Gree invests in San Francisco-based Make School, to open class this summer

Japanese gaming firm Gree continues to branch out, this time with the help of an American education startup. The company announced today that it will invest in and form a business partnership with Make School, the self-styled “college for founders and developers.”

With the new partnership, Gree will oversee a Make School-produced class on game development. The eight week course will take place this summer. Students, some of whom will be Gree engineers, are expected to plan, develop, and release a game within the eight weeks.

Gree did not disclose the investment amount but did tell Tech in Asia that it is a “small investment.” The company did confirm that Naoki Aoyagi, the CEO of Gree International, shepherded the deal with Jeremy Rossman, Make School’s founder, after they met via an investor.

“I’m very happy that this tie-up with Gree allows us offer our lectures to businesses directly,” Rossman said in a prepared statement.

For Gree, the deal links them up with a US startup that has already gained funds from top Silicon Valley figures like VC firm Andreesen/Horowitz and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, while also giving them a finger hold in a new industry. Since last summer, Gree has been experimenting with new verticals like travel, childcare, and elderly care.

See: Gree not saying sayonara to games, looks for the ‘next big trend’ with diverse investment