Sweden beckons for investors seeking to bet on next Candy Crush

SWEDISH GAME development start-ups are popping up like mushrooms after summer rains, growth that suggests the next global hit from the country that gave the world Minecraft and Candy Crush may be out there for investors to discover.

The industry added 40 new companies in 2015, explosive expansion that shows no signs of abating, according to an association that represents Swedish game developers. Their next figures are due in September.

“We see no indications of anything but that the development will continue,” Per Stromback, a spokesman for the Swedish Games Industry, said by phone. “One sign of that is the employment needs. Most of our members report vacancies, and a small survey shows that some plan to hire at least 500 people in the next 12 months.”

Swedish gaming has gained a global reputation through some attention- grabbing mergers and acquisitions — most notably Activision Blizzard, Inc.’s $5.9-billion acquisition of Swedish-founded Candy Crush developer King Digital Entertainment Plc. That 2016 deal followed Microsoft Corp.’s $ 2.5- billion purchase of Minecraft creator Mojang AB in 2014. The transactions underscore the rewards that could be reaped from savvy investment in Swedish gaming companies, said Mr. Stromback.

“The well-known acquisitions of Mojang AB and King have led to something that we’ve pointed out for a long time: that Swedish investors