Games Lift Incubator
The Gamecity Incubator Games Lift is a program for students, start-ups, and developers that offers start-up financing, workshops, coaching, and mentoring for the development of concepts for digital games and other games-related services.
Up to five teams will be supported for three months in one batch. Aside from financial support of up to 15,000 euros and provision of office space in a co-working space, they will receive a workshop program that is tailored to the needs of game developers and allows them to deepen their skills on all relevant fields of the games industry.
The next application period for the Games Lift Incubator will be announced after the completion of the first batch in December 2020. Sign up for our monthly newsletter to be up to date in terms of the Games Lift Incubator and all other Gamecity Hamburg activities.
Timeline
1. Application phase: June – August
Online application opens in June 2021. Teams will be invited in early August to pitch their project to a jury of industry professionals who will then decide on which teams enter the Incubator.
2. Phase 1 – Foundations: Early September – Mid October
The Games Lift program will start in September with workshops, the first batch of financing, and the offering of co-working space.
3. Milestone Pitch – Mid October
Teams will present a pitch based on the progress they made on their project and the new knowledge they gained during the first phase. The second batch of financing will be provided to all teams who successfully completed the first phase as well as the milestone pitch.
4. Phase 2 – Polishing: Mid October – Early December
Further workshops will deepen the knowledge gained during the first phase. Teams prepare their projects for a final pitch.
5. Final Presentation: Early December
Teams will present the results of their work in a final public pitch.
FAQ
- What are the goals of the Games Lift Incubator? ↓
The Games Lift Incubator aims to enable young developer teams to create successful concepts for digital games and games related projects with high market potential. Its mission is to provide the developer teams with the necessary resources to allow them to work on their projects in a first step with high concentration accompanied by input from experienced industry professionals.
- Who can apply for Games Lift? ↓
Eligible to apply are developers and developer associations, student teams, start-ups, and teams in the process of founding a company. Small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) are also eligible to apply.
Please note:
• Team size should not exceed 5 members per team.
• All team members should be available to attend workshops on approx. 2 days per week for the three-month duration of the Incubator program.
• The precondition is always that the team is already based in Hamburg or can prove that they will relocate their residence to Hamburg or open a subsidiary or branch establishment in Hamburg upon entering the Games Lift Incubator program.- When and how can I apply? ↓
The application round for the first batch of the Games Lift Inkubator has ended on July 27, 2020. The start of the next application round will be announced on the Gamecity Hamburg Discord Server, the Gamecity Hamburg newsletter, on social media and in press announcements.
A detailed document on How to apply for the Games Lift Incubator can be found on the Application page and will take you through the application form step by step.
We strongly recommend a consultation appointment before submitting the application. Please contact us at funding@gamecity-hamburg.de to set up an appointment and include the following information:
• Short project outline (max. half a page of text or a slide) of the project
• Background of the team (max. half a page of text or a slide)
• Questions regarding the application- What does the Games Lift Incubator offer? ↓
Games Lift provides developer teams with a workshop program, financial support, and office space in a co-working space.
Apply now
The start of the next application round will be announced on the Gamecity Hamburg Discord Server, the Gamecity Hamburg newsletter, on social media and in press announcements. You can find all information regarding the application process on the Apply now page.
