Finnish mobile gaming giant Supercell has opened applications for its inaugural Developer Grants Program, offering legally registered African game development studios between $20,000 and $200,000 in non-dilutive funding to build sustainable businesses.
Supercell, the studio behind global mobile hits like Clash of Clans, Hay Day, and Clash Royale, plans to select three to five studios for its first cohort. Because the grants are equity-free, participating developers will retain full ownership of their companies and intellectual property. The capital can be deployed flexibly across essential operational needs, including salaries, engineering, art and design, software, marketing, and live operations.
To qualify, studios must have their primary operations and the majority of their teams based in Africa, though holding companies registered outside the continent are permitted if their legal structures are fully disclosed. Interested developers may submit multiple games within their portfolios but must nominate a single project as the primary focus of their funding request.
Ilkka Paananen, CEO and co-founder of Supercell, in a video address recorded for the MaliyoCon gaming conference, stated that;
”Africa is one of the most vibrant creative regions in the world. The ideas, the stories, the talent emerging from Africa will help shape the future of global gaming…Our investment in Africa is both commercial and social. We are backing ambitious developers and committing to the continent’s long-term future” – Paananen
Deborah Mensah-Bonsu, global social impact lead at Supercell, emphasized the goal of the company to partner with local talent;
“We believe there are incredible teams here on the continent that we want to support. We believe in the future of this ecosystem, and so we’re really excited to partner…It is really about trying to catalyse and accelerate some of the studios on the continent” – Mensah-Bonsu
Applications for the Developer Grants Program are officially open and will close on August 9, 2026. Supercell will evaluate applicants based on team strength, the originality of their creative vision, player engagement metrics, and a plan for using the funds. Shortlisted studios will be notified in October, with the first round of funding scheduled to roll out in December 2026.
