The two biggest independent makers of the engines that power video games, Unity Technologies and Epic Games, are stepping up their financing efforts to capitalise on the booming market for interactive entertainment.

Unity and Epic both offer “game engines”—software tool kits used by other developers that can provide shortcuts when programming a new game and make graphics look more realistic. These engines are used by millions of designers to create games ranging from puzzle apps to first-person shooters, without having to start coding from scratch every time.

Once seen as niche technologies for high-end games, investors in Unity and Epic are betting that their 3D graphics tools will shape the next generation of entertainment, from video games and new forms of online socialising to Hollywood movies and TV shows.