Japanese mobile game company gumi Inc. and Nordisk Film call upon Nordic VR and AR startups to apply for its second accelerator program. During its first batch NVS, Nordic VR Startups, aided six companies in boosting their business cycles and helped them to widen their business connections worldwide.
Nordic VR Startups’ application period is valid through February 2018. The program is intended for startups that focus on applications and games that utilize virtual reality or augmented reality. The second program begins in May.
“Nordic VR Startups’ first batch is now completed. We are extremely proud to have witnessed how the companies developed throughout the program. With VR and AR market developing rapidly, these companies are in a great position to grow faster than the market in the near future, sharing our experience and gaining new insights from one another. With the new batch, we continue to seek Nordic teams with unique, scalable VR/AR products and services and a genuine desire to grow globally”, says NVS Co-Director Harri Manninen
“Virtual and augmented realities are pushing into all industries, but games companies especially have been on the cutting edge with the technology. Interestingly, developing asymmetric multiplayer perspectives has been one angle that companies within NVS have pushed forward. We, too, have gotten great insight on VR game development”, says Suman Rath of Nordisk Film.
Nordic VR Startups invests up to 100 000 euros in the selected companies. Teams will also gain access to free office space, world-class mentors and day-to-day support in product and business development. The program lasts six months, and it ends with a demo day at Slush 2018.
Been there, done that – experiences from industry leading mentors and experienced alumni considered the most valuable asset
Nordic VR Startups started last July with 6 companies. Among them were HipFire Games from Helsinki and Evocat Games from Kajaani. HipFire pivoted to a whole new project during the program, and Evocat Games strengthened their position as one of the leading Finnish VR game studios.
Artist and co-Founder Teemu Palomäki from Evocat Games summarizes their experience: “For us, the program has been very helpful. Our understanding of the business has grown enormously, and we were constantly helped to push a step further. For any VR/AR developer, I’d gladly recommend the program.”
Antti Sartanen, CEO of HipFire, shares Palomäki’s view: “I think NVS has been instrumental in getting us to where we are at the moment. Without NVS’s investment we would have been left looking for angels with the pitch decks. Probably without much success. The contacts we were provided were really spot-on and I think the network that we have now is a great base to expand upon.”
Nordic VR Startups was announced in March 2017. First six companies were Immersal (AR infotainment platform), Pikseli (VR arcades), Catland, Evocat Games and HipFire Games (VR games developers), and Adverty (VR/AR based advertising solutions).
https://nordicxrstartups.com.
About gumi Inc.
Founded in 2007, gumi Inc. (Tokyo Stock Exchange: 3903) is a leading global mobile game publisher and developer headquartered in Japan, with overseas operations in France, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and the United States. The company has proven success in launching titles worldwide, such as the widely popular role-playing games Brave Frontier and Phantom of the Kill. With ongoing publishing and development projects on various platforms, including iOS, Android, and more, gumi aims to change the world through innovative entertainment products and services, including both original content and collaborations with popular IP. For more information, please visit http://www.gu3.co.jp/en/ .
About Nordisk Film
Founded in 1906, Nordisk Film is the leading producer and distributor of films in the Nordic countries and operates the largest cinema chains in Denmark and Norway. Nordisk Film has digital businesses within gift cards, ticketing services, computer games development and eSports and is the distributor of PlayStation in the Nordic and Baltic countries. Nordisk Film is part of Egmont – Denmark’s largest media group with 6,200 employees and activities in 30 countries. These include Egmont Publishing, which publishes more than 700 magazines, TV 2 in Norway and several book publishers. Egmont is a commercial foundation that generates revenue amounting to EUR 1.6 billion and donate more than EUR 13 million a year to help improve the lives of children and young people. For more information, please visit http://www.nordiskfilm.com .