E118: Phylicia Koh: Play Ventures

E118: Phylicia Koh: Play Ventures

From Female VC Lab by Barbara Bickham

January 17, 2026 · 19 min · Season 2 · Episode 117

About this episode

Phylicia Koh discusses her journey from startup roles to becoming a General Partner at Play Ventures, focusing on gaming and consumer tech investments.

Discover how an accidental career leap led to investing across global gaming, consumer apps, and beyond. In this compelling episode of Female VC Lab, Barbara Bickham sits down with Phylicia Koh, GP at Play Ventures, to unpack the journey from startup growth roles to leading one of the most forward-thinking early-stage funds in gaming and consumer tech. Whether you’re a founder, investor, or aspiring VC, this episode is packed with insights on embracing serendipity, the evolution of VC, and the art and science of finding product-market fit. Why listen? You’ll learn what makes a VC distinctive, how Play Ventures disrupts itself, and why consumer apps are the new frontier for gaming’s best practices. Phylicia Koh also offers a candid look at founder hustle, the realities of raising VC money, and bold predictions about the future of venture capital—including the rise of new investment vehicles and retail investor participation. Guest Information Guest Name: Phylicia Koh Bio: Phylicia Koh is a General Partner at Play Ventures, an early-stage global venture fund focused on gaming, consumer apps, and infrastructure. Drawing upon nearly a decade in startup growth and product leadership…

People in this episode

Host: Barbara Bickham

Guest: Phylicia Koh

Topics covered

  • venture capital
  • gaming
  • consumer apps
  • startup growth
  • investment strategies
  • product-market fit

Keywords

  • venture capital
  • gaming
  • consumer apps
  • investment
  • founder hustle
  • raising VC money
  • product-market fit

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Play Ventures

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