Digital Content Pole

What Digital Content Pole does

Digital Content Pole (Polo Nacional de Contenidos Digitales) is a municipal public entity owned by the Málaga City Council, operating under the legal name "Empresa municipal de iniciativas y actividades empresariales de Málaga, S.A. – POLO." Founded in 2017 and headquartered in the 12,000 m² Tabacalera complex in Málaga, Spain, the Pole operates as a public innovation hub focused on the video game, XR/VR/AR, metaverse, and audiovisual production sectors. Its core offering is an integrated startup lifecycle — pre-incubation (Coworking Videojuegos, ~6 months), incubation (up to 3 years with 18 offices and 40 coworking stations), acceleration (Startup Wise Guys, EVA), and worldwide publishing (Cooking and Publishing across 11 platforms) — supported by specialized laboratories (8K audiovisual, sound recording, 3D printing with nearly twenty machines, VR/AR/XR development), free equipment loans (XR gloves, motion capture suits, drones, 3D printers, 360/4K/8K/12K cameras), and a 24/7 free programming campus (42 Málaga, 600-student capacity, 210 computers). The Pole also runs the Premios Iris Games national video game awards and the Andalucía Play Fest industry event.

The organization is funded primarily through public grants from Red.es, FEDER, the European Social Fund, CREA MEDIA, the Junta de Andalucía, and partner foundations (Fundación Telefónica, Fundación Incyde), with secondary revenue from corporate services (PoloSfera) engaging large international corporations such as Globant, Telefónica, Caterpillar, Endesa, Porsche, and Vodafone. Programs are delivered free of charge to entrepreneurs and startups, with services to municipalities and provincial governments available on advisory/consultancy terms. The Pole has 11–50 employees and operates under a community-led, event-driven, and enterprise-field-sales GTM model targeting verticalized segments within Media and Entertainment, including video game startups, XR/Metaverse entrepreneurs, freelance audiovisual producers, young people seeking digital-skills training, and large corporations seeking open innovation partnerships. Multiple sub-brands (Cooking and Publishing, La Brújula XR, IAT Metaverso, 42 Málaga, EVA) and a portfolio of 20+ strategic partners (Epic Games, Universidad de Málaga, EOI, Junta de Andalucía) reinforce the verticalized ecosystem approach.

Name

Digital Content Pole

Legal name

Empresa municipal de iniciativas y actividades empresariales de Málaga, S.A. – POLO

Website

https://polodigital.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Digital Content Pole is a Málaga City Council-owned public innovation hub providing pre-incubation, incubation, acceleration, and publishing services for video game, XR, and audiovisual startups across a 12,000 m² facility.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Málaga

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Funding: As a public entity under the Málaga City Council, the Polo operates primarily through government funding and subsidies. It receives support from Red.es, European funds (FEDER), European Social Fund, and various public initiatives like CREA MEDIA.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Digital Content Pole operates a 12,000-square-meter public innovation hub that runs startup development programs (pre-incubation, incubation, acceleration, and publishing) for video games, XR/VR/AR, Metaverse, and audiovisual production projects. The hub provides free workspace, specialized laboratories (audiovisual, sound, 3D printing, VR), equipment loans, training programs including the 42 Málaga free programming campus, event hosting, and corporate advisory services for municipalities and international corporations.

Product overview

The Pole National Digital Content Hub is a unified platform combining physical innovation infrastructure, acceleration programs, and publishing services for the Media and Entertainment sector. The ecosystem includes three pre-incubation/incubation programs (Coworking Videojuegos, La Brújula XR, IAT Metaverso), a video game publisher (Cooking and Publishing), international acceleration partnerships (EVA, Startup Wise Guys), a free programming campus (42 Málaga), equipment loan services, training programs, and event hosting capabilities. The hub serves video game developers, XR/Metaverse entrepreneurs, and audiovisual producers through a complete lifecycle from idea validation to international market launch.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 42 Málaga: A free programming campus following peer-based learning methodology, ranked among the TOP 10 most innovative universities in the world, located within The Pole facilities.
• La Brújula XR
• IAT Metaverso
• Cooking and Publishing
• European Videogames Accelerator (EVA)

