Istanbul-based mobile gaming startup Mindtail has raised $2 million in a pre-seed funding round led by APY Ventures, with participation from Inveo Ventures and Ak Portföy GSYF.
The newly founded studio plans to use the capital to expand its team, build AI-native production infrastructure, and run early marketing tests. Mindtail is also preparing to announce its first game soon.
Founded by Rustem Tamer Özgen, Umut Yıldız, Sarper Karabağ, and Doğuşcan Öztürk, the company is entering the hybrid casual puzzle segment with a model that places artificial intelligence at the centre of game production. Ece Özgüle serves as the studio’s Art Director.
What makes Mindtail’s launch notable is the background of its founding team. Its members have worked across major gaming companies including Dream Games, King, Tactile, Ace Games, and Codeway, with experience linked to titles such as Royal Match, Royal Kingdom, Lily’s Garden, Candy Crush Soda, and the Braindom series.
For a young studio, that gives Mindtail a rare starting point: a team already familiar with building, scaling, and growing mobile games for large global audiences.
APY Ventures Fund Manager Mustafa Keçeli said Mindtail stands out because it treats game-making not only as a creative process, but also as a question of capital efficiency, production design, and timing. He said the studio’s AI-native approach could help turn the costly trial-and-error nature of hit-driven gaming into an advantage.
Haluk Nişli of Inveo Ventures pointed to the team’s shared working history, product depth, growth experience, and rapid prototyping culture as reasons for backing the company early.
Hüseyin Çelik of Ak Portföy GSYF said Mindtail’s internationally experienced team and AI-driven production model position it strongly as AI reshapes game development.
Mindtail Co-Founder and CEO R. Tamer Özgen said the funding marks the moment the team’s combined experience begins to take shape as a company. He added that Mindtail wants to apply learnings from products used by hundreds of millions of players to set a new standard in hybrid casual puzzle gaming.
The company has also created an option pool for future team members, with Özgen saying founder-employee alignment is a priority from the beginning.
For Turkey’s gaming ecosystem, Mindtail’s raise adds another AI-focused studio to watch. The company has not yet revealed its first title, but its early pitch is clear: use experienced mobile gaming talent and AI-native production methods to move faster in a competitive, hit-led market.
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