Solid Clouds

Solid Clouds is an Icelandic video game development studio headquartered in Reykjavík. The company was established in 2013 by Stefán Gunnarsson, a computer science graduate of Reykjavík University, and Stefán Þór Björnsson, who was associated with Íslandsbanki. Its creation placed the studio within Iceland’s small but internationally oriented technology and creative sector. The studio’s principal known project is Starborne, a science-fiction strategy game developed with the Unity engine. Starborne combines elements of 4X strategy—exploration, expansion, exploitation, and extermination—with massively multiplayer online real-time strategy systems. Rather than presenting a conventional single-player campaign, the project was designed around persistent, competitive interaction among players in a shared online environment. During its early years, Solid Clouds obtained both private and public funding. The largest funding round identified in the available reference material took place in January 2018, although the amount and the participating investors are not specified. This financing supported the continued development of Starborne and helped the studio advance the game through successive pre-release testing stages. Solid Clouds gained international visibility when it was selected for the Nordic Showcase at the 2016 Slush conference, a major Nordic technology and startup event. Starborne also received favorable attention from video game media during its sixth and seventh alpha development rounds. These appearances and previews positioned the studio as an Icelandic developer working on an ambitious online strategy title rather than a small-scale casual or mobile release. The available reference material does not establish a complete current corporate profile, including the studio’s present ownership, executive structure, commercial release status, or broader product portfolio. Starborne remains the central publicly documented offering associated with the Solid Clouds name. Accordingly, the brand is best characterized as a Reykjavík-based game developer whose documented identity is closely tied to the long-term development of a persistent multiplayer strategy game.

Solid Clouds was founded in Reykjavík in 2013 by Stefán Gunnarsson and Stefán Þór Björnsson. Gunnarsson is described in the available reference material as a computer science graduate of Reykjavík University, while Björnsson was associated with Íslandsbanki. The studio began work on Starborne during its founding period, using the Unity game engine as the technical foundation. Starborne was conceived as a hybrid of 4X strategy and massively multiplayer online real-time strategy. Its design centers on a persistent online setting in which players compete and cooperate over territory and resources, combining the long-term economic and expansion systems associated with 4X games with real-time multiplayer interaction. The project represented an ambitious undertaking for an Icelandic studio and became the defining product associated with Solid Clouds. In its foundational years, Solid Clouds received a combination of private and public funding. The largest funding round mentioned in the available material occurred in January 2018, although no financial amount or investor list is provided. The financing enabled the continued production and testing of Starborne as the game progressed through multiple alpha stages. The company’s profile expanded beyond Iceland through its participation in Nordic technology events. In 2016, Solid Clouds was chosen for the Nordic Showcase at Slush, a prominent annual conference in the Nordic startup and technology community. Starborne also attracted favorable attention from video game publications during its sixth and seventh alpha rounds. These milestones indicated that the project had developed sufficient scope and polish to attract specialist press interest before its final commercial status was established. The available sources provide limited information about later corporate developments, ownership, management changes, additional games, or the present operating status of the studio. They do, however, establish a clear historical identity: Solid Clouds emerged as a Reykjavík game developer in 2013, raised private and public funding, presented its work to an international Nordic technology audience, and concentrated its documented development activity on Starborne.

• 2018

  Largest reported funding round

  [1]Solid Cloudsen.wikipedia.org

  The studio secured its largest funding round identified in the available source material in January 2018.

• 2016

  Selected for the Nordic Showcase at Slush

  [1]Solid Cloudsen.wikipedia.org

  Solid Clouds was included in the Nordic Showcase at the annual Slush conference.

• 2013

  Studio founded in Reykjavík

  [1]Solid Cloudsen.wikipedia.org

  Solid Clouds was established in Iceland by Stefán Gunnarsson and Stefán Þór Björnsson.

• 2013

  Development of Starborne begins

  [1]Solid Cloudsen.wikipedia.org

  The studio began developing Starborne with the Unity engine.

Independent Icelandic game developer focused on ambitious online strategy experiences that combine 4X systems with massively multiplayer real-time competition.

• Massively multiplayer online 4X real-time strategy game

  Starborne

  Starborne is Solid Clouds' documented flagship project. Developed with Unity, it combines the strategic pillars of a 4X game—exploration, expansion, resource exploitation, and competition—with a persistent massively multiplayer online real-time strategy structure. The game received favorable video game press coverage during its sixth and seventh alpha development rounds. The available reference material does not establish its final release date, platforms, commercial performance, or current operating status.

• 2018

  Securing of the largest reported funding roundOther

  Background

  Solid Clouds required continued financing for the development of its ambitious online strategy project.

  Action taken

  The company secured its largest funding round identified in the available material in January 2018, drawing on private and public funding sources across its foundational years.

  Aftermath

  The funding supported the continued development of Starborne. The available source does not disclose the amount or investor identities.

  Source

• 2013

  Start of Starborne developmentProduct launch

  Background

  After its establishment, Solid Clouds selected Starborne as its principal known development project and built it with the Unity engine.

  Action taken

  The studio commenced production of a hybrid 4X and massively multiplayer online real-time strategy game.

  Aftermath

  Starborne progressed through multiple alpha rounds and became the project most closely associated with Solid Clouds.

  Source

• 2018

  Solid Clouds closes its largest reported funding round[1]Solid Cloudsen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The studio secured its largest funding round identified in the available reference material in January 2018. The funding supported the continued development of Starborne; the amount and investors are not specified.

• 2016

  Solid Clouds selected for the Nordic Showcase at Slush[1]Solid Cloudsen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Solid Clouds was selected for the Nordic Showcase at the annual Slush conference, increasing the studio's visibility within the Nordic technology and startup ecosystem.

• Starborne receives favorable coverage during later alpha testing[1]Solid Cloudsen.wikipedia.org

  Product generation

  Video game press gave favorable coverage to Starborne during its sixth and seventh alpha development rounds, drawing attention to the project's online strategy design.

1. 1Solid Cloudsen.wikipedia.org