Indonesian mobile game studio Touchten pockets funding from Gree and 500 Startups

Touchten team

Indonesia-based mobile game studio Touchten today revealed it has raised an undisclosed series C round of funding led by Japanese gaming firm Gree and followed by 500 Startups.

“Gree’s investment in our company is definitely a stamp of approval of what we have been doing so far,” says Touchten CEO Anton Soeharyo. “It’s a start of an exciting journey, and when a giant gaming company like Gree is knocking at your door, offering their help, you just have to take it.”

Prior to this investment, Touchten raised funds closer to home from venture capital firms Ideosource, CyberAgent Ventures, TMS Entertainment, and UOB Venture Management.

Since its 2009 inception, Touchten has become a relatively well-known name in Indonesia’s mobile gaming space and startup ecosystem. A few of its titles have ended up as some of the top ten ranked apps on Android and iOS, and this past December the firm collaborated with 9GAG on a game called Redhead Redemption.

See: 9gag’s new game is an old Touchten one

New ways of making money from casual gaming

In May 2014, Touchten launched its own game publishing platform in which users can play mobile games and win real rewards. The initial game, Teka Teki Saku, attracted more than 40 merchants, including Starbucks, H&M, and Zalora. To date, the system has seen more than 60,000 redemptions.

Addressing what Touchten will use the fresh capital for, Soeharyo says:

We want to be the number one game company in Indonesia, and to that end, we want to hire the best talent to make that happen […] we also expect to double the team this year and we would use the funds to also market our [gaming] platform

“We are a big fan of Anton and his team. We are very impressed with their track record and what they are building in the region,” says Yuta Maeda, VP of Gree. “We want to support them to become the number one game company in Indonesia and Southeast Asia.” Gree’s Katsushi Iida will join Touchten’s board of directors.

Touchten currently has 35 employees and is looking to release three mid-core games and 16 casual games before the end of the year. Next year, it plans to release 25 casual games.

Soeharyo says Gree’s experience in building a successful billion-dollar platform is what sweetened the deal for Touchten. He also says 500 Startups was a strategic play. “500 Startups’ vast family and mentors is crucial for any startup, and after talking to Khailee [Ng, managing partner of 500 Startups in Southeast Asia], it was an easy, quick decision for both us and them,” explains Soeharyo.