Cohort revealed for inaugural 2023 UK Games Accelerator Programme

The Indielab Games UK-wide Accelerator programme kicked-off to a flying start with it’s first cohort of fourteen games studios
from across the country.

The studios taking part for 2023 are: Bearhammer Games, Chimera Tales, COPA, Damage State, Games Alchemist, Goldborough Studio, Good Gate Media, Hairy Heart Games, Northrak, Pocket Sized Hands, RunWild Entertainment, Skyline Studios, Solar Flare and Yaldi Games.

The UK Games Accelerator programme has been created to help games studios unlock potential, grow, innovate, attract investment and succeed. The 2023 cohort were selected from a wide-range of applications from across Wales, Scotland and England and are not only poised for growth but reflect the diversity that Indielab Games champions in the sector.

The 2023 programme has been generously subsidised by Creative Wales, Creative Scotland, InGAME, Glasgow City Council, Scottish Enterprise, Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Harbottle and Lewis, providing bursary support to cover the participation fees for the entire cohort, including 6 Scottish studios, 6 Welsh studos and 2 English studios.

Gerwyn Evans, Deputy Director, Creative Wales, said: “It’s fantastic to see Welsh companies amongst the first cohort of Indielab’s new accelerator. Through partnership working, we’re able to recognise the huge potential of creatives and give them the support and guidance needed to continue to make excellent content for global audiences. I’m excited to see the progress that’ll come as a result of this new initiative, which will boost the thriving Games sector in Wales. Good luck to all of the companies taking part!”

Director of Creative Industries at Creative Scotland, Clive Gillman, said: “Scotland is no stranger to gaming innovation and has a significant legacy in the industry and continues to nourish a diverse pool of talent. The Scottish video game sector continues to flourish and initiatives like the UK Games Accelerator programme will ensure it continues to grow further. Thanks to The National Lottery funding from National Lottery players, we congratulate the studios selected to participate and look forward to seeing the impact on their skills, networks, investment base and growth that will cement Scotland as the place to be for a successful career in video games.”

Delivery of the 2023 programme is currently taking place in 3 cities across the UK including Glasgow, Cardiff and London through an innovative series of masterclasses, seminars, events and showcases with leading experts drawn from across the games industry. Respected facilitators Oscar Clark and Ella Romanos are part of the delivery team, while speakers include industry developers and entrepreneurs such as Mike Bithell and Jason Della Rocca. In addition, the programme encompasses networking events and an investment-readiness strand that culminates in a valuable investor pitch opportunity, for project investment or equity. Historically, these pitch events have delivered a 20 per cent conversation rate across Indielab programmes, delivering numerous investment deals for attending creative businesses.

Victoria Powell, CEO of Indielab Games, comments: “I am thrilled with the applications that our inaugural UK-wide Games Accelerator attracted and with the studios that were selected to join the programme. Working with our partners from across Games sector, we have designed a growth programme that will provide participants with the knowledge, skills, networks and investment needed to grow their business and produce more content and games with impact at both national and international levels.”