Gateshead game studio ToastieLabs lands £25K loan to build gaming venue
What's the deal? ToastieLabs, a Gateshead-based independent video game studio, has secured a £25,000 loan from the North East Elevate Fund, managed by FW CapitalDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →. The debt funding will support the studio's expansion at its premises in Gateshead's Railway Quarter.
What's the company? Founded as a solo venture by Rob Small in 2016 and launched full-time in 2020 with co-founder Lee Fowles, ToastieLabs develops puzzle and creative digital games, including Colouring Pixels and WooLoop.
What's the endgame? The studio is turning its headquarters at 30 Half Moon Lane into a public gaming and events venue. The site already houses a retail shop with board games and licensed Warhammer products under a partnership with Games WorkshopDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, and the studio plans to add a small-scale escape room experience.
The round will also fund three new hires alongside Small, Fowles, and Jack Dingwall. "We can now expand and create our own gaming venue which will incorporate gaming events, tabletop gaming, retail sales," Small said.
Why now? UK support for independent developers is growing — the UK Games Fund holds £28.5 million for grants of up to £250,000 — but industry groups say studios still face a gap in growth capital beyond early-stage support. The Elevate Fund targets that gap for smaller borrowers; Small said the funding arrived three weeks after his first conversation with FW Capital.
The signal: This is a small, locally focused expansion rather than a major games-sector round. Its significance lies in the practical route to growth it offers a regional studio, combining a games business with a customer-facing venue backed by a loan rather than equity.
Read more: insidermedia.com
Image credit: Generated with Gemini
