Business Finland is a Finnish innovation funding, trade, investment, and travel promotion organization, and fully owned by the Finnish Government. By accelerating companies' sustainable growth, Business Finland generates prosperity and well-being for the Finnish society.
Ideas to Success - Supporting the Finnish Game Business Growth
Do you have a great idea, a promising team, sufficient financial resources and the drive to grow your game business globally? Business Finland can provide funding to help your company achieve a fast start. (See Financial Support and Funding for more details)
About Business Finland
Business Finland employs 760 specialists at 40 foreign locations and 16 offices in Finland. Business Finland is part of the Team Finland network. Game industry customers include companies like Small Giant Games, Colossal Order, Remedy, Supercell and Rovio. Business Finland’s funding for the Finnish Game Industry has exceeded 150 million euros. This has contributed to the growth and amount of private investments to the Finnish Game Industry.
CONTACTS:
Kari Korhonen
Senior Advisor
+358442464673
kari.korhonen@businessfinland.fi
Olli Sinerma
Senior Advisor
+358452774787
www.businessfinland.fi
Hub of the Finnish Game Industry
Neogames Finland is a member-based, non-profit game industry association established in 2003. Neogames' mission is to accelerate, coordinate, and support the development of the Finnish game
ecosystem. Its members represent all sectors of the game industry, from business to education and research. As an impartial umbrella association, Neogames serves the shared interests of all industry players. As the hub of the industry, it is the fastest channel for information and contacts within the Finnish Game Industry.
Our services include organising trade missions to international events, coordinating cross-industry development projects, collaborating with ministries and the political sector, organising domestic networking events, and promoting media relations both nationally and internationally. Neogames Finland also produces various surveys and reports related to the Finnish Game Industry.
Neogames Finland represents Suomen Pelinkehittäjät ry in the European Games Developer Federation (EGDF), taking care of lobbying activities at the EU level.
CONTACTS:
KooPee Hiltunen
Director
+358 40 532 4176
koopee@neogames.fi
Suvi Latva
Chief Business Advisor
+358 40 592 4018
suvi.latva@neogames.fi
J-P Kaleva
Chief Policy Advisor
+358 40 716 3640
jari-pekka.kaleva@neogames.fi
Elina Tyynelä
Coordinator
+358 40 842 8736
elina@neogames.fi
www.neogames.fi
The Finnish Game Developer Studios Association, Suomen Pelinkehittäjät ry, is a collective of game development studios. Its main mission is to act as a guardian of interests for game studios, and to advance the political and economic interests of the Finnish Game Industry on both national and global levels.
Suomen Pelinkehittäjät is committed to improving diversity and equality within the game industry, working in close cooperation with other industry networks. It has over 80 members, including all major studios in Finland. Suomen Pelinkehittäjät ry is a founding member of the European Games Developer Federation (EGDF), which represents game studios based in 22 European countries.
CONTACTS:
Jussi Loukiainen
Chair of the Board
jussi@platonicpartnership.com
KooPee Hiltunen
Representative
+358 40 532 4176
koopee@neogames.fi
www.pelinkehittajat.fi
The local Finnish chapter of IGDA
As a part of the largest non-profit organisation for game creators in the world, IGDA Finland is there for anyone and everyone who wants to make games. We do this by supporting and promoting various Finnish game developers, from writers to artists, programmers to producers, and designers to testers, just to name a few. IGDA Finland assists developers from students to indies and promotes the Finnish Game Industry on both national and international levels. One of our most important roles is to build and maintain a thriving community. Our monthly Meetups are what IGDA Finland is best known for, and this is where people in the industry stay in touch with each other. These Meetups take place not only all over Finland but also online these days.
As always, anyone is more than welcome to join us and our events!
CONTACTS:
JJ. Häll
Chairperson of the Board
joonas.hall@igda.fi
www.igda.fi
Promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the games industry
We in Games Finland is a non-profit organisation working to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion within the Finnish Game Industry. Initially formed in 2011 as an unofficial network of over a thousand individuals, WiGFi founded an organisation in 2019 to take on a more official role within the industry.
