OGR Torino, 34BigThings and Microsoft present:
Quickload powered by OGR Torino, the first 4.0 acceleration program for European startups made in Italy
Microsoft ID@Xbox to support the program with 100,000 US dollars to fund gaming related projects
Applications open from 30 July 2021 on quickload.dev
July 29, 2021, Turin, IT - OGR Torino, 34BigThings and Microsoft launch Quickload powered by OGR Torino, the first 4.0 acceleration program devoted to European startups in the gaming industry. OGR Torino, 34BigThings and Microsoft, with ID@Xbox (its program dedicated to independent developers) and Microsoft for Startups, are the three leading companies in their fields that are joining forces to promote innovation and support new talent in the implementation of projects related to gaming. The investor partners of the project include; Digital Magics, dpixel and Sellalab.
In 2020, the videogame market, as highlighted by the IIDEA report "Videogames in Italy in 2020", generated a turnover of 2.1 billion euros, recording a significant growth of 21.9% compared to 2019, demonstrating the importance of this industry in Italy and highlighting the need to support home-grown talent.
Quickload powered by OGR Torino program is open to European startups and development ideas both in entertainment and serious gaming sectors. Successful applicants will be provided with mentorship, tools and resources to support the development of their business or creative projects. Applications will be open from 30 July until 20 September 2021 through the official website of Quickload powered by OGR Torino (http://quickload.dev/).
An international commission of nominated experts composed by OGR Torino, 34BigThings and Microsoft, will select the startups that will take part in the program. The official announcement of the participants will take place in November in a dedicated event.
In order to concretely support the most creative and successful ideas in the entertainment sector, a grant of $100,000 USD will be allocated and distributed from the Microsoft global program ID@Xbox.
The program, starting on 6 December 2021, will last 6 months and will end on 27 May 2022.
The best startups will be given the opportunity to continue their path for a further 6 months at OGR Tech, the innovation hub and networking space of OGR Torino. Moreover, the best serious and business game startups could be selected for the access to Microsoft for Startups: the global program from Microsoft with a customized set of offerings and resources, that evolve with the startup from idea to completion.
Quickload powered by OGR Torino actively contributes to position Turin as a city focused on innovation and digital technologies, supporting the best international talents in a transversal and high potential industry.
"Today, we are very proud to announce the Quickload powered by OGR Torino acceleration program." - said Massimo Lapucci, CEO of OGR Torino. "OGR Torino – through the OGR Tech business community – has believed in the gaming industry since the beginning. With this new endeavor, we expect to intensify our presence in Europe in high-growth areas, thus confirming OGR’s mission as a hub for business acceleration and innovation at the service of our country. The path joins seven other innovation programs already active at OGR Tech, and further strengthens our partnership with Microsoft and the Turin-based 34BigThings, with the aim of highlighting and attracting talents, fostering entrepreneurial culture and creating partnerships with other key global players."
"One of Quickload's goals is to help new talents develop their business idea in the gaming field, be it a video game, a demo or the pillar of a new entrepreneurial culture", commented Valerio Di Donato, CEO of 34BigThings, "To be selected it will be crucial to have an incisive and potentially good idea, but also the professional and personal skills suitable to face such a challenging growth path, full of great satisfaction."
Guy Richards, Senior Strategic Partner Manager for ID@Xbox in EMEA said: “Since its inception, the ID@Xbox team has worked with developers to launch more than 2,000 titles, and there are now over 3,000 studios creating games via the ID@Xbox program and many of these titles and developers have brought innovations that are helping advance the future of our industry. We’re committed to enabling independent developers to create innovative games and the Quickload program is an excellent opportunity for gaming start ups in Italy to gain some extra support and expertise as they embark on their own journeys. The ID@Xbox team is excited and proud to be part of this project alongside OGR Torino and 34BigThings and we can’t wait to meet the successful applicants later this year.”
About OGR Torino
OGR Torino is an international hub of 35,000 square meters in the heart of Turin, dedicated to contemporary culture, innovation and business acceleration. In its OGR Tech spaces it sets up a whole growth and innovation community where applied research, startups and scaleups, SMEs and large corporations meet in a creative and dynamic environment, a network in dialogue with business excellence on an international scale. Since 2017, open and inclusive space, OGR Torino welcomes visitors with site-specific art exhibitions, musical events and projects developed with international partners. A constantly renewing hub that invites everyone to discover it.
About 34BigThings
Est. in 2013, 34BigThings is a leading Italian developer for premium games across PC, console, and mobile devices which uses cutting-edge technology to create innovative genre-leading games that receive critical acclaim and capture the imagination of gamers around the world. The studio has released over 10 premium games topping charts on most gaming platforms. 34BigThings joined Saber Interactive in November 2020.
About Microsoft
Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.