JetSynthesys partners Brinc to launch a gaming accelerator programme

The accelerator plans to focus on early-stage startups in sectors such as game titles and studios, developer tools and infrastructure, and consumer apps

Digital entertainment and technology firm JetSynthesys is partnering with Hong Kong–based accelerator Brinc to launch a new gaming accelerator programme that will help startups and entrepreneurs in the sector across the world.

As part of this partnership, JetSynthesys will serve as the primary investor in Brinc's gaming accelerator called Brinc Gaming and plans to invest around $200,000 each across more than 25 companies over a three-year period.

JetSynthesys, which counts Infosys co-founder Kris Gopalakrishnan, Serum Institute's Adar Poonawalla, and cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar among its backers, also plans to share its expertise in areas such as go-to-market strategies, marketing, digital community development, capital networks, talent acquisition, and IP licensing among others.

The company claims that its global team comprises individuals who bring over 150 years of industry experience with global tech and gaming behemoths, including Krafton, Google, Microsoft, EA, Square Enix, Blizzard, Zynga, Bethesda, Gree, Wargaming and others.

Apart from this, selected startups will also get access to mentorship, advice, and JetSynthesys' resources, the company said in a statement.

Some of the accelerator's mentors include Yield Guild Games co-founder Gabby Dizon, former Square Enix USA CEO Mike Fischer, Blowfish Studios co-founder Ben Lee, and Emfarsis director Leah Callon-Butler, as per Brinc Gaming's website. It also notes that these startups will have to give either 2 percent of their advisory shares or 2 percent of their total token supply to Brinc.

The accelerator plans to focus on early-stage startups in sectors such as game titles and studios, developer tools and infrastructure, and consumer apps. This includes areas such as immersive gaming, cross-platform gaming, blockchain gaming, games-as-a-service, cloud gaming, esports, and AI for gaming among others. The first cohort is expected to start in Q1 2024.

Read: BGMI maker Krafton announces up to $150k financial support for Indian gaming startups in debut incubator launch

"We have always been passionate about backing small scale startups and entrepreneurs, especially in the gaming industry. The gaming industry is rife with opportunities, and our goal is to empower passionate entrepreneurs by providing them with the resources and mentorship they need to thrive" said JetSynthesys founder Rajan Navani.

Karan Keswani, managing director of Brinc India, said, "(JetSynthesys') proven track record in accelerating startups in the gaming sector will significantly contribute to the program’s success. We believe that combining our strengths will lead to revolutionary solutions that will redefine the industry."

Over the past few years, JetSynthesys has built and invested in a range of gaming businesses. This includes an internal game studio that has developed mobile games, such as Sachin Saga, Being Salman, Super Ludo, Cooking Clash, and others; a global business partnerships and publishing wing; a grassroots esports tournament organiser Skyesports that was acquired in August 2021; and a gaming and payment processing company Nova Play.

In June 2022, JetSynthesys launched Jetapult, a venture with a corpus of $100 million to acquire gaming studios in India and other emerging markets on an invest-and-operate model over the next couple of years.

The company also owns game development studio Nautilus Mobile, which has developed a simulation-based cricket gaming franchise called Real Cricket. Overall, JetSynthesys claims to have a catalogue of over 300 games across multiple platforms including Android, iOS, HTML and Java. It has offices in Japan, Singapore, Europe, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

On the other hand, Brinc operates about 15 multidisciplinary accelerator programmes in sectors such as blockchain technology, artificial intelligence, connected hardware, robotics, climate tech, clean energy, food technology, and Internet of Things (IoT) across seven countries.

Global firms such as Huawei, Schneider Electric, Puma, Animoca Brands, venture funds like Artesian, LeverVC, Tamkeen, EDB, institutions such as HK City University, and National University of Singapore and government organizations like Hong Kong Science Park, NEOM, MBRIF, and Guangdong Soft-tech Park have previous run accelerator programmes with Brinc.

Brinc had closed a $30 million Series B funding round along with an additional $100 million to invest in startups through its accelerator programmes in December 2021. The funding was led by Animoca Brands, a Hong Kong-based blockchain game development firm.