Hyper Luminal Games & Keelworks Win UK Global Screen Funding
Two Scottish games companies, Hyper Luminal Games and Keelworks, have secured significant funding from the UK Global Screen Fund, marking a boost for the Scottish games community. The £2.15 million funding round will support 26 screen sector businesses across the UK, enabling them to expand their international reach and forge new partnerships in the global marketplace.
The UK Global Screen Fund, financed by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), provides non-recoupable grants of between £50,000 and £200,000. The funding is awarded through two tracks: Film Transformation and General, with the latter supporting interactive narrative video games.
Hyper Luminal Games has received funding to hire a Business Development Manager. This new role will facilitate collaboration with global IP holders, enabling the studio to adapt and exploit cross-media intellectual property within the video games sector. Hyper Luminal, known for its service work for other studios as well as its growing portfolio of original intellectual property, recently launched the critically acclaimed Pine Hearts. This funding will help them build on this success and further establish themselves in the international games market.
Keelworks, the up-and-coming Edinburgh studio that transitioned from animation and VFX to game development, has secured funding to bring in a Senior Programmer. This expert will collaborate with the existing team, providing support for porting games to different platforms, offering general guidance, and supervising development. Keelworks’ debut title, CYGNI: All Guns Blazing, published by Konami and featuring an original soundtrack released by Sony Music, launched in August 2024 to significant buzz and critical acclaim. This investment will help them capitalise on this momentum and reach a wider audience.
The Scottish Games Network congratulates Hyper Luminal Games and Keelworks on their success and would encourage other Scottish games companies to explore the opportunities offered by the UK Global Screen Fund. With further funding rounds opening in 2025, this is a fantastic opportunity for studios to secure the resources they need to grow and compete in the global games markets.
Stuart Martin, the co-founder and CEO of Hyper Luminal Games told the SGN:
We are delighted to have been awarded the Global Screen Fund, which will support our international ambitions for our original IP titles and cross-media products. It’s an exciting next step for the Hyper Luminal Games team and our IP partners.
Meher Kandelerian, the founder & CEO of Keelworks, told SGN:
We’re incredibly grateful for the BFI Global Screen Funding. This contribution gives our team a valuable boost, helping us to advance our vision, accelerate growth, and deliver the best possible experience to players worldwide.
Denitsa Yordanova, BFI Head of UK Global Screen Fund and International Funds, said:
The UK’s independent screen sector has such a wealth of talent and ambition and it is fantastic to see this latest batch of business development awards supporting a breadth of companies and strategies, all focused on international growth and success in the global marketplace.
The Government’s ongoing backing of the UK Global Screen Fund ensures that we can continue to provide this critical support, boosting the international competitiveness of UK screen content, growing revenues, reach and partnerships and further driving international co-production and collaboration. We look forward to supporting even more screen companies from across the UK to thrive and reach their full growth potential internationally.
BFI Global Screen Fund Impact
The UK Global Screen Fund has also published its Multi-Year Evaluation, revealing that every £1 invested generates £22 of net benefit. This demonstrates the fund’s significant economic impact and vital role in supporting the UK’s independent screen sector. With £7 million committed to the fund for the next financial year, the future looks bright for UK games development.
Future Funding Rounds
Details of the 2025 UK Global Screen Fund application rounds can be found on the BFI website, along with the full list of the most recent funding recipients.
UK Global Screen Fund strand re-opening dates for 2025 are:
International Co-production
- Round One — opening 6 February
- Round Two – opening in September
International Business Development
- One Round – opening in April
International Distribution
- Currently open and assessed on a rolling basis throughout the year
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