15 investors back Istanbul gaming in 2026. Turkey is a global mobile-games power. The Peak Games exit seeded a wave of founders and the funds that back them.
Istanbul makes world-class mobile games, and Turkey has become a true gaming power that punches far above its size. The Peak Games exit changed everything, and its alumni now build new studios and fund the next generation of founders.
Global gaming funds chase the best studios while local VCs back the early teams before anyone else will. Big exits keep the cash cycle turning, and each win quietly funds the studio that comes after it. Game rounds move on real metrics, not slides, so Ellty keeps all your files in one tracked room.
| Type | Check size | Sector focus | Website | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laton Ventures | Gaming-specialist VC | Pre-seed, seed cheques | Mobile games, consumer apps | Istanbul gaming VC |
| Ludus Ventures | Gaming-specialist VC | Early-stage cheques | Game studios, gaming tech | Istanbul gaming VC |
| WePlay Ventures | Gaming VC and accelerator | Up to ~US$300K | Seed-stage game studios | weplayventures.com |
| Arcadia Gaming Partners | Gaming VC (Peak alumni) | Early-stage cheques | Mobile gaming | Peak-alumni gaming fund |
| e2vc | Regional VC (gaming sleeve) | Seed cheques | Games, consumer tech | e2.vc |
| Index Ventures | Global VC | Tens of US$ millions | Gaming, consumer | indexventures.com |
| Makers Fund | Gaming-specialist VC | Seed to growth | Games, interactive media | makers.fund |
| Balderton Capital | Global VC | Tens of US$ millions | Gaming, consumer, tech | balderton.com |
| Griffin Gaming Partners | Gaming-specialist VC | Can be large | Studios, platforms, tech | griffingp.com |
| Goodwater Capital | Consumer VC | Tens of US$ millions | Mobile gaming, consumer | goodwatercap.com |
| Play Ventures | Gaming-specialist VC | Seed to Series A | Studios, gaming tech | Global gaming VC |
| BITKRAFT Ventures | Gaming-specialist VC | Seed to Series A | Studios, platforms, tech | bitkraft.vc |
| Bogazici Ventures | Local VC | Early-stage cheques | Gaming, technology | bogaziciventures.com |
| Scopely | Strategic publisher | Acquisition scale | Mobile games, M&A | scopely.com |
| Zynga (Take-Two) | Strategic publisher | Acquisition scale | Mobile, casual games | zynga.com |
Keep your studio data room ready for every fund
Gaming funds dig into your retention and revenue fast. Ellty logs every view so you know who is serious before the call.
Start free 14-day trialWhat a gaming investor backs
A gaming investor backs both a hit and the team behind it, and what they really want is game design they can repeat. They study retention and spend per user closely, because strong metrics are what win the round in the end.
They look for a proven studio core that has shipped before, and most of them run a real venture capital check on the numbers. Ellty gives each fund one tracked link, so you can see exactly who read your metrics first and who is still waiting.
Building a successful hit game is hard. Making that process repeatable is what truly sets a company apart.
15 Istanbul gaming investors
1. Laton Ventures
Laton is Turkey's flagship gaming fund.
Recent Activity: Closed a US$50M gaming fund in 2025
Sector Focus: Mobile games, consumer apps
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, seed
Check Size: Pre-seed, seed cheques
Location: Istanbul
Website: Istanbul gaming VC
2. Ludus Ventures
Ludus backs early Turkish game studios.
Recent Activity: Co-invested in TaleMonster Games
Sector Focus: Game studios, gaming tech
Stage Focus: Early stage
Check Size: Early-stage cheques
Location: Istanbul
Website: Istanbul gaming VC
3. WePlay Ventures
WePlay was Turkey's first dedicated game fund.
Recent Activity: Turkey's first dedicated game fund
Sector Focus: Seed-stage game studios
Stage Focus: Seed
Check Size: Up to ~US$300K
Location: Istanbul
Website: weplayventures.com
4. Arcadia Gaming Partners
Arcadia is led by a Peak Games alumnus.
Recent Activity: Backed Bigger Games and Vento
Sector Focus: Mobile gaming
Stage Focus: Early stage
Check Size: Early-stage cheques
Location: London
Website: Peak-alumni gaming fund
5. e2vc
e2vc backs Turkish game studios at seed.
Recent Activity: Backs Circle and Mission Control
Sector Focus: Games, consumer tech
Stage Focus: Seed
Check Size: Seed cheques
Location: Istanbul
Website: e2.vc
6. Index Ventures
Index co-led Dream Games' biggest round.
Recent Activity: Co-led Dream Games' US$155M round
LinkedIn: Index Ventures LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Gaming, consumer
Stage Focus: Series A, growth
Check Size: Tens of US$ millions
Location: London / SF
Website: indexventures.com
Share one link with every Istanbul gaming fund
Ellty shows when a fund opens your metrics. Follow up at the right moment, not days later.
Start free 14-day trial7. Makers Fund
Makers Fund was an early backer of Dream Games.
Recent Activity: An early backer of Dream Games
Sector Focus: Games, interactive media
Stage Focus: Seed to growth
Check Size: Seed to growth
Location: International
Website: makers.fund
8. Balderton Capital
Balderton led Grand Games' Series B round.
