Breaking Change, a software infrastructure startup for the games industry, has raised more than £1 million in funding led by the Development Bank of Wales and Haatch, alongside an Innovate UK Growth Catalyst grant. The funding will enable the company to expand its team, progress its simulation and AI R&D, and begin piloting its technology with studios later in 2026 as it prepares for wider commercial rollout.
Modern games rely on increasingly complex underlying systems - covering areas such as vehicles, weapons, progression and economies - that typically require months of bespoke engineering to build and maintain. Breaking Change's platform is designed to remove those technical barriers by allowing studios to model, simulate and manage these systems more quickly, safely and efficiently, without building everything from scratch.
The funding package includes £735,000 in equity investment, with the Development Bank of Wales contributing £350,000 from the Wales Flexible Investment Fund and Haatch contributing £285,000. Saola Ventures and games industry business angel Dr Tomas Rawlings also participated. The remainder of the package comprises an Innovate UK Growth Catalyst grant.
The company was founded by a team with backgrounds spanning games, simulation, robotics and artificial intelligence. Co-founder and CEO Dr Jonathan Quinn previously held senior roles at Aardman, Dovetail Games and Reach Robotics, where he helped deliver internationally recognised products and supported multi-million-dollar fundraising. Co-founder and CTO Ben Laws is joined by senior engineers James Munro and Ivo Hinov, who bring expertise in real-time systems, simulation and game development.
Earlier support from Media Cymru, Innovate UK, the UK Games Fund and the Royal Academy of Engineering also contributed to the company's development ahead of this raise.
The games industry is at a real inflection point. Player expectations are rising, but the tools available to studios haven't kept pace with the complexity of modern games. Our platform is designed to remove some of the biggest technical barriers, helping studios build richer, more dynamic experiences while reducing the risk and cost of development. This funding package allows us to advance the platform, move into real-world pilots, and work directly with studios to prove that value. I also gratefully acknowledge earlier grant and programme support from Media Cymru, Innovate UK and the UK Games Fund, alongside founder backing from the Royal Academy of Engineering. This support has also been instrumental in the company's growth to date and in building the foundations for its next phase.
Breaking Change is an exciting example of a Welsh-based technology company with global potential. The team brings a strong track record and deep technical expertise in a sector that is evolving rapidly. We're delighted to support Breaking Change as they look to redefine how complex game systems are built and maintained. The team has a compelling vision and the technical capability to execute it, and we look forward to seeing their technology adopted by studios in the months ahead.
