Games Cohort Announced For Techscaler Japan

Scotland’s Games Industry Powers Up with Techscaler Japan Programme

Scotland’s games sector is set for a boost as eight of the country’s most promising games studios journey to Japan as part of the Techscaler Japan programme.

Following the success of Techscaler’s initiatives in San Francisco and Singapore, this new international programme will support Scottish games businesses to broaden their horizons, forge vital connections in new markets, and gain invaluable insights into the global games industry.

Japan holds a unique position in the games world, as one of the most pioneering, innovative, influential and successful games markets, Techscaler Japan offers a unique gateway for Scotland’s innovative games startups to immerse themselves in the dynamic Japanese industry. Over an intensive two-week period, participating companies will engage with key Japanese stakeholders, showcase their cutting-edge creations, and explore potential commercial partnerships.

Building Bridges Between Scotland and Japan

Techscaler Japan will act as a bridge between Scotland and Japan’s games ecosystems, fostering industry connections that could unlock game-changing opportunities for Scottish developers. The programme will provide founders with direct access to:

• Potential investors: to back groundbreaking gaming innovations.
• Industry leaders and competitors: offering crucial insights into market trends and effective strategies.
• Customers and commercial partners: facilitating the introduction of Scottish games to Japanese audiences.

During their time in Japan, the Scottish companies will be based at Tunnel Tokyo, a dynamic startup incubator operated by SEGA Sammy Group and Pegasus Ventures. This vibrant environment will serve as a hub for networking, knowledge sharing, and immersive industry engagement.

Scotland’s Games Talent At Expo 2025 Osaka

A major highlight of the programme will be a dedicated showcase at the Scottish Government’s gaming event during Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai. With an anticipated audience of over 28 million attendees, this event presents an unparalleled platform for games startups from Scotland to demonstrate their expertise, connect with key players in the Japanese market, and spotlight Scotland’s significant contribution to the global games ecosystem.

Scotland’s games and consumer industries event takes place on April 17th at the UK Pavilion. Techscaler partner Scottish Enterprise is providing support for the three Scottish events at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai. Further details can be found on SDI’s website.

Meet the Trailblazing Scottish Companies

Eight of Scotland’s leading gaming companies have been selected to participate in this exciting initiative:

• BearHammer Games (Glasgow)
• Konglomerate Games (Dundee)
• Buildstash (Glasgow)
• Yaldi Games (Edinburgh)
• Speech Graphics (Edinburgh)
• Blazing Griffin (Glasgow)
• Wardog Studios (Edinburgh)
• GLITCHERS (Edinburgh)

A Gateway to Global Success

For Scotland’s ambitious gaming startups, the Techscaler Japan programme represents far more than just a market visit; it’s a launchpad for global success. Techscaler Japan equips founders with the essential tools, invaluable insights, and powerful networks they need to expand their businesses beyond national borders.

This initiative also strongly aligns with the expansion of the TechScaler initiative within the Games Action Plan currently being developed by Scottish Games Network founder, Brian Baglow, which aims to provide dedicated and tailored support for the growth of Scotland’s games ecosystem.

During a visit to Blazing Griffin, Business Minister Richard Lochhead emphasised the importance of the programme:

Japan is synonymous with gaming technology and, with a market valued at around $50 billion, it offers phenomenal economic opportunities for our own, hugely talented Scottish sector.

Techscaler is about helping entrepreneurs unleash their ability to innovate, spearheading Scotland’s presence in expanding new markets.

Techscaler Japan will present some of our most exciting gaming start-ups with considerable opportunities to unlock further investment, develop new commercial partnerships and drive and showcase their businesses on a global stage.

Justin Alae-Carew, Co-Head of Games at Blazing Griffin, highlighted the significance of the programme for his company:

We’re incredibly excited to take part in Techscaler’s market visit to Japan. Japan is not only an incredible consumer and producer of games, but also home to a fantastic array of multi-media intellectual property (IP). We see huge opportunity in exploring cross-border partnerships with a specific focus on IP – either Japanese IP coming to the West or Western IP gaining foothold in Japan.

The multi-media lens by which Japan views IP is also something for us to learn from and given our capabilities across film and games at Blazing Griffin, we’re uniquely positioned to take advantage of the opportunities raised by that approach.

Ruth Oliver, Head of Client Accounts at CodeBase, delivery partner of Techscaler, added:

The companies selected to join the first Japan cohort represent some of Scotland’s most exciting and promising companies from the gaming sector, and while some are further down the commercial path than others, what they all have in common is a global mindset.

With the opportunity to make valuable industry connections and gain insights and learnings, the programme offers the companies a golden chance to win customers and take their business to the next level in one of the world’s most dynamic and important markets.

Looking to the Future

Techscaler’s commitment to driving Scotland’s gaming sector forward is growing. By fostering international partnerships and empowering founders to achieve new levels of success, Techscaler is playing a crucial role in positioning Scotland as a key player in the global games industry.

The Scottish Games Network eagerly anticipates the positive impact of Techscaler Japan on these talented startups and the wider Scottish gaming community. We’ll be following the journey closely – and try to bring you updates, founder insights, and key takeaways from this transformative programme.

For those interested in future Techscaler international programmes, sign up now to become a TechScaler member.