What Herní Klastr does

Herní Klastr z.s. is a Czech non-profit association (zapsaný spolek) founded in 2020 and headquartered in Brno. It functions as a regional game industry cluster connecting individual developers, studios, educational institutions, and public-sector bodies active in digital and board game creation, education, promotion, support, and research across the South Moravia region. The cluster positions Brno as a leading European hub for game development and serves a constituency of 40+ professional members and 16+ institutional honorary members drawn from leading local studios (Madfinger Games, Bohemia Interactive, Warhorse Studios, CBE Software, GIANTS Software, Amanita Design, Nine Rocks Games, Ashborne Games, Ingame Studios, Nox Games, Czech Games Edition, Three Dragons, Fineway Studios, Hey Bird, Alda Games), universities (Masaryk University, Janáček Academy of Performing Arts, Faculty of Fine Arts VUT, FIT VUT), a secondary school (SŠUD Brno), a youth center (SVČ Lužanky), and the State Cinematography Fund. Governance is led by Chairman Roman Hladík (previously at Hangar 13) and Coordinator Vendula Hromádková.

The cluster's service portfolio centers on community infrastructure rather than commercial software products. Core programs include the Gamebaze incubator and coworking space, the KOMPAS student game exhibition, the Festival Lektvar, Brno Game Jam, the Platforma Creatoola educational platform, the BRNO City of GameDev branding initiative, and an exhibition commemorating 30 years of game development in South Moravia. The organization also serves as a local partner for international programs such as the European Games Co-production Market (2022, with SpielFabrique, Creative Europe Media, and JIC-KUMST). Marketing reach runs through newsletters (continuous from 2022 through January 2026), Twitter, Instagram, and event-driven PR.

Herní Klastr operates a community-led go-to-market model with no publicly disclosed pricing. Revenue is generated through membership contributions, project-based grants (notably European programs routed via SpielFabrique), and likely regional innovation funding through partners such as JIC-KUMST. As a non-profit, the entity does not have shareholders, has no venture capital backing, and is not a candidate for traditional M&A. Strategic positioning is anchored in three functions: industry representation (including policy advocacy on the 2024 Czech Audiovisual Law amendment), talent pipeline development (university and school partnerships plus incubator support), and international visibility (co-production markets, conferences, exhibitions). The cluster is an active operating entity as of 2026.

Name

Herní Klastr

Legal name

Herní Klastr z.s.

Website

https://herniklastr.cz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Herní Klastr is a Brno-based Czech non-profit association (founded 2020) that operates as a regional game industry cluster, connecting 40+ game developers, universities, and public-sector bodies in South Moravia through incubators, exhibitions, educational programs, and industry advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Brno

HQ country

Czechia

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership and Association Services: As a non-profit association, Herní Klastr operates through membership contributions and public/private funding support to facilitate collaboration among game development companies, educational institutions, and the public sector in the Brno region.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Herní Klastr is a non-profit association that connects game developers, educational institutions, and the public sector in the Brno region of the Czech Republic. It delivers community programs, exhibitions, networking events, incubators, educational platforms, and policy advocacy to support the regional game creation ecosystem. The association facilitates talent entry into the industry through information sharing, databases, internships, and incubation programs, and represents the game industry in dialogue with regional and state government bodies.

Product overview

Herní Klastr is a non-profit association that does not offer commercial software products. Instead, it provides programs, initiatives, and services to support the game development ecosystem in Brno and South Moravia. The organization's offerings include: exhibition programs (KOMPAS showcasing student work, 30 let herní tvorby exhibition), incubator and coworking spaces (Gamebaze), networking events (European Games Co-production Market, Festival Lektvar), educational initiatives (Platforma Creatoola), and community events (Brno Game Jam). These programs collectively support game developers, students, educational institutions, and the broader game industry ecosystem.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• KOMPAS (Studentská herní tvorba)

