Accelerator

Games London

#LGF25 takes place 2 April to 13 April 2025

info@games.london, partnerships@games.london

ABOUT THE PROGRAMME

Games London’s Accelerator is back with an enhanced programme for its fourth edition. The three-month Accelerator will support new and exciting video game studio founders based in London and will run from April to July 2024. The programme includes a mix of online and in-person sessions focusing on how to grow and scale your game studio. It is free to apply to and attend the programme.

Key highlights:

Up to eight studios admitted to the 2024 cohort
Two anchor mentors from the game industry
About 16 sessions, delivered by senior industry experts
About two sessions per week for a total of 14 weeks
Company visits to London’s prominent studios and publishers
Demo Day at the end of the programme connecting studios with a selected audience of publishers and investors

Deadline for applications is on Monday 11th March 2024 at 23:59 GMT.

The Games London Accelerator is supported by Alliotts and Taylor Wessing.

WHO SHOULD APPLY

The Games London Accelerator will select up to EIGHT studios, based in London. Our ideal applicants are studios which have released at least one or two video games in the past, or studios whose founders already have some level of experience with developing and launching video games. Nonetheless, everyone is encouraged to apply, as all applications will be assessed on a case by case basis.

Applications are strongly encouraged from studios which have at least a prototype version of their game that they are able to share. The Games London team will assess the prototype as part of the application process. Ideally, studios will be able to refine their prototype during the acceleration programme, getting it to as close as possible to a vertical slice for the Accelerator’s demo day at the end of the programme.

The programme is aimed at studio founders who want to develop their business strategy and gain a greater understanding of what type of partnerships they need to succeed going forward. Co-founders are welcome, but all founders need to commit to the programme and participate to the sessions. It is okay for co-founders to attend the sessions most relevant to their role within the studio, as long as at least one co-founder is present at every session.

HOW TO APPLY

We assess and read each and every application. Use this form to tell us more about your studio and current work and what stage your business is at.

We want to make this programme as useful as possible for participants so please do tell us what you are looking to get out of the programme and what areas of your business you need specific guidance on.

We may arrange a brief interview for shortlisted candidates in mid-March before final selection.

Apply Here - Submission Deadline: Monday 11th March 2024

ACCELERATOR TIMELINE

February 19th to March 11th: application and assessment stage

Mid-March: applicant interviews and selections made

Mid-April: launch event

End of April to end of July (3 months): acceleration programme runs

July: Accelerator Demo Day

PROGRAMME

Throughout its duration, the programme of the accelerator features approximately two sessions per week, led by industry leaders and focusing on a number of aspects related to growing and scaling a video game studio. Topics include:

Business checklist: correctly setting up the business so as to access Video Game tax credit/expenditure credit
Understanding the market: analysis and tools
Legal guidance
The art of game design
Game vision and play-testing tools
Publishing strategies for games
Financial guidance
Pitch decks and the art of pitching
Producer workshop: principles of game production
Approaches to business development
Video game trailer tutorial
Marketing strategies for video games
Game hook and discoverability
Inspiration and creativity
Social media for video games

In addition to the above, admitted studios will also enjoy two pitching practice sessions (+ pizza nights!), as well as company visits to prominent studios and publishers based in and around London, to get an exclusive insider view to some of the most relevant industry players of our time.