Coaching and Networking Kick-Off for Press Start Scholarship Holders

Many of the 132 scholarship holders of the Press Start programme gathered in Berlin on 9 February at the invitation of game and the Stiftung Digitale Spielkultur. This event provided an opportunity for them to meet for the first time and exchange ideas with their coaches.

With the selection process now complete, the programme itself is officially underway. During the coaching and networking event in Berlin, the majority of the 132 scholarship holders took the chance to connect with industry professionals, including Jens Bahr (Off The Beaten Track), Laura Kaltenmaier (KI-Garage), Ulrike Küchler (Gamebook Studio), Thomas Lilge (gamelab.berlin), Timo Maier (Serious Playscape), and Masiar Emanuel Nashat (Nashat Solutions).

The participants were welcomed by Nandita Wegehaupt, Managing Director of the Stiftung Digitale Spielkultur (Digital Game Culture Foundation), and Felix Falk, Managing Director of game – The German Games Industry Association.

"Thanks to funding from the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, 132 people are now a decisive step closer to establishing their own games studio. This benefits not only them but also strengthens the cultural impact of games in Germany," said Nandita Wegehaupt. Felix Falk added: "The kick-off event for the Games Start-Up Grant is not only the starting point for this unique programme, but the atmosphere also makes it something very special: over a hundred people are coming together here who want to achieve great things. They share the goal of building their own games company, growing it step by step, and creating innovative and exciting games."

The Press Start: Gründungsstipendium Games, was announced in October and introduces a new type of funding aimed particularly at young game developers starting their own businesses. Funded by Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media Claudia Roth, the programme received an unexpectedly high number of applications—over 1,000 for just 132 available spots. Over an 18-month period, grant recipients will receive a monthly stipend of €2,750 to support them during the start-up phase. In addition to financial aid, the programme includes training, networking opportunities, and coaching to help participants establish themselves in the industry.