Narwhal Accelerator launches to support game dev startups

Veterans of Xsolla and MyGames Venture Capital (MGVC) today announced the launch of a Narwhal Accelerator. This new accelerator aims to connect up-and-coming gaming companies and startups to support, resources and investment funding.

Dmitrii Filatov, formerly Xsolla’s funding lead and MGVC’s executive producer; and Grigory Bortnik, former MGVC investment associate and investment director at Owlcat Games are leading Narwhal Accelerator. They’re joined by Ilya Karpinskiy, cofounder of Owlcat Games and general partner in The Games Fund.

According to the founders, Narwhal’s purpose is to provide support services to gaming startups. Their support package offers up to $100,000 in capital financing and another $100,000 for services such as “legal, HR, talent acquisition, and legal entity establishment.” It can also support connections between studios in its roster and investors and publishers. According to Narwhal’s website, the initiative asks for a small stake of company shares in return.

Filatov said in a statement, “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.”

With regards to what studios Narwhal will work with, Bortnik added, “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.”