London’s Hutch raises $5.5 million for free-to-play racing games

United Kingdom game studio Hutch has raised $5.5 million to continue making free-to-play mobile racing games.

The investment was led by Index Ventures and Backed VC. The London and Brighton-based studio made the announcement alongside news of the success of Hot Wheels: Race Off, a mobile title developed after the studio secured a licensing deal with entertainment giant Mattel.

Launching ahead of Christmas, the game has attracted over 14 million players worldwide in less than a month on both iOS and Google Play.

“We founded Hutch on a long-term vision that racing on mobile devices had enormous category potential,” said Shaun Rutland, cofounder of Hutch, in a statement. “We built our studio on a thesis that we could dominate the sector, by bringing new, refreshing and compelling entertainment to the genre. We’re now firing on all-cylinders, with incredible talent, technology and intellectual property.”

He said the company has strong values and a culture that empowers the people to create leading-edge mobile games.

“What really sets Hutch apart in our eyes is their unrivaled expertise in motor sports, an area of huge potential in mobile that is yet to be won, and their incredible company culture, which was as important a factor to us as their capabilities on the game development side,” said Alex Brunicki of Backed VC, in a statement. “The culture that Shaun and the team have cultivated over the past few years is unique and an amazing draw for the best talent in London.”

Hutch was founded in 2011 and received seed financing in 2014, via a round led by Initial Capital. Hutch has entertained over 100 million players, since inception in 2011, across franchises including Smash Cops, Smash Bandits, MMX Racing, MMX Hill Climb, and Hot Wheels: Race Off. The company has more than 50 employees.