Mobile Games Studio Mindtail Raises $2 Million in Istanbul

Mindtail, a mobile games studio founded in Istanbul, has completed a $2 million pre-seed funding round led by APY Ventures. Inveo Ventures and Ak Portföy GSYF joined the round as co-investors.

The studio will direct the funds towards hiring, AI-based production tools, and marketing tests. Mindtail plans to grow its team to around three times its present size over the near term. The studio has yet to name its first game, though a reveal is expected in the coming weeks.

Experienced founders target the hybrid casual puzzle market

R. Tamer Özgen, Umut Yıldız, Sarper Karabağ, and Doğuşcan Öztürk founded Mindtail. The studio builds hybrid casual puzzle games using an AI-powered production process. The four founders held roles in product, growth, and development at Dream Games, King, Tactile, Ace Games, and Codeway. Their combined experience covers titles such as Royal Match, Royal Kingdom, Lily’s Garden, Candy Crush Soda, and the Braindom series — games that have reached hundreds of millions of players worldwide. 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 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.