Istanbul mobile games studio Mindtail has completed a $2 million pre-seed raise. APY Ventures led the round. Inveo Ventures and Ak Portföy GSYF joined as additional backers.
Mindtail will spend the funds on hiring, AI-based production tools, and initial marketing tests. The studio is working to grow its team to roughly three times its current size over the near term. Its first game remains unannounced but is due to be revealed soon.
AI production methods applied to hybrid casual puzzle games from the ground up
The studio was founded by R. Tamer Özgen, Umut Yıldız, Sarper Karabağ, and Doğuşcan Öztürk. Mindtail makes hybrid casual puzzle games and uses AI tools to shape how it builds and tests each product. The four founders worked across product, growth, and development at Dream Games, King, Tactile, Ace Games, and Codeway. Their combined credits include Royal Match, Royal Kingdom, Lily’s Garden, Candy Crush Soda, and the Braindom series, titles that have been played by hundreds of millions of people. 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.