Hamburg Prototype Funding: 2021 First Funding Round

Hamburg's Prototype Funding program awarded €252,000 in non-repayable grants to six game projects in its first 2021 funding round, announced June 8, 2021. The program, run by Gamecity Hamburg with backing from the city's Ministry of Culture and Media, aims to help early-stage studios and developers build prototypes, position themselves in the growing global games market, and strengthen Hamburg as a European games hub. Recipients must be based in Hamburg, relocate there, or open a local branch if funded.

Twenty-three developers and companies applied during a window running from March 29 to May 17. A pre-selection of teams pitched online to an awarding committee of Hamburg industry figures from Goodgame Studios, ROCKFISH Games, Super Crowd Entertainment, the city's Ministry of Culture and Media, and Gamecity Hamburg. Beyond presentation quality, the criteria included feasibility, promotion of young talent, location effect, and market potential.

Awards ranged widely: THE INVITATION by tool1 received €60,000, ARC BREAK by SpiceVR €50,000, Rocket Science GONE WRONG (working title) €48,000, Crumbling €39,782, The Hunt for Epic Treasure (working title) by Elecular €35,200, and Fantasma Ville by Torito Games €19,140. Crumbling was the first prototype-funded project to have completed Gamecity's Games Lift Incubator, launched alongside the prototype program in 2020, which officials cited as evidence the two instruments complement one another. Its team developed a concept and marketing plan around an innovative virtual reality mechanic.

The announcement also flags further 2021 opportunities. For the first time, a second prototype funding round opened for applications on August 30. The Games Lift Incubator opened applications on June 21, offering up to €15,000 in financing plus a three-month coaching and mentoring program with international industry experts. Later program updates in the page's news feed show the funding scaling up to €400,000 per round with up to €80,000 per team by 2024 and 2025, and Crumbling's VR release in January 2024.