Nicosia, Cyprus, 24 January 2024 | A new team breaks into the gaming industry today with the formation of Narwhal Accelerator, an initiative dedicated to propelling the success of gaming and game tech companies across Europe, LATAM, and MENA regions. Aiming to become a frontrunner in the industry, Narwhal bridges the gap between game developers and venture capitalists (VC), providing founders with the resources they need to receive funding from notable gaming investors.
Backed by an Expert Leadership Team
At the helm of Narwhal Accelerator is a duo of industry professionals: Dmitrii Filatov, former funding lead at Xsolla and executive producer at MY.GAMES Venture Capital (MGVC), and Grigory Bortnik, former MGVC investment associate and Owlcat Games investment director. Joining them is Ilya Karpinskiy, a seasoned entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in the gaming industry. Karpinskiy previously founded MGVC and currently serves as General Partner in The Games Fund (TGF) and Co-Founder of Owlcat Games. With their combined expertise, Narwhal Accelerator emerges as a beneficial partner for emerging gaming companies and VCs, providing essential services for startups and focused support in securing capital and structuring business. Investors and publishers will be able to partner with prospective studios from Narwhal’s roster and get extra support with product and business reviews for the studios in their own portfolios.
Narwhal’s Co-Founder Dmitrii Filatov emphasizes the unique positioning of the new accelerator:
"While accelerators are quite common in the larger IT industry, they aren’t so active in the games industry. Realizing that, our team understands the importance of bridging the existing gap between investors and developers. Our goal is to assist promising teams in reaching VC investors and publishers, supporting potential “narwhals’” growth and success through a host of our supporting services that cover the most vital business aspects, especially for early-stage companies."Comprehensive Support for Gaming Innovation
Narwhal Accelerator offers a comprehensive support package that includes $100,000 in capital financing and an additional $100,000 in the form of essential operational services: legal, HR, talent acquisition, and legal entity establishment. Understanding the competitive nature of the industry, Narwhal aims to provide a tailor-made approach to supporting studios by leveraging its vast network of partners and arranging introductions to investors, publishers, and service providers for its portfolio studios.
Grigory Bortnik, an industry professional, notes Narwhal’s unbiased approach to quality content:
"We are genre and platform-agnostic. The key question for us is the team's potential to build a solid business and release a successful product. With our funding and support, we aim to convince investors that our portfolio studios have the potential to grow and become industry highlights.”Accessible Support; Applications Open
The Narwhal team has successfully assisted several companies–including Cyprus game developer Obelisk and US-based 1M Bits Horde, known for their title Spirit of the Islands– with fundraising, team management, and business development.
Ilya Eremeev, Managing Partner of TGF, provides further details on the role Narwhal plays in their client portfolio:
“In TGF, we work closely with our portfolio companies post-investment, collaborating with our partners to provide access to the best resources on the market. The Narwhal team is an amazing partner for multiple studios in our portfolio, offering invaluable support in evaluating and improving development processes, as well as in relocation and HR. Their assistance helps our companies kickstart and grow, which is of great value to us!”
About Narwhal
Narwhal Accelerator is a gaming industry initiative dedicated to supporting startup gaming and game tech companies across Europe, LATAM, and MENA regions. Led by industry professionals Dmitrii Filatov and Grigory Bortnik, Narwhal Accelerator aims to bridge the gap between visionary game developers and the resources they need to thrive, offering comprehensive support packages to foster innovation and growth. Applications are currently open on Narwhal.ax.