Bright Gambit, an indie initiative with the goal of helping developers create and ship their game, is delighted to launch the Bright Gambit Microfund in partnership with Games Industry Africa (GIA).
The Microfund aims to help indie game creators get over that notoriously hard finish line, with mentorship from industry experts and a funding amount of up to $10k per game.
This is a worldwide initiative, open to everyone, but will prioritise projects for which the amount can make a significant difference. This is a permanently open fund that can support up to 10 teams or solo devs every year.
In order to apply, you must have been working on a game, have a playable build and you need to be committed to finishing it and bringing it to market.
Besides funding, the Microfund’s aim is to help indie game creators to get market experience and to become sustainable, and every dev receiving support will also have access to mentorship. This is also why the funding amount is recoupable at a very friendly rate after launch, so that the developer gets revenue from day one.
Although Bright Gambit supports a wide variety of other projects with financial backing or services, the Microfund is a commitment to bring to life more games from smaller teams, by offering not only funding but also industry support from experts in various fields. The goal is to support game development outside of industry hubs, by offering a supportive environment to game creators who wouldn’t otherwise have a chance to bring their games to life.
The Microfund is supported and done in partnership with Games Industry Africa,
Bright Gambit is a Swedish service provider and project funding initiative working with teams all over the world in a results oriented approach, without asking for equity in companies or publishing rights.
Games Industry Africa (GIA) was founded in 2019 and is a media platform that is the primary source of news, reports, analytics as well as events on the African games industry.
You can apply here: Let’s talk – Bright Gambit – An investment initiative
Microfund FAQs (a living document)
What type of fund is this?
The Microfund is not a grant, but a small advance towards the completion of a gaming project. That means the fund is recoupable.
Who are Bright Gambit and GIA?
Bright Gambit is a small investment initiative started in 2021 and comprising industry veterans that joined forces to support independent developers fund and release their respective projects. Beyond funding, mentoring and advise if provided.
Whilst GIA which means Games Industry Africa has existed since 2019 and apart from being a platform that spotlights the African games industry, also hosts events, celebrates the creators on the continent with awards as well as also launched a small fund in 2021.
Who can apply to the fund?
Anyone with a company and is actively working on a game for commercial release. Whilst it doesn’t matter where in the world you are, we are particularly keen to find and review applications from developers in underserved regions such as Africa, India, Ukraine, Turkey, Southeast Asia and Latin America.
I have a registered gaming company on the side, but also have a full-time job, does that disqualify me and/or my team?
Not at all. You can still apply.
I’m based out of Nigeria or South Africa or the Philippines, is it ok if I apply and have my budget reflective of my local currency?
It would be helpful if all applications were made in dollars so there is a feeling of uniformity across the board but applying in local currency will not disqualify your application.
Is there any specific platform you focus on or can any platform specific developer apply?
We are open to applications for all platforms, but are not looking for anything Crypto, Blockchain, Web3 or NFT related.
What should a typical pitch deck include?
Whilst it largely depends on the stage your game is at it should include some basic elements:
- Game description
- Game references and an elevator pitch (E.G. Our game is
- History of the team and its structure
- Any game design concepts or ideas (ideally broken down into mechanics, art, etc
- Game engine and how it complements your game
- Including assets from the game or concept art goes a long way
- If you have a build, please share that. It doesn’t matter how early it may be. We are used to reviewing and working with games at early stages of development.
- Basically, any and everything that helps you communicate what makes your game unique, why it makes sense for your chosen platform(s) and why you are the best person(s) to develop it
How long is this fund open for?
From the moment the news goes public (which if you are reading this, it has), to the moment we close applications, one can apply or year-round and we will do what we can to respond to each application as soon as we can.
How long does it typically take from application to funds in my account?
Whilst this is a case-by-case basis dependent on where you are based, the project and a host of things that might be outside our control., we typically endeavour to have reviewed pitches over a two-to-three-week period and responded shortly after that. So, give or take a few days, we are looking at a maximum of a month.
Where will recipients to the fund be announced?
They will likely be on the Bright Gambit and GIA websites unless stated otherwise.
How often will recipients be announced?
This is a new concept, so we aren’t sure, but we hope to have a quarterly cadence of announcements or bi-annually at the latest.
Sounds great. Where can I apply?
You can do so via the link below. We wish you the best of luck and are excitedly to see what amazing projects you are working on.
Got additional questions? The join the GIA Discord for answers and support.
February 23, 2023 4:09 am
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