decrypt.co
The initiative is backed by venture capital firms including Pantera, Spartan Capital, Sfermion, and others, who have pledged to collectively invest up to $50 million in selected studios.
Helika—which has worked with such publishers as gaming giant Ubisoft and Bored Ape Yacht Club maker Yuga Labs—will provide guidance in tokenomics, chain selection, data analytics, and marketing. It will also give studios access to its AI game management platform providing insights into user behavior, NFT performance, and social media analytics.
“The goal of the initiative is to address the common challenges faced by game developers, such as access to capital and strategic industry contacts, which can impede their ability to bring new and exciting games to market quickly,” Helika co-founder and CEO Anton Umnov told Decrypt’s GG. “Founders depend on so many things to go right in order to build games that people love.”
Umnov added that the accelerator program’s launch “is not timed to coincide with market trends like a bull run,” but rather “reflects a long-term commitment to the gaming industry” as the company grows. It also follows a recent $8 million Series A funding round for Helika.
Helika Accelerate will focus on “earlier-stage studios” that have already raised some funding, he said, and are deep into building functional games and need help with in-game economics. The company’s AI-driven analytics tools use data on player behavior and desires to help inform marketing campaigns and game design alike.
While the announcement prominently notes the focus on crypto games, Umnov said that Helika Accelerate will also work with studios developing traditional video games, as well.
Editor’s note: This article was written with the assistance of AI. Edited and fact-checked by Andrew Hayward.