Turkish mobile gaming startup Bold Games has closed a $6 million Seed funding round to accelerate its global expansion and scale its debut puzzle game, Market Match. The round was co-led by Arcadia Gaming Partners, Makers Fund, and e2vc, with significant participation from Saudi Arabia’s JIMCO and a group of angel investors.
Quick Facts
- Funding: $6 million Seed round
- Key Investors: Arcadia, Makers Fund, e2vc, JIMCO
- Focus: Scaling debut puzzle game Market Match
Veteran Team Eyes Long-Term Growth
Founded in Istanbul by a team of seasoned developers from some of Turkey’s most successful gaming studios, Bold Games is looking to build a portfolio of titles with long-term player engagement. The founding team includes Ulas Mergen (formerly of Bigger Games), Atakan Toglu (Dream Games), Candas Demirel (Agave Games), and Baris Engisu (Rollic and ZeptoLab).
The fresh capital will be used to expand the product development and engineering teams, enhance game operations, and improve user acquisition and retention.
The company is strategically focusing on the “Sort Puzzle” sub-genre, which it sees as having significant growth potential compared to the more saturated hyper-casual market. Rather than chasing short-term hits, Bold Games aims to develop new intellectual property and build games that can retain players for years through high-quality experiences and continuous content development.
Saudi’s JIMCO Taps into Turkey’s Booming Gaming Hub
The participation of JIMCO, a Saudi-based investment firm, highlights the growing interest from MENA investors in Turkey’s vibrant gaming ecosystem, now considered a major global hub for mobile game development. The investment signals strong confidence in both the Turkish market’s technical talent and Bold Games’ experienced leadership team.
Ulas Mergen, CEO of Bold Games, stated that the successful funding round is a result of investor trust in the team’s expertise and innovative approach. He emphasized the company’s focus on developing games that offer experiences lasting for years, built on a deep understanding of mobile users worldwide.
About Bold Games
Bold Games is an Istanbul-based mobile game developer founded by a team of industry veterans from leading Turkish gaming studios. The company focuses on creating high-quality puzzle games with long player lifecycles, aiming to build sustainable growth and new intellectual property in the global gaming market. Its first title is Market Match, a sort-and-match puzzle game.
Source: Jawlah
