RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Costão do Santinho resort in Florianópolis, the capital of Santa Catarina state, announced the launch of HubCG, an area focused on the development and promotion of games, gamers, and events within the resort area.
According to the company, investments will amount to R$300 million within the next two years to build an area of 10,000 square meters.
The project includes the construction of an e-sports arena, a coworking space, and professional training and investment in game development. The idea is for operations to begin in January of next year, with the arena opening in March and the whole complex operating as of July 2022.
The estimate is that HubCG turnover will reach, in 2026, more than R$700 (US$134) million, making it a unicorn – a startup whose market value exceeds US$1 billion – besides bringing international investments to the region.
The project plans to integrate with the rest of the existing innovation and development system in Florianópolis.
Besides the arena and coworking space, the idea of the project also foresees the promotion of professional training, investment in local companies, acceleration and incubation of startups, and hosting e-sports competitions and events.
“Our goal is to put Florianópolis on the games map and transform HubCG into a reference center for the sector within five years. In addition, we intend to lead the podium of unicorn organizations in Brazil,” said, in a statement, Fernando Marcondes de Matos, founder of Costão do Santinho and investor in the project.
The investment takes place amid the rise of the gaming market as entertainment, which has been boosted by the pandemic and social distancing. Last year, giants in the sector in Brazil reached record highs, such as Wildlife, which received a new capital contribution and became worth R$3 billion.