Istanbul's Vento Games Secures $4M
Istanbul-based Vento Games has raised $4 million to expand its portfolio of family-friendly mobile puzzle games. The round demonstrates continued investor appetite for Turkish creative and technical talent in digital content, with the funds earmarked for hiring and a global rollout of new titles.
The $4M seed round for Vento Games was co-led by Makers Fund and Arcadia Gaming Partners. This investment is aimed at scaling their latest title, "Blossom Word Search," and expanding their portfolio of mobile puzzle games. Vento's founding team has a strong pedigree in the mobile gaming space, comprised of former executives from notable Turkish gaming companies Peak Games, Fugo, and Zynga. The leadership includes CEO Mustafa Dağlı, CTO Onur Aydınay, development lead Emir Bilgin, and art director Murat Turan. Their collective experience includes work on major global hits like "Words of Wonders" and "Okey Plus." The Turkish gaming ecosystem has shown significant momentum, ranking first in Europe for the number of gaming deals in 2023 and fifth in deal size. Istanbul is a major hub, second only to London in the number of game studios in Europe, with 474 active gaming startups. This environment is fueled by a track record of successful exits, such as Peak Games' $1.8B acquisition by Zynga. The global mobile puzzle game market is substantial, with projections estimating it will grow from $6.66 billion in 2026 to $14.45 billion by 2035. Over an 11-year period, mobile puzzle games have generated $42 billion in revenue. In 2024, Turkey was a leading growth market for mobile game in-app purchase spending, with a 28% year-over-year increase.
