Layer, the AI application gateway built specifically for game developers, has closed $6.5 million in seed funding led by Arcadia (Akin Babayigit’s new fund), and an investment vehicle connected to Riccardo Zacconi (co-founder of King), with participation from existing investors e2.vc (formerly 500 Emerging Europe).
Layer acts as the glue for game studios to deploy AI quickly and efficiently, with a professional suite of tools to build, manage, and refine 2D, 3D, and video assets while significantly reducing production time. Layer helps scale content across production pipelines, making it easier to develop and maintain games of all types.
Founded by industry veterans from Unity and MIT, Layer has quickly become the leading AI-powered content creation platform for mobile studios worldwide.
Since launch, more than 200 studios, including leaders like Zynga, Tripledot, SciPlay, Huuuge Games, and Machine Zone, have integrated Layer into their production pipelines to accelerate asset creation while maintaining brand consistency. Built with game makers in mind from the start, and enterprise-ready, the company has already become the preferred partner to mobile developers.
“At a time that everyone was creating point solutions, we saw that the best path to effectively apply AI models to games in the most custom, flexible and long-term way, was to have a multi-modal, tool-agnostic platform.
We are the only games-specific company delivering an enterprise-ready solution, and the response from the industry has been near immediate.
We have quickly become the preferred partner for mobile game companies, and with our seed investment and the support of our incredible investors Akin and Riccardo, our team will enhance our platform and expand to the broader games industry.”
Volkan Gurel, Co-Founder and CEO, Layer
The Layer team includes experts in AI, gaming, and art production, all focused on building the best tools for creative professionals, so the company stands out with its ability to serve game creators.
Burcu Hakguder, cofounder and Chief Revenue Officer of Layer, is a seasoned business leader with extensive experience in scaling services for game studios. She plays a pivotal role in shaping the company’s growth strategy, leading global partnership efforts with top-tier studios across the gaming industry.
Prior to founding Layer, Hakguder spent more than a decade in gaming-related services, where she specialized in business development and go-to-market strategy.
During her tenure at Unity, Burcu Hakguder played a pivotal role in generating over $100 million in revenue. She began her journey with the London-based Ads team, overseeing the EMEA region, before relocating to San Francisco to lead new business efforts across the Americas in preparation for Unity’s IPO.
Following the successful public offering, she shifted her focus to internal innovation, spearheading a number of strategic initiatives. Her work included incubating new products and exploring emerging areas such as user-generated content, peer-to-peer marketplaces, and game publishing.
“Layer is the first solution I have seen to provide developers with the simplest way to bring AI into their production pipelines. I am impressed with the team Burcu and Volkan have built, as well as Layer’s technology and deployment speed. I am excited to join this talented team’s journey alongside fellow investor and mobile games vet, Akin Babayigit.”
King co-founder and investor Riccardo Zacconi
The team at Layer fundamentally gets games, and they have the right vision and momentum to create a new industry standard to transform how world-class studios are scaling game development and production with AI. I am excited to support Burcu and Volkan, who are executing with incredible efficiency, and to join Riccardo, who is a phenomenal entrepreneur himself.”
Tripledot co-founder and investor Akin Babayigit
With this funding, the company will continue to deliver industry-leading tools for mobile studios while expanding the team and building features to support a wide range of games. As the games industry continues to evolve, Layer will be laser-focused on helping creators bridge the gap between AI innovation and game development.
