GREAT INDOORS. MEET GREAT OUTDOORS.
What
Featuring talent from down the street and around the world, Game Invest West will bring together startups and their founding teams with the investors, publishers, licensing partners and corporate funds that are looking to move into this exciting and unique industry.
When
October 23rd & 24th, 2024
Why
Right now, the global game industry is entering what will be a rocket-powered rebuilding phase… and some of the best new prospects will be founded here in the Western Canada. Game Invest West is the first major investment conference specifically focused on the game industry in this region.
Speakers
Where
The Game Invest West summit is taking place as part of this year’s Banff Venture Forum. This epic new event will go down in an equally epic setting: the amazing mountains of Banff, Alberta.
Accommodation will be at the industry-acclaimed Banff Centre. Nestled on the side of Tunnel Mountain and just five minutes from downtown, the Banff Centre hotel features newly renovated rooms and (truly) breathtaking vistas.
How
To find out more, send us your information and we’ll get you the details. Spaces at the conference will be limited, but if you belong there we will bend over backwards to make it happen.
In collaboration with the Federal and Provincial Governments, the Scaffold Institute is working to double the number of game studios in Alberta, building a new, dynamic industry. The profiles of our studios span the following:
%
Solopreneurs
%
Indie Studios
%
Established Studios
On the main stage, the top four companies from the Scaffold venture acceleration studio will pitch to a panel of industry experts in front of an audience of dozens of leading Western Canadian investors.
These pitches will take place at the Banff Centre at 1:15 pm MST on October 23rd. The following Scaffold Institute members are scheduled to pitch:
Praetorian Studios
VR Cave
Studio Monsoon
Thousand Hour Games
Other Sessions
Licensing Pitch Panel
Be there as some of the leading consumer brands hear pitches from game studios helping them connect with digital audiences.
Alternate Financing Workshop
Does Kickstarter and other crowdfunding platforms work as a financing solution for the game industry? Find out at the spinout session.
Corporate Speed-Dating
You can’t be investible unless you lock in that value at the earliest stage. Connect with our partners and build relationships.
Networking Arcade
See the best games being launched by the best studios in Alberta in a throwback retro arcade environment.
Who
John Polson
Director Of Business Development
Tencent Americas
John Polson has worked in games for over 15 years. Currently, John is in charge of gaming investments and partnerships in West Canada and Pacific Northwest at Tencent. Prior to that, he built Humble Bundle’s publishing arm and its award-winning portfolio, which went on to become a Top 10 Metacritic publisher for 3 years until my departure in 2022. Earlier in his career, John worked at Nintendo as an account manager and Indie Fund as a game scout. John is therefore knowledgeable in a wide range of go-to-market strategies, project financing, and equity investment for studios in any point in their life cycle.
Aretha Greatrix
Streamer / Indigenous Storyteller
Aretha Greatrix (aka SimplyAretha) is a member of Kashetchewan First Nation, ON, but she was born and raised in Edmonton, AB. She has an Applied Degree in Communications in Professional Writing from MacEwan University (2018) and an M.A. in Communication and Technology from the University of Alberta (2023).
Aretha is an Indigenous storyteller and content creator. She is the Owner and Executive Producer of Ready Up Productions Inc. She produced documentaries on residential schools, reconciliation, and the sixties scoop – she is a storyteller and uses her work to explore and educate people on Indigenous issues. Aretha’s journey into the streaming and gaming industry started during the pandemic when she began streaming on Twitch and advocating for Indigenous representation in gaming and streaming. Aretha is a part-time streamer and content creator on Twitch, TikTok, YouTube, and Noice platforms.
Aretha also works as a Program Director for the Dreamspeakers Festival Society, coordinating the annual Dreampeaksers International Indigenous Film Festival, Canada’s oldest and longest-running Indigenous film festival.
Aretha is passionate about advocating for Indigenous representation in all media and has used all her platforms to speak up and create space for Indigenous creators. She is a community manager for The Four Directions and all Indigenous Stream Team, a leader and creator of the Indigenous Alliance on Twitch, and works with Twitch Guilds and Staff to uplift Indigenous voices. Aretha is also a member of The Twitch Women’s Guild and Twitch Pride Guild.
