Gameloft ranked Europe's fourth fastest growing company

Paris-based publisher and developer of mobile games and content, Gameloft, has been placed fourth in the Business Week list of Europe's Top 500 fastest growing companies.

The European Top 500 is established using the David Birch Employee Growth index and focuses on performance and employment growth over a three-year period. Founded in 1999, Gameloft has continued to show massive growth both in terms of its product portfolio and licensing deals, and its workforce. From just 130 staff in the beginning of 2003, the company now employs over 1,700 staff in Europe, Asia and North America.

Gameloft's founder and CEO, Michel Guillemot, commented: "We are delighted to have made the Europe's 500 list. According to the ARC Group's forecasts, our market segment could generate 5.5 billion dollars in 2008; Gameloft is now in a perfect position to tap into this growth and definitively establish itself in years to come as the world's leading mobile games company."

Thanks to a continually increasing portfolio of high-profile brand licenses from firms including parent company Ubisoft, Universal Studios and Paramount Pictures, and several sporting licenses such as pro golfer Vijay Singh and baseball star Derek Jeter, Gameloft has established itself as one of the leading global publishers and developers of mobile content.

In its tenth consecutive quarter of triple figure revenue growth, Gameloft has posted Q3 2005 sales figures of EURO 11 million; an increase of 101 percent on the same period in 2004. Total sales for the nine-month period in 2005 reached EURO 31.4 million, which is a massive 121 percent increase on the 2004 results.

Investment in North American and Asian markets has shown positive results for the company, as revenue sales for Europe accounted for just 56 percent of the overall sales, compared to 68 percent in 2004.North American sales accounted for 28 percent, with 16 percent attributed to Asian and South American sales.

Gameloft has renewed its full 2005 fiscal year forecasts, expecting sales to reach EURO 44 million and increasing by 90 percent on 2004. There are close to fifteen 2D and 3D titles due for release by Gameloft in the final quarter, including a movie tie-in with Peter Jackson's King Kong, Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones and WWII shooter Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood - all of which the company expects will make a substantial contribution to its continuing growth and positive final year sales.