Turkish mobile game company Grand Games has secured a $3 million pre-seed investment led by Earlybird, marking the first gaming sector investment since Peak Games. The latest investment news from Turkiye’s entrepreneurship ecosystem comes from the gaming sector. Founded in Istanbul with the motto “Set Off,” Grand Games will expand its services to five new cities with this investment.
Earlybird Digital East Fund, along with Laton Ventures, participated in this investment round, marking Earlybird’s first gaming sector investment in Turkiye since Peak Games.
“Differentiating with Innovation and Quality Production”
Founded by Bekir Batuhan Çelebi, Mustafa Fırtına, and Mehmet Çalım, who previously held leadership positions in leading game companies such as Good Job Games and Moon Active, Grand Games aims to develop long-lasting mobile games played by millions. Bekir Batuhan Çelebi, Co-Founder of Grand Games, emphasized the increase in the number of companies in the gaming sector over the last five years, but noted a decrease in successful games.
“While the gaming sector is on the rise, innovative and high-quality productions are rare. At Grand Games, we will develop high-quality games focused on emotions, chance, and social competition. With our highly experienced team in software, product development, art, and marketing, we are confident in our success,” said Bekir Batuhan Çelebi.
“First Game Launched, More Games on the Way”
Believing in the power of rapid production and receiving quick feedback from users, Grand Games announced the launch of their first game, Magic Sort!, on iOS and Android platforms. The game has been soft-launched in the U.S., marking their debut among gaming enthusiasts. Bekir Batuhan Çelebi hinted at future games, stating, “After focusing on puzzle games in our initial months, we plan to release our flagship game that will take social competition and interaction to a new level in early 2025.”
“Earlybird’s Second Gaming Investment in Turkiye”
This pre-seed investment round, led by Earlybird Digital East Fund, also saw participation from Laton Ventures. Earlybird, targeting technology innovators in Europe, previously invested in Peak Games, Turkiye’s first unicorn, sold to Zynga for $1.8 billion in June 2020. Earlybird views Grand Games’ investment as their second in Turkiye’s gaming sector.
Oğuzhan Özer from Earlybird Digital East Fund, highlighting Turkiye’s decade-long development in the gaming ecosystem and its global significance after the acquisition of Peak Games, commented, “As a selective investment firm familiar with the industry’s challenges, what sets Grand Games apart for us is the quality of their team and their vision. We are thrilled to support them on this exciting journey.”
Among the investors, Görkem Türk, Founder of Laton Ventures, expressed confidence in Grand Games’ potential to create new success stories in the gaming sector, stating, “As Laton Ventures, founded with the support of leading figures in the gaming industry, we believe that Grand Games, led by visionary founders nurtured in the culture of globally successful companies, will write new success stories.”
“Our Goal is to Launch a New Unicorn from Turkiye”
Bekir Batuhan Çelebi, Co-Founder of Grand Games, stated that they will use the investment to build a passionate team dedicated to changing the gaming ecosystem. “Our goal is to join the ranks of companies like Peak Games and Dream Games, achieving unicorn status in the gaming ecosystem. We thank our pre-seed investors who believe in us and support us,” he concluded.
Source: Egirisim / Prepared by Irem Yildiz