Istanbul studio Mindtail has raised $2 million in pre-seed funding. APY Ventures led the round, with Inveo Ventures and Ak Portföy GSYF also taking part.
The money will go towards hiring, building AI-based production tools, and running early marketing tests. Mindtail plans to grow its team to roughly three times its current size. The studio’s first game has not yet been named but will be revealed shortly.
Hybrid casual puzzle games made with AI production tools
Four founders set up Mindtail: R. Tamer Özgen, Umut Yıldız, Sarper Karabağ, and Doğuşcan Öztürk. The studio focuses on hybrid casual puzzle games and uses AI tools throughout its production process. The founders previously worked in product, growth, and development at Dream Games, King, Tactile, Ace Games, and Codeway. Their work spans titles such as Royal Match, Royal Kingdom, Lily’s Garden, Candy Crush Soda, and the Braindom series, which have reached hundreds of millions of players. Ece Özgüle holds the role of 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.
