los Angeles, California, United States | USD 40 M |
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Related news about Zenimax
Complete news archive for ZeniMax
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Frequently Asked Questions about ZeniMax
ZeniMax was founded in 1999 and raised its 1st funding round 8 years after it was founded.
ZeniMax is headquartered in Washington, United States. It is registered at Washington, District Of Columbia, United States.
ZeniMax is a funded company, having raised a total of $495.58M across 12 funding rounds to date. The company's 1st funding round was a Series D of $360K, raised on Oct 2007.
ZeniMax has 2,745 employees.
ZeniMax Media was founded in 1999 as a video game development and publishing entity. Operations are conducted via subsidiaries such as Bethesda Softworks, id Software, Arkane Studios, Tango Gameworks, MachineGames, and BattleCry Studios. Emphasis is placed on first-person shooter titles, including Doom, Quake, and Fallout, within the broader gaming sector.
ZeniMax's top competitors include Riot Games, Activision Blizzard and Blizzard Entertainment.
ZeniMax has made 5 acquisitions, including Arkane Studios, Escalation Studios, and Machine Games.
ZeniMax has 2 investors. Key investors include Microsoft, and Providence Equity.
The valuation of ZeniMax is $7.5B as of Apr 2026.
ZeniMax operates through Zenimax Media Inc..
Yes. ZeniMax was acquired by Microsoft in September 2020.