Coffee Stain invests in Kavalri as part of gender balance initiative
Goat Simulator developer Coffee Stain Studios has announced another addition to Levelling the Playing Field, a funding initiative aiming to tackle the gender imbalance when it comes to employment in the field of games.
This provides opportunities for small development studios and startups where at least half of the staff are women, with Kavalri being the second studio to receive this investment, who are working on Equestrian the Game (pictured below).
The press release cites figures from the International Game Developers Association showing that 22% of developers are women, hence why Coffee Stain is offering both guidance and funding on how startup studios can grow with diversity in mind.
Kavalri Games' project comes from a seven-person team, and they're aiming to create realistic and professional sports games showing the "different verticals of the sport, such as dressage and showjumping".
Molly Ericson, Co-Founder & VP of Kavalri Games, said: "We identified our culture and core values very early on in Kavalri's creation. One of our mantras includes focusing on diversity in people, not in vision. Diversity in people's background, ethnicity, gender, and personality is important while making sure there's alignment in vision & mission. Being part of Levelling the Playing Field is a fantastic opportunity. It's a great initiative combined with the expertise and support of Coffee Stain."
"The games industry continues to make small advances in diversity but it's still not enough," adds Johannes Aspey, Co-Founder of Coffee Stain. "Levelling the Playing Field is committed to working with studios who are dedicated to diversity while also looking at start-ups that have a unique vision in mind. Equestrian the Game targets a completely new demographic, one that hasn't been reached before and Kavalri's vision for the company is forward-thinking. This is exactly the combination we're looking for."
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