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…