Three investors have backed Mindtail, an Istanbul-based mobile games studio, with $2 million at pre-seed stage. APY Ventures led the round, with Inveo Ventures and Ak Portföy GSYF also putting in money.
Mindtail will use the capital to hire, build AI-based production tools, and test marketing approaches. The studio plans to grow its team to roughly three times its present size. Its first game is in development and will be named publicly in the near future.
Founders who built products played by hundreds of millions of people
R. Tamer Özgen, Umut Yıldız, Sarper Karabağ, and Doğuşcan Öztürk started Mindtail to make hybrid casual puzzle games. The studio uses AI tools at every stage of production. The founders came from Dream Games, King, Tactile, Ace Games, and Codeway, where they held roles in product, growth, and development. Their past titles include Royal Match, Royal Kingdom, Lily’s Garden, Candy Crush Soda, and the Braindom series, which have together reached hundreds of millions of players. Ece Özgüle is 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 company’s DNA from day one turns the per-iteration economic disadvantage of a hit-driven category into an advantage.”
Inveo Ventures’ Haluk Nişli noted: “Mindtail’s track record of working together, depth in product and growth, and rapid prototyping culture reflect what differentiating studios need in this new era. We’re proud to be among the first investors to back this newly founded studio.”
Ak Portföy GSYF’s Hüseyin Çelik added: “Mindtail stands out with its internationally proven founding team and AI-driven production approach. Türkiye’s recent billion-dollar exits clearly demonstrate the ecosystem’s 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 we’ve learned from products serving hundreds of millions of players with an AI-native production model to set a new standard in hybrid casual puzzle. We’ve 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.
