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
Vivid Helix
Wayfinder
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.
IP Protection Workshop
You can’t be investible unless you lock in that value at the earliest stage. Hear about relevant strategies and tactics that guide that process.
Networking Arcade
See the best games being launched by the best studios in Alberta in a throwback retro arcade environment.
Who
Joshua Nilson
Founder
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!
Stewart Guenther
Viaduct Ventures
Managing Director
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
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.
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.
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