The 'Press Start' games scholarship has sparked a wave of start-ups in Germany. Its 132 recipients have founded 75 new games studios. This 100 per cent start-up rate highlights the success of this funding instrument for companies in the games industry.
Thanks to the 'Press Start: Start-up Grant for Games', the German games industry has grown by 75 companies. All of the grant recipients successfully established their studios at the beginning of the year. The 132 grant recipients are spread across 75 studios. Of these, 64 were founded during the active grant period in 2025, while 11 had already completed the formal start-up process before the grant began.
"The incredible start-up rate of 100 per cent highlights the exceptional success of 'Press Start' and demonstrates the effectiveness of a targeted programme for promoting start-ups in the games industry," says Felix Falk, Managing Director, game – the German Games Industry Association. "The programme's approach of providing ambitious game developers with the resources and expertise they need to advance entrepreneurially and take the leap into starting their own businesses is proving highly successful. This is where the next generation of the games industry is being created. It also sends an important signal to the federal government that this pioneering programme is paying off and should definitely be continued in order to promote Germany as a location for the games industry in the long term."
Nandita Wegehaupt, Managing Director of Stiftung Digitale Spielekultur (Digital Game Culture Foundation), adds: "'Press Start' shows that you can learn how to start a business! In addition to our education and networking programme, the scholarship recipients found the personal mentoring provided by industry professionals to be a valuable asset for their start-up projects. The fact that they have all now taken the courageous step of starting their own businesses proves that young creative talent benefits greatly from the experience of seasoned industry experts. It is also inspiring to see how many industry professionals are taking responsibility for the next generation."
The 'Press Start: Start-up Grant for Games' is organised and implemented by Stiftung Digitale Spielekultur (Digital Game Culture Foundation), in cooperation with game, the German Games Industry Association. The foundation is responsible for the scholarship's educational and networking programmes. The scholarship is funded by the German federal government. Press Start offers game developers financial and technical support, enabling them to focus on the start-up phase of their studio and advance the development of their own games. The programme aims to strengthen the diversity of the games landscape in Germany.
