– Mayor of London-backed programme will support 50 games companies at Slush in Helsinki
– Games businesses from the capital and across the UK will be supported by Games London at world’s biggest tech investment gathering
– Trade mission includes cohorts supported by UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund, part of Levelling Up agenda, and DCMS & BFI’s UK Global Screen Fund
A major international trade mission for UK video games will take place at the end of the month, as Games London leads a delegation of 50 games businesses to Finland.
Slush is the world’s biggest event for tech investment and takes place on Thursday 30 November and Friday 1 December in Finnish capital Helsinki. Games London’s delegation will attend the event and meet with a range of global investors and partners – with aims to secure investment, grow their businesses and sign games publishing deals.
Games London, supported by the Mayor of London, is an initiative from Film London, the capital’s screen industries agency, and video games trade body Ukie (The Association for UK Interactive Entertainment). Since it started in 2016, Games London has helped generate nearly £100m for games businesses that have participated in its programmes, which include the annual London Games Festival every April. Games London’s mission is to make London the games capital of the world – the UK capital is already the biggest games cluster in Europe, home to over 500 games businesses. Games London has run a Slush trade mission nearly every year since 2016, with outcomes including multi-million pound investments in games studios and software partnerships.
Justine Simons OBE, Deputy Mayor for Culture and the Creative Industries, said: “The Mayor and I are delighted to be supporting Games London’s trade mission to Slush where they will be showcasing 50 promising games businesses. London has always been a thriving hub for talent, innovation and creativity and is home to many leading games studios. By supporting our great games industry, bringing in investment and creating jobs, we are strengthening our position as a games capital and helping build a more prosperous and better city for everyone.”
Games London’s 2023 delegation to Helsinki consists of two cohorts, all underpinned by the body’s support from the Mayor of London:
- 15+ games businesses from across the UK in a cohort supported by DCMS and BFI’s UK Global Screen Fund. These are games creators and publishers raising investment for both projects and their businesses.
- 30+ founders from Games London’s Game Changer programme focuses on businesses led by entrepreneurs from underrepresented backgrounds. Game Changer is funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), part of the UK government’s Levelling Up agenda. Through UKSPF, £62m has been allocated by the Mayor of London to boost small business productivity and encourage growth.
An official side event at Slush is dedicated to showcasing the cohort, ‘Meet new UK Games start-ups’, takes place at 8am to 10am on Thursday 30 November, Day One of Slush, on-site at the event’s Messukeskus convention centre. More details can be found via the Slush platform (link: https://platform.slush.org/public/slush23/side-events/fc6e46e0-29f5-418e-b1ee-6df7b77238d1) Investors from across the world are invited to attend. Sign up via the platform or contact info@games.london if you have questions.
“We’re very excited to be showcasing 50 upcoming UK businesses at Slush this year including a large number of founders from underrepresented backgrounds who are often unable to participate in international games events,” said Michael French, Head of Games London. “It’s more crucial than ever to secure investment for sustainable games start-ups and we’re proud to be facilitating more ways for these talented developers, publishers and service providers to develop their businesses. With games now the world’s leading form of entertainment we are looking forward to connecting these companies to Slush’s attending investors.”
Games London partners include Taylor Wessing and Alliotts. For regular updates from London Games Festival and Games London, sign up for the weekly newsletter at www.games.london or follow @londongamesfest.
