TURKISH MOBILE GAMING STARTUP MINDTAIL RAISES $2 MILLION

Istanbul, Turkey

Istanbul-based mobile gaming studio Mindtail has closed a $2 million pre-seed round led by APY Ventures, with participation from Inveo Ventures and Ak Portföy GSYF.

The funding will support team growth, AI-native production infrastructure, and marketing tests, with Mindtail aiming to triple its team in the near term. The studios first game is expected to be announced soon.

A new-generation approach to hybrid casual puzzle

Founded by R. Tamer Özgen, Umut Yıldız, Sarper Karabağ, and Doğuşcan Öztürk, Mindtail is building the next generation of hybrid casual puzzle games through an AI-powered production model. The founding team brings together experience from Dream Games, King, Tactile, Ace Games, and Codeway, with active product, growth, and development roles in titles reaching hundreds of millions of users including Royal Match, Royal Kingdom, Lilys Garden, Candy Crush Soda, and the Braindom series. Ece Özgüle serves as Art Director.

Keçeli: Game production as a capital efficiency game

APY Ventures Fund Manager Mustafa Keçeli said: What sets Mindtail apart is a founding philosophy that views game-making not just as a creative discipline, but as a capital efficiency game — where economics, production architecture, and timing align. A team with critical roles in globally successful titles placing AI-native production at the core of the companys DNA from day one turns the per-iteration economic disadvantage of a hit-driven category into an advantage.

Inveo Ventures Haluk Nişli noted: Mindtails track record of working together, depth in product and growth, and rapid prototyping culture reflect what differentiating studios need in this new era. Were proud to be among the first investors to back this newly founded studio.

Ak Portföy GSYFs Hüseyin Çelik added: Mindtail stands out with its internationally proven founding team and AI-driven production approach. Türkiyes recent billion-dollar exits clearly demonstrate the ecosystems global potential, and we believe Mindtail will be a major player as the AI transformation accelerates.

Özgen: Aiming to set a new standard

Mindtail Co-Founder and CEO R. Tamer Özgen said: This round is the moment our collective experience materializes. We aim to combine what weve learned from products serving hundreds of millions of players with an AI-native production model to set a new standard in hybrid casual puzzle. Weve also created a meaningful option pool for those joining us — founder-employee alignment from day one is a top priority.

About Mindtail

An Istanbul-based mobile gaming studio building hybrid casual puzzle games with an AI-native production model.

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