Launch of the 2022 CATAPULTE acceleration program: Five independent video game studios embark on the 8th edition of the grand final

INNOVATIVE AND TALENTED FINALISTS 

Since its inception, the CATAPULTE competition celebrates the innovation, dynamism, entrepreneurship and ambition of Quebec’s independent video game studios. This year, entrepreneurs from all parts of the province and the industry submitted their projects for the competition. Québec EPIX is proud to announce the five finalists in the 2022 edition, all of which will receive personalized coaching to help them prepare for the CATAPULTE grand final, which consists in pitching their projects to a jury of experts in the video game industry.

A PRIZE VALUED AT $125,000 AND A UNIQUE MENTORING EXPERIENCE 

Nathalie Bouchard, CEO Ubisoft Québec

The grand prize for the 2022 edition of the competition is valued at $125,000, including a cash grant of $50,000 and specialized support from industry experts (intellectual property, entrepreneurship, taxation, financing, marketing, artistic direction, sound design, UX, and much more). Moreover, the Québec City independent studio community has decided to award an additional prize to their favourite studio among the five finalists. Note that the prize value in the 2022 edition is among the highest in Canada in the video game industry. (See annex for more details.)

CATAPULTE FINAL

Hosted by video game expert Denis Talbot, the grand final of CATAPULTE 2022 is associated with the Forum des innovations culturelles and will take place during the Semaine numériQC. The program is also supported by the Government of Quebec and many other partners and collaborators including Ville de Québec.

“Due to their innovative nature and high growth potential, video game developers are very important to the vitality of Quebec’s techno-creative industry. Initiated in Québec City by the key cluster, the CATAPULTE program received 19 entries this year, a record in the history of the program. It is also a clear sign that the cluster has made the right choice in coaching studios in the commercialization of their games and inviting them to become a part of the video game entrepreneurship landscape.”

- Renaud Sylvain, Cluster President, Québec EPIX

“Québec International strongly believes that the participation of the various actors in the ecosystem and the spirit of cooperation that transpire through the acceleration program make CATAPULTE a true economic lever for entrepreneurs in the video game industry. By supporting and accompanying local startups, we help provide a stepping stone to achieve their dreams. Encouraging innovation and creation paves the way to integrating new technologies and developing techno-creative expertise that advances the industry and helps it stand out globally.”

- Carl Viel, President and CEO, Québec International

ABOUT CATAPULTE

Carl Viel, CEO - Québec International, and Dominic Goulet,  Director - Québec numérique 

Created in 2014 by the key cluster Québec EPIX, a group of businesses and stakeholders in the video game, animation and immersive experience sectors, and Québec International, in partnership with the Caisse Desjardins de Québec, CATAPULTE is a one-of-a-kind acceleration program designed to support Quebec independent video game studios in their quest to conquer global markets. The program received an award from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) in 2018. It is now recognized globally and is considered one of the largest leverages in the Canadian video game business ecosystem.

Source
Sylvie Fortin
Director – Public Relations and Corporate Communication
Québec International

418 681-9700, ext. 260
sfortin@quebecinternational.ca

ANNEX – CATAPULTE overview

Description of the grand prize 

Over $125,000 in value, including a $50,000 cash grant as well as specialized support from experts in the industry (intellectual property, marketing, artistic direction, taxation, financing…)

• Coaching as part of the incubator and accelerator LE CAMP’s ACCÉLÉRATION program, including privileged access to over 80 coaches and a beautiful place of business in St-Roch, the district par excellence for Québec City’s independent studios.
  
  
• A playtest session in Ubisoft Québec’s UX experience lab.
  
  
• Five Pro Unity licences, five free certifications and exams, and a credit toward the Asset Store, in addition to a half-day of consultation with a Unity expert.
  
  
• Coaching in management and artistic direction offered by the creative team at VOLTA.
  
  
• Coaching sessions to optimize the marketing aspect of the game offered by KWM.
  
  
• Coaching and sound design services offered by PEAK.
  
  
• A consultation on intellectual property with ROBIC.
  
  
• A consultation on taxation tailored to the video game industry with PwC.
  
  
• A spot in the final of the Ubisoft Indie Series organized by La Guilde du jeu vidéo du Québec, including travel expenses to the event paid by Ubisoft.
  
  
• Strategic and financial coaching for finalists offered by Desjardins Business.
  
  
• And last but not least, the major contribution and participation of Beenox, Loto-Québec, Larian, and Frima.

List of partners

• Desjardins Business
• Ubisoft Québec
• Beenox
• KWM
• VOLTA
• Loto-Québec
• ROBIC
• PEAK. Expérience visuelle et sonore
• Unity
• LE CAMP
• PwC
• La Guilde du jeu vidéo du Québec
• Larian
• Frima

With the contribution of:

• Government of Quebec
• Québec International
• Québec EPIX
• Ville de Québec

2022 Selection Committee

Vincent Bergeron
Partner and Leader of the Emerging Tech Group
ROBIC, S.E.N.C.R.L / LLP

Nadine Gelly
Strategic Advisor
La Guilde du jeu vidéo de Québec

Julien Lassonde
Partner, Tax Services
PwC Canada

Mathieu Tremblay
Idea man of CATAPULTE
Entrepreneur

2022 Members of the Jury

Andrée-Anne Boisvert
Video Games Producer
Ubisoft Québec

Thierry Boulanger
Co-Founder and Creative Director
Sabotage Studio

Étienne Pouliot
Creative Director
Beenox

CATAPULTS key figures (since 2014) 

8 Winning Studios 

• 2021 – RageCureGames
• 2020 – Fika Productions
• 2019 – Beyond Fun Studio
• 2018 – Sweet Bandits Studios
• 2017 – Polymorph Games
• 2016 – Bishop Games
• 2014-2015 – Chainsawesome Games (1^st prize) and Berzerk Studio (2^nd prize)

• 600 hours of mentoring
• $350,000 in cash awarded
• $550,000 in prizes and services awarded
• 5 games commercialized
• Over $10,000 in Coup de cœur prizes from the Québec City independent studio community
• The program was awarded the Gold Excellence Award in the Entrepreneurship category by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) (2018).