Space Ape exec Simon Hade heads up new spinoff studio NextBeat

A new studio called NextBeat has been spun out of Space Ape Games.

Led by the London developer’s co-founder and exec Simon Hade as CEO, the team also includes a number of Space Ape alums. Its portfolio includes Space Ape-developed music games Beatstar and Country Star. 

Space Ape product manager George Yao has joined NextBeat as head of live games, while studio operations manager Imogen Turner has been appointed head of operations at the new company, and community manager Daisy Fletcher has been named live ops and player manager.

Other hires include Derek De Filippo as head of BD and partnerships, while former Kepler Interactive chief financial officer Joe Adams has joined as its own CFO.

LinkedIn currently lists 14 staff as part of the new venture.

“Excited to announce that I’m starting a new project that a bunch of us have been cooking up with Supercell for a while now,” said Hade in a LinkedIn post. “Will reveal all soon.”

PocketGamer.biz has reached out for comment and further details.

Space Ape acquisition

News of a Supercell-backed spin-off comes after the Finnish developer acquired a 100% stake in Space Ape last year. Supercell said the deal would see it establish a new London office, giving it access to London-based talent.

“We believe the best teams create the best games, so we are really excited to find our place within London’s incredibly talented games ecosystem by joining forces with Space Ape,” said Supercell CEO Ilkka Paananen at the time.

“This move will bring in amazing new colleagues and make our games teams even stronger. With the best talent globally, we move faster on our mission of creating great games that as many people as possible play for years and that are remembered forever.”

Space Ape’s games have been played by 180 million people around the world, generating more than $500 million. Its portfolio of titles includes Beatstar, Country Star and Chrome Valley Customs.