Mail.ru Group and Google launch international accelerator for video game developers

23 November 2020

Google and My.Games, a branch of Mail.ru Group, last week announced a joint accelerator program “for promising mobile game studios and projects.”

Dubbed ‘Game Drive,’ this accelerator targets studios from the EMEA region, including Western Europe, Russia and other Russian speaking countries, region, Turkey, Israel, the Middle East and Africa.

The selected projects will receive an expert assessment, including analysis of their business potential and recommendations for product improvement. Teams will also enjoy networking opportunities, including “access to the My.Games ecosystem and the company’s internal training projects.”

Google experts will also be involved to evaluate projects and “bring them to international markets.”

Last but not least, projects will be considered for investment from My.Games Venture Capital (MGVC), the venture arm of My.Games, which has been very active recently.

This is the first collaboration between Google and My.Games. The parties will further consider “expanding the geographic scope of Game Drive” as well as “other initiatives aimed at different types of game developers.”

“By launching this accelerator and building a partnership with Google, we hope to provide an unprecedented program for mobile game developers across Europe by providing support and expertise from two of the largest players in the market,” said MGVC Managing Director Ilya Karpinsky.

“There’s huge creativity in the fast-growing gaming industry. We hope that this accelerator programme with MY.GAMES Venture Capital will support talented and promising app developers in Russia and other countries, helping them to grow and go global, while continuing working from their home countries,” stated Meir Brand, VP EMEA Emerging Markets at Google.

Developers are invited to submit their proposals until Jan. 8, 2021.

Source
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