Circle Games, an Istanbul-based gaming studio, has raised US$7.25 million in a seed funding round.

The investment was led by Bitkraft Ventures, with participation from a16z Speedrun, Play Ventures, e2vc, and APY Ventures.

The studio intends to use the funds to further develop its current project, Sort Express, along with other unannounced games.

The funding will also support team expansion.

Circle Games is focusing on the casual puzzle game market, which is a significant segment in Turkey’s gaming industry.

CEO Gokturk Balıkcı said, “We want to innovate in player experience by introducing new mechanics.”

The company has not disclosed additional details about its upcoming projects.

🔗 Source: GamesIndustry.biz

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ Turkey’s emergence as a mobile gaming powerhouse

Circle Games’ funding comes amid Turkey’s remarkable rise as a mobile gaming hub, now ranking second only to the UK in the EMEA region for game development 1.

This growth is evidenced by the presence of multiple Turkish companies in global download charts, with firms like CASUAL AZUR GAMES (2.03 billion downloads), skgames (1.11 billion downloads), and Rollic Games (953 million downloads) dominating top positions 2.

The country’s gaming ecosystem has evolved from web-based games in the early 2000s to mobile-first companies that have achieved major exits, most notably Peak Games’ $1.8 billion acquisition by Zynga 1.

Turkish developers have created a competitive landscape with multiple titles in top-grossing charts, establishing Istanbul as a center for mobile gaming talent and entrepreneurship 1.

Investment in the sector surged dramatically in 2021-2022, with companies like Dream Games achieving unicorn status, demonstrating strong investor confidence in Turkish gaming startups 1.

2️⃣ The third generation of Turkish gaming entrepreneurs