Keywords Studios PLC (LON:KWS) has launched an investment arm, known as Keywords Ventures (KWV), to support “innovative technologies and services” that benefit its clients.

The AIM-listed group, who provides technical services to the video game industry, said KWV would identify and support innovative new ventures complimentary to those of Keywords and where the group believed its game developer and publisher client base would benefit from improved access to those technologies.

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Keywords added that investee companies would benefit from both its funding and associated commercial agreements providing access to its global reach, while the company itself would benefit from its ability to drive further value from its investments by generating revenues from its client base.

The group also announced that it was making its first investment through KWV with £300,000 for a 45% stake in pre-revenue company AppSecTest Ltd, creator of AS Analyser, a cloud-based automatic testing solution for mobile apps, including games.

AS analyses apps for compliance with the EU’s newly enacted Global Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and produces detailed reports on aspects of apps that are likely to contravene the regulations.

Keywords added that alongside the funding provided to accelerate development, it had also entered into an exclusive worldwide licence agreement to commercialise the AS Analyser, will client trials to begin during July 2018 will a possible full deployment in September.

Andrew Day, chief executive of Keywords, said the group’s established relationships provided a “strong platform to support investees’ growth while adding further value to the relationships we enjoy with our clients”, adding that the group’s investments would be relatively small and unlikely to exceed 5% of the firm’s annual spend on acquisitions.