Pine Games, a promising new mobile gaming startup, announced its founding and a pre-seed investment round today. Led by 500 Emerging Europe and Laton Ventures, the investment round saw Pine Games raise $2.25 million at a valuation of $10 million. Mert Gur, founder of Loop Games and creator of Match 3D, is among the investors in Pine Games.
Founded in Istanbul, Pine Games aims to establish a foothold in the gaming market by developing creative and IP-driven puzzle games to reach a wide range of players.
Innovative approaches in a changing digital world
Pine Games aims to integrate well-known IPs into its games by analyzing the privacy-oriented changes in the new digital world. This strategy is not only a creative choice but also a smart business move to overcome the increasing challenges in user acquisition.
First step: Puzzle games
Pine Games intends to develop a series of mobile puzzle games with simpler styles and mechanics before moving entirely into IP-based puzzle games. These first games will serve as a base for further projects, demonstrating the company’s commitment to quality and innovation.
A vision of perpetual and innovative gaming
At the core of Pine Games’ vision is the ambition to make games that are trendy and endure the test of time. The company aims to leave a legacy dedicated to creating games that players will enjoy playing for years to come.
A harmonious team of visionaries
Pine Games aims to combine the diverse legacies of Turkish unicorns with three co-founders from remarkable backgrounds:
- Yank Yagiz Akpek (CEO) previously worked at Peak Games, which was acquired by Zynga, and was co-founder of Bigger Games. He played a key role in the success of Toy Blast and led the development of Mergedom, which Original Games acquired.
- Burak Sarp (CTO) led multiple teams at Trendyol, Turkey’s largest e-commerce powerhouse, and played a key role in the company’s success. In addition, he was the Technical Lead Software Engineer at Rovio, and this experience brings a new perspective to Pine’s journey.
- Yasin Yildirim (Art Director) helped with the early stages of Royal Match at Dream Games. He also worked as Senior 3D Artist at Peak Games after previously working with Yanki Yagiz Akpek at Bigger Games.
Enis Hulli, Partner at 500 Emerging Europe, commented;
“The Turkish gaming ecosystem is poised to create unicorns every year. Pine Games’ history and distinctive IP-based gaming strategy places them as a strong player in this emerging landscape.”
Laton Ventures Co-Founder Görkem Türk also expressed his views on the subject.
“During the many years I have worked with Yagiz Akpek as a partner, I have had the opportunity to witness his talent and visionary approach to the mobile gaming industry. Pine Games’ vision of combining the legacies of successful unicorn companies under a single team is exciting with its extraordinary potential. At Laton, we will continue to support teams like Pine Games that can be at the forefront of the gaming industry.”
The founders aim to seamlessly integrate their extensive experience in the gaming and technology industries into Pine Games’ journey.
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