Unity Technologies, a 3D game technology firm, has raised $5.5 million in a first round of funding. Sequoia Capital led the round, along with private investors including Atari CEO David Gardner, and VMware founder and former CEO Diane Greene. S.F.-based Unity Technologies developed the Unity engine, a game development platform that can create content for PC, Mac and online games, as well as the Wii and the iPhone. Companies currently using the engine include EA, for its Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online game, as well as Cartoon Networks, for its kid-friendly MMO, FusionFall. 

Unity’s engine is aimed at helping both big publishers and indie developers build their games quickly; the browser-based platform means that teams can work on their games without needing to be at the same location. (Spawn Labs, a fellow gaming tech firm, recently raised $1 million for its own remote access game development kit). The company has roughly 50 employees. It was founded by CEO David Helgason, CTO Joachim Ante and Chief Creative Officer Nicholas Francis, Unity Technologies. Release.

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