British Esports and Sunderland Software City (SSC) have welcomed 14 new startups to their esports accelerator programme.
- The initiative aims to drive the growth of the gaming sector in Sunderland, fostering job creation in the region.
- Selected startups will partake in an intensive eight-week programme covering financial management, international expansion, and more.
- Participants were chosen from over 100 applications by a panel of industry experts assessing market potential and team expertise.
- The project receives support and funding from the UK Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
British Esports, in collaboration with Sunderland Software City (SSC), has recently inducted 14 startups into its dedicated esports accelerator programme. This initiative is explicitly designed to stimulate the burgeoning gaming sector within Sunderland, creating new employment opportunities and fostering economic growth in the region.
The accelerator offers a distinctive eight-week course that imparts knowledge on various crucial business elements, including financial management, strategies for international market expansion, and digital marketing. Participants will be able to amalgamate insights from Sunderland’s leading tech partners, alongside acquiring knowledge on protecting intellectual property and being prepared for investment.
This programme’s structure includes both in-person and online sessions held at the National Esports Performance Campus in Sunderland, culminating on the first of November. One of the significant highlights of this programme is the opportunity for startups to present their business models to potential investors at the conclusion of the term.
More than 100 ambitious startups vied for a position in this esteemed programme, and the selection process was intensive. The evaluation panel comprised industry veterans like David Dunn and Hekla Goodman-Parker from SSC, alongside Dave Martin from British Esports, who scrutinised factors such as market viability, the opportunity size, team expertise, and product-market fit.
Hekla Goodman Parker from Sunderland Software City expressed enthusiasm for the programme’s inaugural batch, characterising them as a driven and innovative cohort poised to develop groundbreaking technological solutions within the esports industry. She emphasised the substantial potential for these startups to connect directly with prominent industry entities.
Dave Martin, representing British Esports, articulated the programme’s underlying mission of nurturing a thriving esports ecosystem in the UK by uniting talent, investment, and innovation. He underscored the strategic partnership with Sunderland Software City and Sunderland City Council as crucial to advancing these objectives.
The distinguished first cohort of participants includes Beam XR, BSL AR Teacher, DS Performance Sport, ESG Gaming, Convergent Live Ltd, Good Game Truro, Gamlytics, Versus HD Games, Immerzion Development Ltd, Nexus Interactive Ltd, Racing Sims North East, Smash Mountain Studio, and Reset Reload.
Funding for this programme originates from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, marking a notable investment in the region’s tech industry and underscoring the government’s commitment to supporting innovative sectors.
The Sunderland esports accelerator exemplifies a strategic investment in emerging tech startups, promising growth in the region’s esports sector.