The association is open to everyone who wants to improve the state of DEI in the industry. WiGFi organises workshops and networking events to support their members' careers, runs projects and gathers data related to DEI, and maintains a speakers list to promote more diverse representation at game industry events. For the general public, WiGFi shares knowledge about the game industry and participates in various actions, forums, and events that support diversity and inclusion more broadly.
CONTACTS:
Essi Jukkala
President
info@weingames.fi
www.weingames.fi
Supporting game development as a hobby
Finnish Game Jam is a non-profit organisation founded to support game development as a hobby in Finland. The main objectives of FGJ are to organise game jams, unite jam organisers, and provide information on game development events. FGJ organises multiple game jams and events, both online and offline – and even hybrid events! The annual main event, in which participants join the Global Game Jam, gathers around 1,000 organisers and jammers across the country. The annual Finnish Game Jam Awards honour jam games, jammers, and supporters of the Finnish game jam scene.
CONTACTS:
Teemu Kokkonen
President
finnishgamejam@gmail.com
www.finnishgamejam.com
Labour union for game industry
Game Makers of Finland is the world's first labour union for people who work or study in the game industry. Our mission is to help create, develop, and implement the best practices in collaboration with industry professionals. Game Makers of Finland aims to promote the general well-being and growth of game companies while listening to the voices of employees.
CONTACTS:
Milla Pennanen
Executive Director
Game Makers of Finland
milla@peliala.fi
www.peliala.fi
Game industry expertise in USA
The Consulate General of Finland in Los Angeles is part of the Team Finland network. It is the only Finnish Consulate abroad with a dedicated senior trade commissioner focused on interactive
media & related technologies, supporting Finnish game companies looking to expand into the US market.
CONTACTS:
Zsuzsa James
Senior Trade Commissioner
zsuzsa.james@gov.fi
https://finlandabroad.fi/web/usa/consulate-general-los-angeles
Helsinki is a world leader in mobile game development and the home of the Finnish Game Industry with about 2,100 employees and over €2.6 billion turnover in 2022.
Business Helsinki (former NewCo Helsinki) provides start-up services from ideation to the validation phase. In the heart of Helsinki game ecosystem operates Maria 01, the Nordics’ leading start- up campus.
Helsinki Games Capital is a small team, who has a big plan to make entrepreneurship in games easier to navigate. Their mission is to grow with the community and to navigate unruly nature of games, and their target is to become an established and valuable ally for the capital area games ecosystem and grow a diverse neighbourhood for the games.
CONTACTS:
Business Helsinki
Henrik Keinonen
+358 50 3098660
henrik.keinonen@hel.fi
www.newcohelsinki.fi/en
Helsinki Games Capital
Jonne Taivassalo
+358 44 536 2213
jonne@helsinkigamescapital.fi
www.helsinkigamescapital.fi
Maria 01
Ville Simola
+358 44 070 0520
ville@maria.io
www.maria.io
Expa Game Business Co-operative / IGDA Finland Jyväskylä Hub is one of most active game industry hubs in Finland. Digi & Game Center - Co-Development Ecosystem established 2020 is operated by Expa and acts as hotspot for the game industry in Central Finland.
Business Jyväskylä by City of Jyväskylä brings together Jyväskylä success stories and development projects. Business Jyväskylä provides information about services to help expand business operations and helps start-ups.
University of Jyväskylä co-operates with University of Tampere & University of Turku in the Centre of Excellence program in Game Culture. JAMK University of Applied Sciences provides a new international Bachelor Degree in Business Information Technology in Game Production. The esport scene is also active in the Jyväskylä region.
CONTACTS:
Suvi Vuojolainen
+358 50 311 8820
suvi.vuojolainen@jyvaskyla.fi
www.businessjyvaskyla.fi/en
Tuomas Roininen
+358 50 3800 991
tuomas.roininen@expa.fi
www.expa.fi
Xamk University of Applied Sciences is bolstering the games industry in the Kymenlaakso region through innovative R&D projects and world-class game development education. With the inauguration of a brand-new campus in downtown Kotka in 2024, Xamk is set to solidify its presence in the region, offering state-of-the-art facilities for both education and research.
