Incubators & Programs
Game incubators and education programs
Student teams in, game companies out. Jussi designs programs that turn students and first-time teams into working game companies. His Oulu Game Lab model has been run in eight countries, and more than 40 game companies have been founded by teams he has personally coached.
The model
Oulu Game Lab
Oulu Game Lab is a pre-incubator built on a fail-fast philosophy. Small teams push their game projects through a series of gates. At each gate about half of the projects are cut, and the people from the dropped projects join the strongest ones. The teams that make it through go on to found companies.
Jussi designed the model, launched it at Oulu University of Applied Sciences and worked as its coach.
- 16 game companies founded in Oulu alone
- 8 countries where the model has been run: Finland, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Romania, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Nepal and Japan
- 4 awards:
- World's best innovation & entrepreneurship model, GCEC (2017)
- Second best entrepreneurship & innovation model in Europe, ECIE (2017)
- Certificate of Merit, Innovative Youth Incubator Awards, Malaysia (2016)
- Best project to boost innovation in Finland, Arene (2014)
How the model works
Four pillars, one goal: new game companies
Gates: 2 → 4 → 8
Teams of two start with a concept. At each gate about half of the projects are cut and team size doubles, from two to four to eight. Game industry professionals judge every gate. Fail fast, fail cheap.
Four-way coaching
Four layers grow at once, each with its own coach: the individual as a professional, the team as a future company, the game as a product and the business behind it.
A real business simulation
The program acts more like a game startup than a school. Teams own their IP, team leads choose who joins them after each gate, and the gates are the deadlines.
New companies
The output is companies, and learning is the by-product. Participants range from students and career changers to industry professionals and founders looking for a team.
Track record
Where Jussi has built programs
Game Founders
Game Founders was an accelerator for existing companies. Jussi brought in the pre-incubator model to create new companies for it. A single program produced 22 game demos, 15 of which continued into the accelerator as new companies. Several teams signed publisher deals.
Game Catalyst
Will run a program based on the pre-incubator model starting in 2027.
Game Lab East
Sparred and supported a Game Lab in Enschede focused on serious games and fully funded by the private sector. At least two game companies were founded as a direct result.
Business Oulu
Game Team seminar series that led to 11 new game companies.
Lapland University
Designed and ran a game business course, then trained local staff to run it themselves.
Kajaani University of Applied Sciences
Helped design an incubator model for the university's students.
Services
What Jussi can do for you
Design
Program structure, curriculum and coaching model built for your students, region and funding. Jussi has designed 85 ECTS worth of university courses, including a 60 ECTS pre-incubator program.
Launch
Coaching the first run alongside your staff, so the model works in practice and not only on paper.
Hand over
Training your own people to run the program without him. The goal is a program that lasts after the consultant leaves.
How it works
From first call to your own program
Jussi often works through a larger partner, such as a university, accelerator or regional development company, that hosts and funds the program. He is happy to help make the case to your organization.
Call
A first conversation about your goals, students and resources.
Proposal
A program outline with scope, timeline and cost.
Pilot
The first run, with Jussi coaching on site or remotely.
Handover
Your team takes over, with support as needed.
Planning a game program?
Whether you are starting from scratch or improving an existing program, Jussi can help.
Get in touch