Henderson Loggie tax manager Grant Snedden

The company has adeptly utilised the UK’s video games tax relief (VGTR), which allows developers to claim up to 20% of production costs, fueling Konglomerate’s innovative health-based gaming ventures.

Konglomerate’s journey began when its co-founders Jamie Bankhead, Connie Reid and Sam Gainty recognised a gap in the market. With a unique focus on improving life experiences through gaming, Konglomerate has achieved remarkable success in recent years.

The teams university project, Archipelayo, a groundbreaking physiotherapy game for children with cystic fibrosis, laid the foundation for the company. Since then, Konglomerate has been committed to applying gaming skills to enhance health and well-being.

Over the past three years, Konglomerate Games has had global impact and achieved significant milestones:

• Staff Growth: The company has tripled its staff, currently employing nine full-time professionals.
• Game Releases: Each of Konglomerate’s games has been met with success. Collaborations with clients like Sumdog, an online learning platform for young people, have resulted in millions of global plays within months of release.
• Ophthalmology Game: The company’s ophthalmology game, designed for ophthalmic assessment training, underwent successful trials in Kenya and Rwanda.
• Clinical Impact: Their physiotherapy game for children with Cystic Fibrosis, Cape Breeze, addresses a critical need by helping patients clear mucus from their lungs through engaging gameplay.

Konglomerate Games’ commitment to quality has earned them international acclaim. Cape Breeze received the prestigious Serious Play Gold Award, and the team continues to innovate. Their recent collaboration with Abertay University’s School of Design and Informatics resulted in ‘Gone smishing’ a game that educates users about cyber security and scam text messages.

Co-founder and CEO of Konglomerate Games Jamie Bankhead said: “Our skill lies in turning ideas into engaging games that make a difference. Developing games isn’t just about creativity; it’s about building a business and it needs someone who is focused on what makes the money and pays wages for the team.

“A lot of start-ups make a game and think that’s enough but there needs to be a stronger plan. Despite being such a major contributor/driver to the economy, the games industry is underfunded compared to other industries. Rarely are government funding calls applicable to games development despite it being much bigger than film and music.’

“We quickly realised it was worth paying a good accountant with expertise in the gaming sector because they understand video games tax relief. We chose Henderson Loggie as they know the games sector inside out and their tax team has had a positive impact on our finances. Initiatives like Video Games Tax Relief are essential to sustain business growth and provide some stability.”

Video Games Tax Relief (VGTR) allows companies to claim back up to 20% of their core development costs by way of a corporation tax saving or a tax credit from HMRC. It can be extremely beneficial for the games industry, especially for start-up companies where cash flow is potentially an issue.

Grant Snedden, tax manager at Henderson Loggie, added: “It’s been a pleasure working with Jamie over the past few years. The games developed by Konglomerate have made a real difference to people’s lives and it’s great that we can play a small part in helping the company grow. I am looking forward to seeing the next innovative release.”