Initiated in 2020, Xamk Game Studios functions as a hub for the game industry in Kymenlaakso. It bridges the gap between students, entrepreneurs, industry veterans, local IGDA hub participants, and other stakeholders interested in game technology and business.
Our dedicated staff continually provide mentorship, networking opportunities, and technical assistance to game startups and developers, catering to both experienced professionals and ambitious students alike. In its regional development activities, Xamk places significant emphasis on fostering the digital economy and business development, offering comprehensive support for local companies in their product and business development, networking, funding, and trade missions.
CONTACTS:
Jani Ruotsalainen
Project Manager
+358 50 534 1105
jani.ruotsalainen@xamk.fi
www.xamk.fi/en
Oulu serves as the hub of the northern game industry and is home to numerous game companies, boasting a combined turnover of nearly €30 million. The city is a powerhouse of mobile game development expertise, evident in both successful independent companies and studios that have attracted international investments to the region. Oulu's well-rounded expertise encompasses studios focusing on PC, VR, and even Web 3.0 development, all supported by an active community and education system. Furthermore, it is worth noting that work-life balance is highly valued in this region, exemplified by Fingersoft's adoption of a six-hour workday as a well-being benefit.
CONTACTS:
Anne Ryynänen
+358 40 708 0632
anne.r.ryynanen@businessoulu.com
www.businessoulu.com
https://oulu.com/ictoulu/topic/gaming/
Tampere Game Hub serves as the regional nexus for game developers in Tampere, uniting game companies, educational institutes, regional start-up hubs, associations, mentors, and investors. Notably, the Tampere Game Hub hosts the Finnish Game Incubator programme, which aids budding game teams in establishing studios across Finland. Working closely with Business Tampere and the City of Tampere, the Tampere Game Hub is committed to nurturing the local game development scene.
In terms of headcount, the Tampere region boasts the second-largest game cluster in Finland, home to over 30 established companies and several start-ups, employing well over 200 industry professionals. Academically, the Game Research Lab at Tampere University enjoys a reputation as one of Europe's most esteemed game research units. Additionally, schools in the Tampere region offer game development-oriented degree programmes at both secondary and undergraduate levels.
CONTACTS:
Joanna Lankoski
+358 40 869 1007
joanna@tampere.games
www.tampere.games
Turku is proud to be the home base of nearly 20 established game companies, including Bugbyte, FakeFish, Flatfish Games, MiTale, Punnu Games, Rockodile Games, stillalive, and Tower Pop Games. Turku boasts two higher education institutes offering programming-focused degrees in game development, which graduate 50-60 students annually. Active game research is conducted at Turku Game Lab, and the vibrant game developer community is further bolstered by the IGDA Turku chapter and international organisation, W Love Games. The growth of Turku as a game industry region is consistently supported by The Hive - Turku Game Hub and Turku Science Park, with the ambition of making Turku an even more appealing location for game companies.
CONTACTS:
Oskari Tamminen
+358440734883
oskari.tamminen@igda.fi
Michael Lindholm
+358405020089
michael.lindholm@turkubusinessregion.com
#Gamecity Kajaani is a three-year project, funded by the city of Kajaani and committed to nurturing the growth of new game companies within the region. The project, which kicked off on January 2, 2023, is designed to forge a pathway for game development students to transition into entrepreneurship, establish an accelerator space for start-ups, and enhance the local gaming community, positioning Kajaani as a powerhouse city for game developers.
The project unfolds in three phases, initially focusing on fostering entrepreneurship, then progressing to support company growth, and ultimately integrating its activities sustainably within Kajaani's game development ecosystem. The steering committee consists of representatives from the city, Kajaani University of Applied Sciences, IGDA Kajaani, and local game companies. Through its endeavours, #Gamecity Kajaani aspires to create a game business hub in Kajaani, thus ensuring continued success for the city's gaming industry.
CONTACTS:
Joonas Pylvinen
+358 40 485 9436
Joonas.Pylvinen@kamk.fi
