NEWS
OPINION
Award-winning games studio acquired by Canadian firm
Award-winning Middlesbrough games developer SockMonkey Studios has been acquired by Canada ’ s largest videogame studio , Behaviour Interactive , for an undisclosed sum .
The deal provides an exit for NPIF – Mercia Equity Finance , which is managed by Mercia and part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund ( NPIF ), and which achieved a four-fold return on investment .
Following the £ 250,000 investment in 2020 , Mercia recruited industry figurehead Ron Ashtiani as chair .
Since then , SockMonkey has almost tripled in size , with staff numbers rising from 18 to 45 .
It has also worked with some of the leading publishers and brands , including tinyBuild , Sumo Digital , SEGA and Paradox Interactive , creating games such as Tinykin , Little Orpheus and Kill It With Fire .
Most recently it developed the first videogame based on the global phenomenon CoComelon , in collaboration
GOOGLE AND SPOTIFY EXPERTS COME TO BORO
Europe ’ s most sought-after experts in web development are headlining a conference in Middlesbrough that will bring together digital pioneers from around the country .
Middlesbrough Front End will feature guest slots from representatives of Google , Spotify and Shopify , among others .
The 200-capacity event at Middlesbrough Town Hall will include live demos and networking and takes place on Wednesday July 19 .
The exciting day of activities – which will attract talent from the town ’ s own booming digital sector – is followed by an evening social event at the thriving PlayBrew taproom .
The digital sector is a key employer in Middlesbrough , with more than 1,500 jobs supported .
Firms headquartered in the town are doing businesses with worldwide brands on the global stage , including Microsoft , Sony
Sold – SockMonkey Studios has been snapped up by world-leading Behaviour Interactive .
with Moonbug .
SockMonkey was founded in 2013 by Teesside University graduates Darren Cuthbert and Bob Makin , who set out to create a “ superstudio ” in Middlesbrough . They were joined by Darren Falcus , co-founder of Optimus Software , one of the first videogame studios on Teesside , which was sold to US company Acclaim Entertainment .
The trio will stay on in their current positions and help to continue SockMonkey ’ s growth in Teesside .
SockMonkey is Behaviour ’ s first European investment and will be renamed Behaviour UK – North , upon acquisition .
SockMonkey co-founder and CEO Bob said : “ We ’ re thrilled to celebrate our tenth anniversary year by joining Behaviour ’ s growing group of studios .
“ Behaviour is rapidly emerging as a global player within the gaming industry , and we are proud to represent the first step in their European expansion .”
and FIFA . MC for the event will be Shopify ’ s senior
UX manager , Gavin Elliott .
Google ’ s Jake Archibald returns to Middlesbrough Front End by popular demand and this year will deliver “ Bringing Page Transitions to the Web ”.
Sophie Koonin , of Monzo , will talk about building a virtual synthesiser in JavaScript . Other guests and the final details of topics are to be confirmed .
Coup – Middlesbrough Front End will host exciting new digital event .
THE CHALLENGE OF CHANGING CULTURE
They say “ culture is king ”, but instilling cultural change in any workplace can be a challenge . To help , I ’ ve created Alchemy Culture , a new service in response , that ’ s enabling more companies to be culture-focused organisations .
A change in culture is always an essential element of business transformation and even more so in the post-pandemic workplace .
Culture is “ how we do things around here ” – the norms and ways of operating that underpin getting work done .
If that doesn ’ t change in necessary ways , then all the work to change business strategy , people structure and the systems that are the backbone of your business is likely to come to nought .
Culture is , however , hard to work on directly . Teesside is made up of many businesses whose success requires myriad elements supporting and executing a company ’ s mission and vision . Your employees are the most vital element of your operation and growth , providing a face to your customers – they are the backbone of your business .
Positive work culture is more intelligent than work perks and a pool table . Keeping employees happy requires more than just a pay slip . So , how does HR Alchemy help ? Alchemy Culture is a unique service combining expertise in human resources , marketing and brand management into one hybrid client service , allowing firms to work in collaboration with HR Alchemy and OOK Agency to better marry up their company brand culture from both the employee and customer perspective .
The service , via co-creation workshops , reviews your brand , explores creatively and enables you to understand HR legality , so we can build you a company culture that makes you a stand-out employer and a great brand .
Interested ? Drop me a line at jo @ hralchemy . co . uk , as we are holding taster workshops in March and April . Jo Davies , managing director , HR Alchemy
The voice of business in the Tees region | 13