Joshua Nilson
Angel Investor
Maskwa Investments
Joshua Nilson, Metis and from Willow River, BC, founded Maskwa Investments to focus on early-stage seed funding and advisement, particularly for Indigenous tech businesses. Previously, he co-founded East Side Games (ESG), which produced popular mobile games like Trailer Park Boys, The Office, and RuPaul’s Drag Race Superstar. With over two decades of tech experience, Joshua has been named one of BC’s most influential business leaders in the BC500 for three consecutive years and was awarded BC Tech’s Person of the Year in 2022. When not shaping the tech world, he’s always happy to stop for a pug!
William Su
Gaming Lawyer and eSports Consultant
Lawyer, Esports Consultant, and retired pro-gamer, William has helped individuals and businesses through almost every array of legal issues under the sun startups will face. Specializing in the games industry, with added expertise to corporate law, intellectual property, and financing, he has now blended together his legal skills and passion from his pro-gamer days to supporting startups and entrepreneurs in navigating the digital age of law as well as aiding the development of Collegiate Esports projects in North America.
Stewart Guenther
Managing Director
Viaduct Ventures
Stewart Guenther is a seasoned venture coach and mentor with extensive experience in developing and analyzing business opportunities, as well as creating effective revenue-generating strategies across diverse technology sectors globally. As an engaging speaker and recognized authority on venture capital and early-stage corporate development, he has cultivated extensive contacts in VC, government labs, and industry sectors. Stewart currently serves as the Managing Partner at vc-pert, bridging Silicon Valley insights with international entrepreneurship and innovation. Additionally, he is a Managing Director at Viaduct Ventures, focusing on early-stage investments in Big Data, AI, and IoT sectors that offer meaningful market disruptions.
Tyler Sigman
Co-Founder and Game Design Director of Red Hook Studios
Tyler Sigman, Co-Founder and Game Design Director of Red Hook Studios, recently acquired by Behaviour Interactive, is a veteran game designer known for his work on the acclaimed Darkest Dungeon series. With over two decades of experience, he has led the design and production of award-winning titles across various platforms, including Age of Empires: The Age of Kings, HOARD, and Nitro. As a consultant at Stratecade LLC, Tyler advises on both game design and business strategies.
Henrik Jonsson
ex-Amplifier Group Veteran / Radgivery
Henrik Jonsson, ex-Amplifier Group veteran, is a seasoned expert in the gaming industry with over 23 years of experience as a Games and Graphics Programmer and 5 years as an Executive Producer and Senior Acquisition Scout. His work at Amplifier Game Invest, where he led New Frontiers and scouted innovative studios, has fueled his passion for empowering others to bring their gaming visions to life. Now, as the founder of RADGIVERY, a Game Industry Growth Consultancy, Henrik is focused on helping emerging teams achieve their dreams by creating groundbreaking experiences.
Stephen Wu
RBC Wealth
Stephen runs a wealth practice with his team downtown in Calgary under RBC Dominion Securities. For over a decade, Stephen has worked with entrepreneurs and professionals to help them reach their unique financial goals. He currently acts as his clients’ Chief Financial Officer with a family office approach to cover all their financial needs.
Stephen’s ikigai and passions are finance, gaming, and charitable giving. His next venture is to combine those passions into an esports tournament in Calgary. Aside from work and when he has the time, Stephen enjoys playing MOBAs and was a Mobile Legends Canada-ranked player.
Michael Liebe
Kickstarter Outreach Games EU
Michael Liebe is CEO and founder of Booster Space, the company behind games week Berlin, QUO VADIS conference, Gamefest, VR NOW Con & Awards, Womenize! and many other events driving to connect business, technology and culture of games, VR and other media. In the times before Booster Space, he was Advisor – New Media at the Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg and responsible for marketing and networking for the German capital region.
Isaac Otway
CEO of Crimson Herring
Isaac Otway is the Chief Executive Officer and founder of Crimson Herring Studios, a narrative-focused video game developer and publisher. With over two decades of leadership experience, Isaac has built a global team and established two offices in Canada, leading the studio to the upcoming release of its debut game, Sovereign Syndicate, in 2024. Known for his strategic vision and collaborative leadership, Isaac excels at aligning talent, capital, and technology to meet market demands, while fostering a supportive environment that drives innovation and organizational growth.
© 2024 Game Invest West
All Rights Reserved