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Gamecity Hamburg funds three games prototypes with € 159,000 in second funding round 2021

Published

5 years ago

November 18, 2021

Reading Time: 3 minutes

In the second funding round in 2021, Gamecity Hamburg supports three promising games projects with a total of 159,000 euros through its Prototype Funding program. The non-repayable grant enables companies and developers based in Hamburg to develop prototypes of their games for the growing global games market. Together with the six projects selected by the awarding committee in the first funding round, Gamecity Hamburg funds nine prototypes with a total of 411,000 euros this year.

Starting March 4, 2022, right after the Hamburg Games Conference, companies and developers can apply again for the next funding round of Gamecity Hamburg’s Prototype Funding. The application phase for the second funding round will start directly after gamescom 2022.

“Both 2021 funding rounds have impressively shown us that there is a great deal of dynamics in the games industry in Hamburg. We were impressed by how diverse the funding applications were – in addition to games of all genres and for all platforms, a serious game, and a home training app convinced the awarding committee with their market potential for the first time in this funding round,” says Dennis Schoubye, Head of Gamecity Hamburg and member of the awarding committee for prototype funding.

The funded projects of the second funding round 2021

Castle Town by Sviper – 80,000 euros
CR4NKUP by CR4NKUP – 40,000 euros
Mambio by neurodactics – 39,273 euros

In the mobile game Castle Town by Sviper, players can build towns in a medieval setting and optimize supply chains for all the goods they need on a grand scale. Sviper is an indie studio from Hamburg and was able to celebrate its first successes with the debut “Super Spell Heroes”. With Castle Town, Sviper wants to take off further.

CR4NKUP by CR4NKUP is an indoor training game that combines real bike training with a virtual world filled with a large number of fellow players. Through gamification elements such as multiplayer and online tournaments, the free-to-play app is designed to motivate professional athletes and amateur cyclists alike.

Mambio by neurodactics is the first serious game supported by the Hamburg prototype funding. Mambio is an inclusive learning game for elementary school-aged children that playfully promotes the fun of math and aims to make learning arithmetic easier for children with disabilities as well.

A total of eleven start-ups, games companies and solo developers applied for funding in the second funding round 2021 from August 30 to October 16. After an online pitch, the projects were selected by an awarding committee, consisting of Hamburg industry experts Nina Müller (Head of Publishing, Goodgame Studios), Michael Schade (Co-Founder and CEO, ROCKFISH Games), Valentina Birke (Project Manager, Super Crowd Entertainment), Jens Unrau (Head of Department Media and Digital Economy of the Ministry of Culture and Media in Hamburg) and Dennis Schoubye (Head of Gamecity Hamburg).

In addition to a convincing presentation of the project and the team members, the experts evaluated the submitted projects according to further criteria such as promotion of young talent, team, market potential and location effect for Hamburg.

Prototype funding from Gamecity Hamburg

In 2020, the funding program already supported the development of seven prototypes with a total of 430,000 euros.

All information on prototype funding in Hamburg can be found at: www.gamecity-hamburg.de/funding/.

The next application phase for prototype funding 2022 will start directly after the Hamburg Games Conference on March 4, 2022. The application phase for the second funding round in 2022 will start directly after gamescom.

Those who would like to discuss prototype funding and other funding programs for the games industry more intensively are cordially invited to do so on the Gamecity Hamburg Discord server: https://discord.gg/gamecityhamburg.

Further funding opportunities through Gamecity Hamburg

With its support and funding program Games Lift Incubator, Gamecity Hamburg supports five teams per year with up to 15,000 euros and a three-month coaching and mentoring program by experienced, international experts from the games industry.

For the teams participating in the Games Lift Incubator in 2021, the intensive phase of their participation in the program will end on December 2 with the “Games Lift Graduation” event.

Guests can register to participate in the Graduation event via live stream or on-site. Free tickets are available on Eventbrite: https://games-lift-graduation-2021.eventbrite.de/

Contributors Program

Gamblers Connect names Gali Hartuv as seventh 2026 Contributors Program voice

Published

1 hour ago

July 22, 2026

Wladimir P.

gamblers-connect-names-gali-hartuv-as-seventh-2026-contributors-program-voice

The Playa strategic advisor will publish on VIP operations, segmentation and retention, starting with an anonymous VIP Operations Survey 2026.

Gamblers Connect has confirmed Gali Hartuv, Strategic Advisor at The Playa, as the seventh voice to join its 2026 Contributors Program.

The independent B2B iGaming media platform said the programme will reveal one senior industry voice per month throughout 2026, with contributors publishing under the Gamblers Connect Contributor Editorial Code.

Gamblers Connect said Hartuv has more than 15 years’ experience in VIP management, including designing and optimising VIP programmes across more than 50 operator brands, and training “hundreds of professionals” now working in VIP roles across the industry.

