Lara Croft inventor invests $2.2 million into Leuven-based game developers Happy Volcano

Happy Volcano Founders Jeroen Janssen, Peter Maasen and David Prinsmel started making games together in 2015 as a hobby. In 2017, the trio took the step to a full-time studio that has since grown to 8 employees. In June 2020 they released the narrative exploration game The Almost Gone together with Brussels writer Joost Vandecasteele.

You Suck at Parking

They are currently working on the game You Suck at Parking, probably the only racing game where the goal is to stop. It is with that game that Happy Volcano caught the eye of Hiro Capital. The investor immediately saw the quality and growth capacity of the game.. The studio will use the money to expand the development team and accelerate their global growth. David Prinsmel, Game Director and co-founder, said “Thanks to the investment from Hiro Capital, we are able to make You Suck At Parking an even more ambitious game. These additional resources allow us to appeal to a wider audience and create a game that can challenge players for a very long time. By partnering with Hiro Capital, we can take the next step on our journey to become a leading creative game studio.”

Maximizing potential

The investment fund Hiro Capital specializes in video games, esports, streaming and digital sports. Happy Volcano joins the Hiro Capital portfolio with renowned international game studios Flavourworks, Polyarc, Double Loop, Snowprint and Lightfox. Ian Livingstone CBE, co-founding partner at Hiro Capital said “Hiro is delighted to be partnering with Happy Volcano to help the studio maximize the potential of its forthcoming release, You Suck at Parking, a quirky physics game which was designed for anybody who might enjoy the hilarious challenges of parking at speed! Hiro's investment will give the studio the time and resources needed to realize its ambition.”

Trust

“We weren't really looking for investors. But when an industry legend like Ian shows an interest in what you do, you what they have to say”, said Jeroen Janssen, Managing Director and co-founder of Happy Volcano. “Hiro clearly saw potential in what we do and how we do things. That vote of confidence has been a boost for the whole team. The investment is important to be able to grow quickly, but it is mainly the experience and the network that Hiro brings that won us over.”