Joomin Lee, a South Korean and founder of Chennai-based Funizen, is transforming struggling Internet cafes into gaming zones. He has already introduced gaming in over 3,000 Internet cafes across India.

Funizen hosts the largest online game channeling site – Gamemela.com – that allows Indian consumers to buy or play their favourite games online for free. It also distributes popular global online multi-player games including World of WarCraft and War Rock in India.

Cafe owners charge ₹20 to ₹25 an hour by selling e-pins to gamers who normally spend three to four hours a day.

Birth of Funizen A passionate gamer, Lee used to spend nearly five hours on his computers playing games. However, things changed in 2004 while working for a Korean gaming company when R Ramaraj, co-founder and CEO of Chennai-based Sify hired him to head the gaming business.

However, after Ramaraj quit Sify, Lee left the company along with his team members to start Funizen.

“India is my second home and I visit Korea twice a year. I will be here for another decade or more to see that my business flourishes,” Lee told BusinessLine . Gaming is not about software or entertainment but experience, he said. At Funizen’s office, Lee’s employees are glued on to their monitor playing online games, and at times helping newcomers online. Starting with four employees, Funizen today has nearly 70 in seven major cities, including metros, said Lee.

Funds raised India’s gaming business today is where Korea was a decade ago. With increased broadband penetration, gaming offers a business proposition to Internet cafes.

Lee said that last November angel investors from Korea and the US funded $2 million, and the company plans raise another $10 million to move to the next level.

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