Yrdvaab Ltd, an indie game studio based in Oulu, has secured over €130k in new funding from the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment of Northern Ostrobothnia to continue the development of its space strategy game Ephemeris.
The grant, sourced from the European Structural Investment Funds, marks a vital milestone for the studio as it pushes toward an anticipated early access release on Steam within the next year.
The new funding adds to a €200,000 private investment round closed earlier this year from unnamed German backers, enabling the small team to not only keep development alive but grow its technical capabilities.
“While this year has been challenging for the game industry in general, we have been quite fortunate,” says Tuomas Pöyhtäri, the lead designer and programmer for Ephemeris. “Earlier in the year, we received a substantial amount of private funding, which is now supplemented by this support from the EU. We have already been able to hire a second programmer, allowing us to take a giant leap ahead in game development.”
This year has seen several studios and platforms close notable rounds: Ultra (Estonia) raised €10.8 million to expand its team and platform; VOYA Games (Germany) secured €4.4 million to launch its debut title; Studio 42 (Cyprus) obtained €3.2 million to fund development; and Hoora (France) raised €1.1 million to build a mobile game-discovery platform.
On the technology side, TILKI (UK) brought in €1.8 million for its AI-powered creation platform, while General Intuition (Switzerland) closed an exceptional €114 million round bridging gaming, robotics and drones.
Altogether, these rounds represent roughly €139.6 million in new capital across the sector so far this year. Yrdvaab’s combined €330k total, though smaller in scale, reflects the growing relevance of mixed public–private funding models for early-stage studios in Europe.
None of the 2025 EU-Startups reports have featured another Finnish developer, highlighting Yrdvaab’s distinctive position within the Nordic indie scene as EU-backed regional support continues to play a stabilising role in a volatile gaming market.
Yrdvaab began work on Ephemeris in 2021. The game is set to offer a hybrid gameplay experience, merging a classic 4X structure (explore, expand, exploit, exterminate) with real-time, three-dimensional tactical combat. Drawing inspiration from genre heavyweights such as Master of Orion, Homeworld, and Total War, the game aims to stand out through its dedication to realism – most notably via Newtonian physics, which govern all ship movement and interactions in combat scenarios.
The team previously attempted to crowdfund the project in October 2024 through IndieGoGo, setting a minimum target of €30k with hopes of reaching €100k. Despite receiving only €8,400 from 157 backers, the studio attracted attention from German investors shortly after, securing the much-needed €200k to sustain development.
According to the studio, lack of international media coverage hindered the crowdfunding campaign, although the title did gain traction in Germany – likely contributing to its success in securing investment there.
Now revitalised and operating with public and private backing, Yrdvaab has recommitted to launching Ephemeris via early access. Initially available for Windows, the game is already listed on Steam for wishlisting and updates.
In addition to the realistic space physics and the variety in ship scales, Ephemeris reportedly includes a player-friendly interface designed to remove the burden of micro-management, even when controlling expansive interstellar empires. The technology tree and various universe settings are procedurally generated with each playthrough.
Despite a rocky start, Yrdvaab has now re-established a stable path toward launch, combining European public funding and international private capital to bring its vision to life.
The case of Ephemeris highlights how regional EU support schemes can serve as vital bridges for small studios navigating the volatile gaming ecosystem, particularly when traditional funding sources such as crowdfunding fall short.
With fresh funding, an expanded team, and a prototype already drawing attention, Ephemeris looks to carve out a niche among space strategy enthusiasts – provided it continues its forward momentum and avoids future funding turbulence.
The final release timeline remains dependent on development progress, but the studio appears confident about reaching early access within a year.
Read the orginal article: https://www.eu-startups.com/2025/11/finnish-indie-studio-yrdvaab-receives-e130k-backing-to-continue-work-on-space-strategy-title-ephemeris/
