Supercell offers African game studios grants worth up to $200,00

Supercell, the Finnish game company behind Clash of Clans, Hay Day, and Clash Royale, has opened applications for its first Developer Grants Program, offering equity-free funding of between $20,000 and $200,000 to African game development studios. 

The programme is designed to help legally registered game studios build sustainable businesses, strengthen an emerging games ecosystem, and grow alongside the teams building the next generation of games, according to the company. 

Supercell will select three to five studios for the inaugural cohort. Applications close on August 9, shortlisted studios will be notified in October, and funding is expected to begin in December.  

Africa’s gaming ecosystem is expanding, with more studios entering the sector, yet access to early-stage funding remains one of the industry’s biggest constraints. Several initiatives have been recently launched to boost funding in the ecosystem, including Google Play’s $1 million equity-free fund for independent game studios across 32 African countries.

“Africa is one of the most vibrant creative regions in the world. The ideas, the stories, the talent emerging from Africa will help shape the future of global gaming,” Ilkka Paananen, CEO and cofounder of Supercell, said in a video message at the MaliyoCon gaming conference in December 2025. “Our investment in Africa is both commercial and social. We are backing ambitious developers and committing to the continent’s long-term future.” 

The grants are open to studios whose primary operations and most of their teams are based in Africa. Although a studio with a holding company registered outside the continent can still apply, provided it discloses its legal structure. According to Supercell, studios can submit more than one game as part of their portfolio, but must identify a single one as the primary focus of the funding request.  

Previous investment, grants, or accelerator programs participation will not affect eligibility, and the company noted that it welcomes applicants across all platforms and business models.

The grants are non-dilutive, meaning Supercell will not take equity or ownership in participating studios or their intellectual property. The game company noted that funding could be used across a range of development needs, including salaries, contractors, engineering, art and design, software, quality assurance, marketing, live operations and other costs that help studios reach their next stage of growth.

“At Supercell, we believe the best teams make the best games,” the company said in its announcement. “Some of the most exciting creative energy and distinctive cultural narratives today are emerging from Africa, and we believe this talent will help shape the future of global gaming.”

Eligible studios can apply through the portal with their pitch decks, gameplay trailers, links to previous games, and a funding plan.

According to Supercell, applications will be evaluated based on the strength of the team, the quality and originality of the game’s creative vision, evidence of player engagement, the studio’s potential to build a sustainable business and contribute to Africa’s gaming ecosystem, and a clear plan for how the funding will accelerate its growth.

The company first signalled its plans months before applications opened, at MaliyoCon in Lagos, where Deborah Mensah-Bonsu, global social impact lead at Supercell, told the room of the grants even as the company was still working out the criteria. 

“We believe there are incredible teams here on the continent that we want to support. We believe in the future of this ecosystem, and so we’re really excited to partner,” she said. “It (the grant) is really about trying to catalyse and accelerate some of the studios on the continent.”

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