Products and services

• The Pole National Digital Content Hub (Polo Nacional de Contenidos Digitales) A 12,000-square-meter public innovation hub and entrepreneurship center focused on video games, virtual reality, audiovisual production (Media and Entertainment), and the Metaverse. Provides programs, facilities, and equipment to support startups at all development stages.
• Coworking Videojuegos (Pre-incubation Program) Pre-incubation program specifically for video games and digital content, developed in collaboration with EOI (Escuela de Organización Industrial) and Málaga City Council, co-financed by the European Social Fund. Uses Lean Startup methodology with specialist mentors over nearly six months. The only pre-incubation program of its kind at national level.
• La Brújula XR (XR/Metaverse Incubation) Incubation program for Extended, Augmented and Virtual Reality and Metaverse projects. Offers 12-month workspace access, specialized training, mentoring, and state-of-the-art technology for XR and Metaverse entrepreneurs.
• IAT Metaverso (European High-Tech Incubator) Europe's first High-Tech Incubator for the Metaverse, launched in 2023. An advanced research center for companies, universities and entrepreneurs to explore Metaverse technologies including 6G, Supercomputing, VR, and Blockchain.
• 42 Málaga (Programming Campus) Free programming campus with peer-based learning methodology ranked among the TOP 10 most innovative universities globally. Located within The Pole facilities, spanning 2,400 m2 with capacity for 600 students and 210 computers. Open 24/7 with 100% employability rate.
• Cooking and Publishing (Video Game Publishing) Worldwide indie video game publisher serving The Pole inhabitants. Publishes games on 11 platforms (PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, Xbox, Oculus, Steam, Microsoft, App Store, Google Play, Galaxy Store, App Gallery, Amazon) with porting, QA, marketing, and administrative support.
• European Videogames Accelerator (EVA) 3-year acceleration program financed 80% by European CREA MEDIA funds. Collaboration between Spielfabrique (Central Europe), Polo Digital (Southern Europe), and Arctic Games (Northern Europe) for international video game professionalization.
• Startup Wise Guys Video Game Acceleration 20-week internationalization support program for indie startups in video games and VR. Includes 6-8 weeks in-person training, mentoring, up to €90,000 funding, and support for AR/VR/MR/3D/Metaverse companies.
• Equipment Loan Service Free loan equipment program for entrepreneurs including audiovisual equipment, sound equipment, recording equipment, XR, haptic technology, VR gloves, motion capture suits, VR/AR/XR glasses, drones, chroma key, streaming software, 3D printers, laser cutters, gaming computers, and 360/4K/8K/12K cameras.
• Laboratory Spaces (Audiovisual, Sound, 3D Printing, VR) Four dedicated spaces for product development and testing: Audiovisual lab with 8K cameras and chroma key setups, Sound studio with soundproof recording capabilities, 3D Printing lab with nearly twenty machines, and Virtual Reality development lab with cutting-edge equipment for immersive content creation.
• Incubation Facilities (Coworking and Offices) 18 offices of different sizes and 40 coworking stations available for up to three years, plus access to sound, lighting, recording, VR systems, high-performance computing equipment, and testing labs.
• Training Programs Free training courses including Advanced Unreal Engine certification with Epic Games-certified instructors, HAZ-RTVE specialization courses, 5G technologies, Master's in Video Game Creation (University of Málaga), FP Video Game Development, Full Sketch Art, and Blender Saturdays workshops.
• Event Hosting Services Verticalized event hosting for video games, VR, digital content, audiovisual production, and AI. Includes screening room with audiovisual equipment, main courtyard, esports area, and MAC room for image rendering. Accepts external event requests for tech/gaming events.
• Corporate Services (PoloSfera) Corporate partnership services including open innovation processes, company attraction for specific projects, collaborative workspace development, advisory, and consultancy services. Works with large corporations like Globant, Telefónica, Caterpillar, Endesa, Porsche, and Vodafone.
• Regional Advisory Services Consulting services for municipalities, provincial governments, and local entities to analyze entrepreneurial ecosystems, determine regional verticalization and positioning, and build sustainable models for emerging industries.
• Premios Iris Games (Video Game Awards) National video game awards recognizing talent, innovation, and creative excellence. Second edition held in 2026 with €44,000 in prizes across 9 categories including Best Video Game, Best PC/Console, Best Mobile, Best XR/Tech, and Best International.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% employability for 42 Málaga graduates with average of 8 job offers per student
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core, secondary and minor.

• SPIELFABRIQUEmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023German-French company coordinating the European Videogames Accelerator (EVA) program together with POLO Digital and Arctic Game Clúster (Sweden) to cover maximum territory within Europe.
• Fundación IncydecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Fundación Incyde (Instituto Cameral para la Creación y Desarrollo de la Empresa) partners with the Polo for programs like La Brújula XR and the IAT Metaverso incubator. They co-finance projects with FEDER funds.
• Red.escoreOthers · 1 January 2017Red.es is the public entity that initially drove and funded the creation of the Polo in 2017 as an innovation space and trend lab for digital content sector projects.
• EOI (Escuela de Organización Industrial)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017EOI collaborates with the Málaga City Council on the Coworking Videojuegos program, co-financed by the European Social Fund. This is the only pre-incubation program of its kind at national level.
• Fundación TelefónicacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFundación Telefónica is a key partner for 42 Málaga, a free programming campus established in February 2022 with a methodology ranked in the TOP 10 most innovative universities globally.
• Cámara de Comercio de MálagacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Málaga Chamber of Commerce partners with the Polo on La Brújula XR program and other initiatives for developing entrepreneurship in the region.
• Arctic GamesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArctic Game Clúster from Sweden participates in the European Videogames Accelerator (EVA) program covering Northern Europe alongside POLO Digital (Southern Europe) and SPIELFABRIQUE (Central Europe).
• Startup Wise GuysmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStartup Wise Guys partners with the Polo for a 20-week acceleration program focused on internationalization of indie startups in video games and VR, with possibility of financing up to €90,000.
• Cooking and PublishingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCooking and Publishing is the indie video game publisher of the Polo Digital with worldwide reach. They handle porting and publishing to 11 platforms: PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, Xbox, Oculus, Steam, Microsoft, App Store, Google Play, Galaxy Store, App Gallery, and Amazon Appstore.
• Viva GamessecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerViva Games runs an incubation and acceleration program for video game studios in collaboration with the Polo, focusing on three pillars: product, analytics, and marketing.
• GlobantsecondaryOthersLarge international corporation that has collaborated with the Polo on various initiatives including talent attraction and innovation programs.
• TelefónicasecondaryOthersInternational telecommunications corporation collaborating with the Polo on initiatives related to talent development and innovation.
• PorschesecondaryOthersInternational automotive corporation that has worked with the Polo on innovation and talent-related initiatives.
• Fundación ONCEsecondaryOthersFoundation collaborating with the Polo on initiatives supporting accessibility and inclusion in the digital/gaming sector.
• VodafonesecondaryOthersTelecommunications company partnered with the Polo, including the 5G training classroom (Aula Vodafone) at the facility.
• Fundación OrangeminorOthersFoundation collaborating with the Polo on various initiatives for digital inclusion and training.
• Universidad de MálagacoreOthersUniversity of Málaga collaborates with the Polo hosting the Master's in Video Game Creation at the facility and participating in joint training initiatives.
• Epic GamescoreTechnology or IntegrationEpic Games partners with the Polo for advanced Unreal Engine training with Epic Games-certified instructors, covering video game development, film, animation, and immersive experiences like VR and AR.
• Academia de TelevisióncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademia de Televisión y de las Ciencias y las Artes del Audiovisual organizes the Premios Iris Games together with the Polo and Junta de Andalucía, recognizing excellence in video game industry.
• Junta de AndalucíacoreOthersRegional government of Andalusia partners with the Polo through Agencia Digital de Andalucía and other agencies to support the video game industry and digital entrepreneurship.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Station F: Station F is the world's largest startup campus in Paris offering programs, workspaces, and corporate partnerships to thousands of startups. Comparable scale of public-private hub infrastructure but not gaming-verticalized.

Direct peers

• Laval Virtual: Laval Virtual is a French XR/VR ecosystem organizer running the long-running Laval Virtual expo, training programs, and an XR-focused accelerator. Closely aligned with the Pole's La Brújula XR and IAT Metaverso verticals.
• 42 Network (42 Madrid / 42 Barcelona / 42 Urduliz): The other three Spanish 42 campuses (Madrid, Barcelona, Urduliz) operate the identical peer-based free programming model that 42 Málaga is built on, and feed the same talent pool the Pole recruits from for its startup tenants.
• Spielfabrique: Spielfabrique is a German-French games accelerator coordinating the European Videogames Accelerator alongside Polo Digital. It runs nearly identical incubation/acceleration services for indie studios and is one of the Pole's closest program-design peers.
• Arctic Game Cluster: Arctic Game Cluster (Sweden) is the northern European node of the EVA program together with Polo Digital, providing games incubation and accelerator services to Nordic indies. Operates the same public-cluster model focused on regional video game ecosystems.
• GameBCN: GameBCN is Barcelona's public-private gaming hub offering incubation, acceleration, training and corporate services to Spanish indie studios. Most directly comparable competitor to Polo Digital within Spain's national gaming ecosystem.
• Viva Games: Viva Games is a Spanish games-focused accelerator running incubation and acceleration programs in collaboration with the Pole, with three pillars: product, analytics, and marketing. Most directly comparable indie-focused games accelerator in Spain.
• Fundación EOI: EOI is the Escuela de Organización Industrial, a Spanish public business school co-financing the Coworking Videojuegos pre-incubation program. Operates a parallel network of public incubators/accelerators across Spain with overlapping founder pipelines.

Regional players

• Lanzadera: Lanzadera is Juan Roig's high-profile startup accelerator based in Valencia, Spain. Comparable as a national flagship accelerator with corporate-sponsored programming, though not verticalized on games/XR.

Others

• Promálaga: Promálaga is the Málaga City Council's own economic development and entrepreneurship arm that co-hosts events (e.g. Bits Empresariales) with the Pole. Adjacent municipal ecosystem enabler sharing the same public-finance DNA.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/polo-nacional-de-contenidos-digitales
• Xx.com/polodigitalmlg
• Facebookfacebook.com/polocontenidosdigitalesmalaga

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Digital Content Pole