Games studio levels up with move to emerging Teesside tech hub

A North East games studio has relocated to new premises at an emerging tech hub in the region as part of plans to expand its team.

SockMonkey has moved to a new base at the upcoming tech cluster Albert North in Middlesbrough as part of its growth strategy, which will see it triple in headcount by the end of 2021.

Founded in 2013, the video games development studio has secured contracts to work on console and PC titles around the globe, including US-based indie game developer and publisher tinyBuild and multinational family entertainment company Outfit7.

As part of its expansion plans, the firm has taken 5,000 sq ft of office space on the fifth floor within the 16/26 building on Albert Road, where the area is undergoing regeneration to become a tech and commercial hub for the town.

Bob Makin, SockMonkey’s CEO, commented: “We’ve experienced tremendous growth recently and having almost doubled the team we had quickly outgrown our studio space in Boho Five.

“Keen to stay in Middlesbrough’s digital cluster, we needed a new office that would accommodate our future growth plans.

“When we visited 16/26 at Albert North, we immediately loved the location and the large, modern open plan space. The big plus for us was Jomast had listened to the needs of the digital sector and already created a vibrant community that met all our requirements.”

Mark Hill, commercial property director at Jomast, which is leading the regeneration, added: “The response to Albert North has been tremendous, and the area is becoming a real success story.

“We’re delighted to have been able to help a number of fast-growing businesses in the local tech sector make a move into larger office accommodation so they can continue to pursue their growth ambitions.”