Hartuv will publish across four areas: building VIP programmes that drive long-term value; AI-powered VIP identification and player segmentation; hyper-personalisation and retention strategy; and scaling VIP operations across different markets and cultures. His first contribution is a VIP Operations Survey 2026, an anonymous survey intended to benchmark how VIP teams work across iGaming operators, including portfolio sizing, tools, qualification thresholds, workflow standards and where time is spent during the week.

Partnerships and Operations Lead, Luka Dimitrijevic, said: “VIP management is where a great deal of an operator’s value is won or lost, and very few people can speak to it with Gali’s depth. He has spent his career turning high value player relationships into a discipline rather than guesswork, and he is refreshingly candid about what works and what does not. Through the Contributors Program he will share practical insight on VIP strategy, retention, and the smart use of AI, with content grounded in real results rather than recycled best practices.”

The post Gamblers Connect names Gali Hartuv as seventh 2026 Contributors Program voice appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Alberta

St8 extends TonyBet partnership to Alberta after securing supplier registration

Published

2 hours ago

July 22, 2026

Wladimir P.

st8-extends-tonybet-partnership-to-alberta-after-securing-supplier-registration

St8 has extended its partnership with TonyBet into Alberta, expanding their Canada footprint following an earlier launch in Ontario this year.

Under the expanded agreement, TonyBet will use St8’s game aggregation platform through a single API integration. St8 said this provides access to its wider catalogue of casino content for players in Alberta.

St8 said the Alberta rollout follows its newly acquired registration to operate in the province as an iGaming Services Supplier, allowing it to provide aggregation services to licensed operators in the market. The company said its platform connects partners to more than 200 game providers via a single API.

David Fall, Business Development Manager at St8, said:

“Entering Alberta’s regulated market is a strong step for St8 that represents our continued efforts to bring our offerings to as many territories as possible, delivering top-tier results for partnerships at the local, national and international stage. We share this commitment with TonyBet, a company that we are very fortunate to be working with so collaboratively and closely as we continue to grow our presence across North America.”

Kiryl Liudvikevich, Head of Product at TonyBet, said:

“We’re proud that our work with St8 has enabled us to continue expanding across Canada. Through St8’s aggregation platform, we can seamlessly access games from the industry’s leading providers via a single integration, helping us scale efficiently while maintaining a strong focus on the player experience. St8 has cemented itself as our go-to partner for expansion into regulated markets, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration as we grow into new jurisdictions.”

The post St8 extends TonyBet partnership to Alberta after securing supplier registration appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Alberta

St8 continues partnership with TonyBet with an expansion into Alberta

Published

2 hours ago

July 22, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

st8-continues-partnership-with-tonybet-with-an-expansion-into-alberta

Casino game aggregation platform and full-service technology provider St8 has extended its ongoing partnership with TonyBet into Alberta, furthering both companies’ expansion into Canada.

As part of the extended agreement, Tonybet will benefit from St8’s next-generation platform via a single API integration, unlocking seamless access to a wide portfolio of games from the industry’s leading providers and enhancing its casino offering for players in Alberta.

The move is the latest in St8’s successful relationship with TonyBet, having previously launched in Ontario earlier this year in a bid to continually grow in regulated markets worldwide.

This expansion was made possible thanks to St8’s newly acquired registration to operate in Alberta as an iGaming Services Supplier, enabling St8 to provide its next-generation game aggregation services to licensed operators in the region, giving partners access to more than 200 premium game providers through a single API integration.

Featuring over 3,000 games from more than 60 providers, TonyBet, meanwhile, has gone from strength to strength in its 17-year history, establishing itself as one of the industry’s leading game studios by delivering engaging titles that combine player appeal with premium gameplay.

Holding licenses in 10 different jurisdictions including Spain, the Netherlands, the UK, Ireland and Estonia, among others, Tonybet’s partnership with St8 has seen them now launch in two separate territories in Canada, with both companies working collaboratively to explore the opportunities available in exciting new markets. This latest agreement reinforces St8’s strategy of expanding its premium content portfolio while helping operators simplify integration, accelerate market entry, and deliver engaging gaming experiences across multiple regulated jurisdictions.

Speaking on the expansion, David Fall, Business Development Manager at St8, said: “Entering Alberta’s regulated market is a strong step for St8 that represents our continued efforts to bring our offerings to as many territories as possible, delivering top-tier results for partnerships at the local, national and international stage. We share this commitment with TonyBet, a company that we are very fortunate to be working with so collaboratively and closely as we continue to grow our presence across North America.”

Kiryl Liudvikevich, Head of Product at TonyBet, had this to say: “We’re proud that our work with St8 has enabled us to continue expanding across Canada. Through St8’s aggregation platform, we can seamlessly access games from the industry’s leading providers via a single integration, helping us scale efficiently while maintaining a strong focus on the player experience. St8 has cemented itself as our go-to partner for expansion into regulated markets, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration as we grow into new jurisdictions.”

The post St8 continues partnership with TonyBet with an expansion into Alberta appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.