Participation in R42 Games Accelerator Opens Door to Further Funding

A new funding initiative launched by the Sächsische Aufbaubank will offer enhanced opportunities for start-ups participating in the Leipzig-based R42 Games Accelerator starting in 2025. Applications for participation in the accelerator program are open until the end of November.

In October, the Sächsische Aufbaubank announced that applications can now be submitted under the funding guideline Accelerators EFRE 2021-2027 - Module 3. This module, titled “Kick-off Financing for Start-ups,” provides grants of up to €30,000 for Saxony-based start-ups. However, eligibility for the grant requires participation in a program funded under Modules 1 or 2 of the guideline. The R42 Games Accelerator met this criterion in August, becoming one of only three newly established start-up accelerators in Saxony. While participation in the accelerator program does not automatically guarantee funding, it qualifies start-ups for consideration.

"The start-up funding is a further accolade for our accelerator – and an important signal for the games industry as a whole," says Tom Potutschek, COO and co-founder of GECKO.2. The management consultancy GECKO.2 is the initiator of R42. "The new funding provides much-needed security for young companies in the initial phase and frees up resources for the development of innovative products."

"One requirement for receiving the funding is participation in our start-up program," says Christopher Siebenhüner, CEO and co-founder of GECKO.2. "As part of our start-up class, we then check whether the participating start-ups are suitable for the start-up funding."

The R42 Games Accelerator is an evolution of the R42 Start-up Bootcamp, which has supported 29 start-ups since its launch in 2022. It is also part of R42, a Leipzig-based building fully dedicated to the games industry.