The International Game Developers Association's Incubation Special Interest Group (IGDA Incubation SIG) is set to unveil a landmark study at this year’s Gamescom, offering the first comprehensive global snapshot of game incubation and accelerator programs. This pioneering census, compiled from the insights of 84 senior leaders and managers who run these initiatives across continents, aims to map the landscape of support structures that nurture fledgling studios and help them transition from concept to market.
The data collection process involved a detailed questionnaire sent to heads of incubation and acceleration schemes in North America, Europe, Asia‑Pacific, Africa and Latin America. Respondents provided information on program size, funding models, mentorship frameworks, selection criteria, success metrics, and the specific challenges they encounter.
By aggregating these responses, the IGDA Incubation SIG has produced a nuanced picture of how these entities operate, what resources they allocate, and how they measure impact. The findings will be presented for the first time during the SIG’s dedicated Gamescom meetup, providing industry stakeholders with unprecedented visibility into an ecosystem that has traditionally been fragmented and under‑documented.
"Incubators and accelerators have become essential engines of growth for the games sector, yet we have lacked a clear, data‑driven understanding of the ecosystem itself," explained Dr. Pedro Santoro Zambon, one of the study’s principal investigators. "Our census seeks to identify who is delivering these services, the methodologies they employ, and the obstacles they face, so that we can collectively strengthen the support network for emerging developers." The session will open with Chairperson Sho Sato, who will outline recent achievements of the SIG, including the launch of new mentorship guidelines and the establishment of a cross‑regional knowledge‑sharing platform.
Sato will also highlight upcoming initiatives aimed at standardizing best practices across incubators, fostering transparency, and encouraging data‑driven decision‑making. Following Sato’s remarks, Linn Søvig, who leads the European chapter of the SIG, will discuss the importance of international collaboration among developer‑support organisations.
Søvig will illustrate how partnerships between European incubators and their counterparts in other regions can facilitate talent exchange, joint funding opportunities, and shared curriculum development, ultimately creating a more cohesive global support system. A significant portion of the program will be devoted to diversity and inclusion. Vee Pendergrast, Industry Development Manager at New Zealand’s Centre of Digital Excellence, will share the Centre’s strategies for uplifting Indigenous creators and other under‑represented groups. Pendergrast will detail initiatives such as the CODE (Creative Opportunities for Development and Entrepreneurship) program, which partners with Māori and Pasifika developers to provide culturally relevant mentorship, funding pathways, and market access.
Her presentation will also explore how these approaches can be adapted by incubators worldwide to broaden participation and ensure that a wider array of voices contributes to the future of gaming. The final speaker, veteran industry advocate Jason Della Rocca, will introduce the concept of "inception publishing." This emerging model proposes that publishers work with studios from the earliest stages of development, offering not only capital but also strategic guidance on sustainable business practices, IP management, and long‑term growth.
Della Rocca will argue that such early‑stage collaboration can empower developers to retain creative control while building financially viable enterprises. Beyond the scheduled talks, the census release will be accompanied by a downloadable report, an interactive dashboard, and a series of follow‑up webinars designed to help incubators benchmark their performance against global peers.
Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions, share their own experiences, and contribute to an ongoing dialogue about how to refine support mechanisms for indie studios. Overall, the IGDA Incubation SIG’s census represents a crucial step toward demystifying the support infrastructure that underpins the indie game boom. By shedding light on the diversity of program models, funding structures, and operational challenges, the study equips policymakers, investors, and developers with the knowledge needed to make informed decisions, foster collaboration, and ultimately drive a more vibrant and inclusive games industry.