Ella Romanos
Funding, Investment & Studio Growth
I help investors, studios and organisations entering or supporting games make better decisions about funding, strategy and growth.
▸ I advise. I deliver.
01Where I fit
My experience spans three interconnected parts of the games industry: the studios building games, the investors funding them, and the organisations supporting their development.
I've run a Video Games Tax Relief loan fund and helped investment funds assess and oversee studios and projects.
I started as a programmer, co-founded a work-for-hire games studio and released 50+ games. I mentor and support teams on funding, strategy and growth.
I've designed and delivered accelerator programmes, mentored studios internationally, and served five years on the UKIE board.
Working across all three means I understand their different perspectives, can help them see the full picture and then help make things happen.
A significant part of my work involves helping organisations from outside games find their way in.
That includes investment funds exploring games, brands and IP owners developing games strategies, film and television businesses expanding into games, and organisations building industry support initiatives.
It also includes organisations using games technology and design for other purposes, such as learning and training.
02Services
Funding strategy across equity, debt, grants and publishing deals, including investment readiness and grant applications.
Assessing studios and projects, designing investment processes and overseeing funded businesses.
Practical mentoring, training and workshops on funding, strategy and growth for studios and their teams.
Helping organisations from outside games move into the industry, or use games technology and design for their own goals, such as learning and training.
Designing and delivering accelerators, studio support programmes, training initiatives and projects.
03Evidence
My work spans games development, financing, investment, industry support and programme delivery.
04About
I started in games in 2008 as a programmer and co-founded Remode, a work-for-hire studio that grew to 18 people and delivered 35+ projects. Having started on the development side, I understand the practical realities of making games as well as the commercial challenges of running studios.
Since then I've worked across development, publishing, funding, investment and industry programmes, advising organisations and delivering the work, not just recommending it.
Today I combine independent advisory work with leading Arcanix, a decision intelligence company for live games.
Oct 2023 - present
CEO
Decision intelligence software for live games, helping studios turn complex data into clear, prioritised actions. Backed by ForsVC and imec.istart.
2014 - present
Director / Independent Games Industry Advisor
Consulting and advisory work across games investment, financing, commercial strategy, studio growth, market entry and programme delivery.
2017 - 2026
Co-founder & COO
Worked with developers and IP owners to develop, publish and support live-service games, helping studios improve their operations, commercial performance and long-term growth. Led operations, partnerships and fundraising.
2008 - 2014
Co-founder & CEO
Work-for-hire studio for mobile, online and PC games. Grew to 18 people and delivered 35+ projects for clients including Sulake, Arkadium, GameHouse and Spil Games. Listed in Develop's Top 100 UK Studios in 2013.
05Speaking
I speak, deliver training and run workshops on games funding, investment, business strategy, live-service operations and studio development. I also mentor founders and studio teams through accelerators, universities and industry programmes internationally.
6 selected from 19 in the archive
06Contact
Whether you need advice or someone to help deliver a project, get in touch.