Scottish Government Boosts EDGE Fund in Major Opportunity for Games Startups

The Scottish Government has announced increased support for Scottish EDGE, the country’s leading business funding competition, in a move that presents a significant opportunity for Scotland’s next generation of game developers and studios.

The new £3.6 million of support will see additional funding injected into the prestigious competition over the next three years, offering prizes of up to £100,000 to innovative, early-stage businesses with high-growth potential.

Scottish EDGE has a long and successful history of supporting hundreds of new ventures, but has historically seen fewer applications from the games sector compared to other tech and creative industries. This new boost in support from the Scottish Government is a clear signal of the value placed on innovation and provides a perfect moment for games companies to step forward and seize the opportunity.

A growing number of pioneering games companies have already proven that the sector can and does succeed at EDGE. Recent winners who have benefited from the competition’s significant prize money and expert support include Glitchers, War Dog Studios, GLITCHERS, Haggis Games, Theria Studios, Yaldi Games, and 532 Design, demonstrating a clear path to success for their peers.

The success of these studios highlights the immense potential within the Scottish games ecosystem. Their victories have not only provided them with crucial, non-dilutive funding but also with invaluable mentorship, networking opportunities, and a raised profile that is essential for growth.

The Scottish Games Network strongly encourages all early-stage games companies, startups, and solo developers to seriously consider applying for the next round of Scottish EDGE. The competition provides a unique platform to test your business case, refine your pitch, and access the capital needed to turn a great game idea into a sustainable business.

This increased support is a fantastic development for Scotland’s entire startup ecosystem. Let’s ensure the games industry is at the forefront, showcasing its creativity, innovation, and global ambition.

To find out more about the competition and how to apply, visit the official Scottish EDGE website.

#funding #games #scotland #ScottishEdge #scottishGovernment

Haggis Studios, GLITCHERS, and Theria Games Win at Scottish EDGE Round 25

Scotland’s games industry received a boost last week as three innovative businesses – Haggis Studios, Glitchers, and Theria Games Ltd – were announced as winners in the highly competitive Scottish EDGE Round 25 awards. The results, unveiled at a ceremony on May 29th, 2025, saw a total of £1.2 million in grant and loan funding distributed to some of Scotland’s most promising early-stage businesses.

Scottish EDGE, the UK’s biggest funding competition for startups, once again highlighted the dynamism and entrepreneurial spirit thriving across various sectors in Scotland, with the games industry making an increasingly strong showing. This round saw 42 businesses from 19 different local authority areas emerge victorious, each securing vital funding to help scale their operations and realise their ambitious plans.

The Scottish EDGE Round 25 Winning Games Businesses Are:

• Haggis Goes Wild Studios, an Edinburgh-based company, impressed the judges with their innovative approach to game development, securing £15,000 in the Wild Card category for pre-trading companies.
• Glitchers, also based in Edinburgh and known for their impactful games, received £75,000 to further their work on ‘A Fitbit for your brain: a mobile game that tracks cognitive performance to detect issues earlier, starting with Alzheimer’s dementia. Following the studio’s groundbreaking work on Sea Hero Quest.
• Theria Games Ltd, from Stonehouse, a mobile gaming hub and resource, was awarded £10,000, for their work across guides, wikis and how-to’s for the leading mobile games titles.

This follows the news that Edinburgh’s Wardog Studios secured £75,000 in round 24 of Scottish EDGE to begin work on the studio’s first original IP project.

Scotland’s Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said:

Scottish EDGE has played a central role in supporting emerging entrepreneurial talent and innovative business ideas for many years and I am proud that the Scottish Government continues to be long standing partner of the awards.

I am also pleased that a growing number of businesses and private investors are supporting the vision behind Scottish EDGE. Scotland’s entrepreneurs and start-up businesses are the lifeblood of our economy and we must do all we can to encourage and foster the incredible talent and innovation in evidence right across the country.

Evelyn McDonald, CEO of Scottish EDGE, echoed this sentiment, commenting:

Reaching our 25th round is a true testament to the resilience, ambition and creativity of Scotland’s entrepreneurial community. With every round, we continue to see businesses not just innovating, but actively contributing to a better future, whether it’s through sustainability, social impact, or cutting-edge technology. We’re incredibly proud to support them on their journeys and excited to see what the future holds for this new group of winners.

The Scottish Games Network extends its warmest congratulations to Haggis Studios, Glitchers, and Theria Games Ltd, and indeed to all the winners of Scottish EDGE Round 25. This recognition and support are invaluable, particularly for creative tech businesses, and underscore the potential for Scottish games companies to make a significant impact both nationally and internationally.

The next round of Scottish EDGE, Round 26, is anticipated to open for applications in July 2025, offering further opportunities for Scotland’s burgeoning games startups.

