Mobile games studio Mindtail, based in Istanbul, has closed a $2 million pre-seed round. APY Ventures led the raise, with Inveo Ventures and Ak Portföy GSYF contributing alongside.
Mindtail will put the capital towards expanding its team, setting up AI-based production systems, and running initial marketing tests. The studio targets a near-term tripling of its current team size. Its first game title is in development and will be made public soon.
A founding team with roots in global hit titles
The studio was set up by R. Tamer Özgen, Umut Yıldız, Sarper Karabağ, and Doğuşcan Öztürk. Mindtail makes hybrid casual puzzle games, with AI tools built into the production model from the outset. Before founding Mindtail, the team held active roles at Dream Games, King, Tactile, Ace Games, and Codeway, working on titles including Royal Match, Royal Kingdom, Lily’s Garden, Candy Crush Soda, and the Braindom series. Those games have collectively reached hundreds of millions of users. Ece Özgüle joins the founding team 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.