Recent Activity: Led Grand Games' US$70M round
LinkedIn: Balderton Capital LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Gaming, consumer, tech
Stage Focus: Series A, growth
Check Size: Tens of US$ millions
Location: London
Website: balderton.com
9. Griffin Gaming Partners
Griffin led Spyke Games' record seed round.
Recent Activity: Led Spyke Games' US$55M seed
Sector Focus: Studios, platforms, tech
Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
Check Size: Can be large
Location: Santa Monica
Website: griffingp.com
10. Goodwater Capital
Goodwater led Bigger Games' Series A round.
Recent Activity: Led Bigger Games' US$25M round
Sector Focus: Mobile gaming, consumer
Stage Focus: Series A
Check Size: Tens of US$ millions
Location: San Mateo
Website: goodwatercap.com
11. Play Ventures
Play Ventures joined Bigger Games' Series A.
Recent Activity: Joined Bigger Games' Series A
Sector Focus: Studios, gaming tech
Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
Check Size: Seed to Series A
Location: Singapore / Helsinki
Website: Global gaming VC
12. BITKRAFT Ventures
BITKRAFT led Circle Games' seed round.
Recent Activity: Led Circle Games' US$7.25M seed
Sector Focus: Studios, platforms, tech
Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
Check Size: Seed to Series A
Location: Denver / Berlin
Website: bitkraft.vc
13. Bogazici Ventures
Bogazici is a Turkish gaming-focused VC.
Recent Activity: A Turkish gaming-focused VC
LinkedIn: Bogazici Ventures LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Gaming, technology
Stage Focus: Early to growth
Check Size: Early-stage cheques
Location: Istanbul
Website: bogaziciventures.com
14. Scopely
Scopely bought Istanbul's Loom Games in 2026.
Recent Activity: Bought Loom Games for up to US$1B
LinkedIn: Scopely LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Mobile games, M&A
Stage Focus: Strategic M&A
Check Size: Acquisition scale
Location: Culver City
Website: scopely.com
15. Zynga (Take-Two)
Zynga's Peak Games deal seeded the wave.
Recent Activity: Bought Peak Games for US$1.8B
LinkedIn: Zynga LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Mobile, casual games
Stage Focus: Strategic M&A
Check Size: Acquisition scale
Location: United States
Website: zynga.com
Why Istanbul makes great studios
Istanbul holds deep game-making talent, and the Peak exit trained a whole generation of founders in how a studio really runs. They learned live-ops and retention the hard way, and now they ship hits and repeat the win rather than chasing one lucky launch.
Each exit funds the next wave, and new startups spin out fast as senior people leave to start their own teams. A weak lira keeps studio costs low, which stretches every round further and gives founders more runway to find the hit. Ellty keeps your studio data ready, and you can see our Istanbul real estate investors guide too.
Where the gaming money goes now
Hyper-casual got harder after 2022, so the money moved toward hybrid-casual hits with deeper monetisation. Puzzle and match games lead now, with titles like Royal Match and Pixel Flow setting the pace for what funds want to see.
Your game builds hold private code, so lock them down with granular permissions before anyone outside the team gets a link. Publishers now buy small studios fast, and a clean cap table speeds the deal when an offer lands. Ellty logs who opened each file, so you stay in control of exactly what each fund gets to see.
From a hit game to a funded studio
A first round funds your next game, and the round after that funds a real studio with a team around it. Keep a tight pitch deck for funds and show your live-game metrics, because that is what turns interest into a term sheet.
Read our due diligence for investors guide so you know what each fund will ask before they ask it. A clean metrics file wins their trust, so have it ready before the call rather than scrambling afterward. Learn how to prepare for due diligence early, and let Ellty log who opened each file and when.
How to pitch a gaming investor
Lead with a live game's metrics.
- 1.Lead with a live game's metrics.Open with the numbers from a game that is already live, not a concept. Strong day-one and day-thirty retention is the first thing a gaming fund looks for.
- 2.Prove you can repeat a hit.Show the design process and live-ops engine behind your wins, not just the wins themselves. Funds back teams that can ship the next hit, so make the repeatable system clear.
- 3.Share one Ellty link to your data.Put your metrics, build, and deck behind a single tracked Ellty link instead of scattered attachments. Track who opens each file so you always know where a fund's attention actually went.
- 4.Follow up the day a fund digs in.Reach out the moment a partner starts reading deeply, while your studio is still front of mind. Ellty shows you that exact moment, so your follow-up lands when interest is highest.
How Ellty helps you land a gaming investor in Istanbul
You've shortlisted your Istanbul gaming investors. Set up a data room before the first call.
- 1.Upload your metrics, build, and deck.Set access per fund or partner.
- 2.Share one trackable link with each fund.Each fund gets its own link.
- 3.Watch opens and follow up on time.Use analytics to time each nudge.
Istanbul gaming investor questions
- Gaming funds like Laton and Makers. Local VCs and publishers too.
- It builds hit mobile games. The Peak exit seeded the wave.
- Seed runs to a few million. Growth rounds reach tens of millions.
- Yes, it got harder after 2022. Hybrid-casual leads now.
- Strong retention and repeatable hits. A proven studio core.
- Before your first investor call. Track who opens your metrics.