#games #Glitchers #HaggisStudios #scotland #ScottishEdge #TheriaGamesLtd_

Scottish EDGE Round 25 Opens with £1.5 Million Prize Pot

Scottish EDGE Round 25 is now open, with a £1.5 million prize pot open to early-stage Scottish businesses. Applications are open until 14:00 on Thursday, 27th February 2025.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYpCItz1vxE

The big news for this round is the introduction of the Mission EDGE special category award, which has funding up to £150,000. This award, provided by Scottish Enterprise, is aimed at Scottish EDGE applicants who best align with Scottish Enterprise’s three missions: creating an internationally competitive energy transition industry, scaling the impact of Scotland’s innovation strengths, and driving capital investment to boost productivity.

Categories for Scottish Games Companies

The competition includes categories open to the games industry, such as the Scottish EDGE main competition – with awards up to £100,000 – and the Young EDGE category for young entrepreneurs – with awards up to £15,000.

These categories could provide crucial funding for Scottish games companies looking to scale up and grow.

In Round 24 Edinburgh-based Wardog was awarded £75,000 enabling the studio to begin work on its first original intellectual property (IP) game.

Better yet, the Scottish EDGE application process is reasonably similar to the UK Games Fund, meaning those three-minute videos could potentially be used for both…

Additional Support and Information

For anyone still unsure, the Scottish EDGE team is hosting an online support workshop on Wednesday, 12th February at 10:00 to provide advice and guidance on the application process. Further support, including a competition brochure and application template, is available on the Scottish EDGE website.

Scottish EDGE WANTS Games

Games companies across Scotland are encouraged to explore the Scottish EDGE opportunity and get an application in before the deadline.

With a significant prize pot and a range of support available, Scottish EDGE Round 25 could be a game-changer (sorry) for emerging businesses across the Scottish games ecosystem.

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Wardog Studios Wins £75K Scottish EDGE Award

Wardog Studios secured a significant win at the Scottish EDGE Round 24 Awards. The studio received £75,000 in the Creative EDGE category, which will enable the studio to begin work on its first original intellectual property (IP).

The Scottish EDGE Awards is an ongoing competition which recognises and rewards Scotland’s most promising businesses. This year, 37 winners across various categories shared a total prize pool of £1.5 million.

Since it was established in 2019, Edinburgh-based Wardog has established an international reputation as one of the world’s leading co-development and art studios, working with some of the biggest AAA titles in the world, including: Call of Duty (Black Ops 6, Modern Warfare 3, Warzone 2.0), Starfield, Hunt Showdown, Spectre Divide, Killing Floor III and Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds.

The Creative EDGE funding will enable the studio to develop its own unique IP. This represents a significant step forward for the studio, allowing it to leverage its expertise and build a new brand within the industry.

Wardog’s success highlights the growing recognition of Scotland’s video game development sector and highlights its potential when looking beyond the limited range of games-exclusive funding options.

Announcing the win on LinkedIn, Wardog CEO, Jade Law, said:

I’m really proud of everything I have achieved with Wardog Studios, but it has been five years since founding the studio and like most entrepreneurs I recognise I’m ready for the next stage in my grand ambitions.

Reflecting on entering the competition, Jade added:

Not many games studios apply for Scottish Edge, I wasnt sure if we really fit the criteria. The whole process is worth doing though, as it makes you really reflect on not only your businesses success and objectives, but your own as an entrepreneur.
I’m really grateful to the Scottish Edge team for having faith in me and my business.

At 18 years in the industry, I’m finally going to make my own game.

Scottish Edge Round 24

The Round 24 awards ceremony took place in the Royal Bank of Scotland Conference Centre in Gogarburn, Edinburgh, and united forward-thinking entrepreneurs from across the country.

Tom Arthur MSP, Minister for Employment & Investment, delivered an opening speech celebrating the awards’ significance for Scotland’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Veteran awards categories returned for the 24th round, with the £75,000 Scale EDGE Award, supported by Royal Bank of Scotland, going to international football fan experience disrupter, Triptix Ltd. Meanwhile, MedTech-focused ventures MedAscend and SimPat were among those victorious in the Scottish Enterprise supported Young EDGE category, which offers grant awards for companies whose founders are under the age of 30, as the top £15,000 winners. Those successful in Wild Card, which provides a grant to pre-trading businesses, included Seaweed Services, who received the category’s Ailsa Reliability Solutions supported £10,000 award.

The STV supported award of £70,000 plus £75,000 worth of ad airtime was given to sustainable bedding brand, Ava Innes, while Gut Wealth emerged as winner of the Scottish Government backed Pathways category, winning £100,000 for an innovative bacteria-based digestive health supplement.

Round 24 also saw the return of the £70,000 Circular Economy EDGE Award, which is supported by Zero Waste Scotland, and went to The Bettii Pod Ltd for its world’s first, free to use menstrual cup and disc washer plumbed into the cubicles of away-from-home toilets. Pride Outside, who educate and empower workplaces to achieve their inclusion ambitions, won £75,000 in the Social Enterprise category, supported by the Postcode Innovation Trust.

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#edinburgh #funding #games #scotland #ScottishEdge