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SpielFabriquecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022SpielFabrique organizes the European Games Co-production Market (EGCM), and Herní Klastr served as a local partner in 2022 to connect Czech and Slovak indie studios with European co-production opportunities, funding, and publishing connections.
• KUMST (JIC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022KUMST ( Kreativní hub - part of JIC innovation center) provided financial support enabling Herní Klastr to be local partner for EGCM 2022. KUMST is a creative hub in Brno hosting the Kompas exhibition.
• Ashborne GamesminorOthersHonorary member company of Herní Klastr, part of the cluster's long-term connected institutional entities.
• Ateliér DuchůminorOthersHonorary member company of Herní Klastr, collaborated on the Kompas exhibition design.
• Fineway StudiosminorOthersHonorary member company of Herní Klastr.
• GameDev AreaminorOthersHonorary member of Herní Klastr.
• Ingame StudiosminorOthersHonorary member company of Herní Klastr.
• Madfinger GamesminorOthersHonorary member company of Herní Klastr.
• Masarykova univerzita (MUNI)minorOthersHonorary member university of Herní Klastr.
• NOX GAMESminorOthersHonorary member company of Herní Klastr.
• Czech Games EditionminorOthersHonorary member company of Herní Klastr.
• Three DragonsminorOthersHonorary member company of Herní Klastr.
• SVČ LužankyminorOthersHonorary member of Herní Klastr.
• Šuřka (SŠUD Brno)minorOthersHonorary member school of Herní Klastr.
• CBE SoftwareminorOthersHonorary member company of Herní Klastr.
• GIANTS SoftwareminorOthersHonorary member company of Herní Klastr.
• Janáčkova akademie múzických umění (JAMU)minorOthersHonorary member university of Herní Klastr.
• Fakulta výtvarných umění VUT (FaVU)minorOthersHonorary member faculty of Herní Klastr.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• UKIE (UK Interactive Entertainment Association): National trade body for the UK interactive entertainment industry. Comparable mission of industry representation, policy advocacy, education, and member services at national scale.
• TIGA (The Independent Game Developers' Association): UK trade association representing independent game developers with policy, networking, and business support services. Closely comparable member-services model for indie studios.
• SpielFabrique: European indie game accelerator and co-production market organizer. Direct peer given parallel mission of supporting indie game studios with co-production, funding, and publishing connections; formally partnered with Herní Klastr on EGCM 2022.
• FLEGA (Flemish Games Association): Flemish regional game industry association providing networking, policy advocacy, and member services. Highly comparable in scope, mission, and non-profit association structure to Herní Klastr.
• Neogames Finland: Finnish national game industry hub connecting developers, educators, and public sector. Operates a near-identical cluster model to Herní Klastr in a more mature ecosystem, making it a structurally comparable organization.

Others

• KUMST (JIC): Brno-based creative hub operated by South Moravian Innovation Centre (JIC). Direct funder and operational partner of Herní Klastr; comparable as a regional creative-industry ecosystem builder but with a broader cultural scope beyond games.
• GameDev Area: Czech game developer co-working and networking network. Honorary member of Herní Klastr; operates adjacent community-building services but at smaller scale and without the cluster's policy and education mandate.

Emerging players

• Ludicious: Zurich Game Festival supporting indie developers through pitch events, mentorship, and co-production. Overlaps with Herní Klastr's SpielFabrique-mediated EGCM activity but with a Swiss festival-centric model.

Broad incumbents

• EGDF (European Games Developer Federation): Federation of European national game developer associations. Operates at supranational level providing policy advocacy and representation; comparable in mission but operates at continental rather than regional scale.
• IGDA (International Game Developers Association): Global, member-based organization serving game developers worldwide with advocacy, networking, and resources. Broader geographic scope and larger footprint than Herní Klastr but overlapping mission.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/herniklastr
• Instagraminstagram.com/herniklastr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hern%C3%AD-klastr

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Herní Klastr