Investors flock to Finland as gaming industry grows

Venture-capital investors are turning their attention to Finland developers following the success of Rovio's Angry Birds, according to a recent article from Bloomberg Businessweek.

The publication reports that Finland's gaming industry grew 57 percent in 2011. Speaking with Businessweek, chief executive officer Ilkka Paananen of developer Supercell called Helsinki, Finland "the best city in the world to build games at the moment."

"People understand that it's possible to become global from Finland — to have an example like Rovio is very inspiring and motivating," Paananen said.

According to Sean Seton-Rogers, a general partner at the London-based Profounders Capital, "there's an amazing critical mass" to be found in Finland. And a rise in mobile and tablet gaming can only help.

"The market has really grown with the growth in mobile gaming," Seton-Rogers said. "As that's taken off, people pay more attention now."

Mobile games, however, tend toward a low price range, meaning revenue can be limited. But even with a low income, extra cash can be pulled in from toys, in-game features and other franchise-related merchandise.