This milestone round, led by Balderton Capital—known for backing Tilt and Checkly—also saw participation from existing investors Bek Ventures (formerly Earlybird Digital East), Laton Ventures, and angel investor Mert Gür.
Marking one of the largest Series A rounds in Turkey’s history, this funding follows the $3 million Grand Games secured last year.
With this fresh funding, Grand Games plans to accelerate its growth and scale into global markets, including the United States. The company is set to launch a flagship, genre-defining game in 2025 as part of its mission to establish itself as an entertainment powerhouse.
Grand Games is also gearing up for significant team expansion, growing from 14 to over 40 members in the coming year. The hiring focus spans game design, coding, art, music, and business development. To further strengthen its foothold, the company intends to open new studios in Istanbul, reinforcing its position in the thriving Turkish gaming ecosystem.
Founded in 2024 by Mustafa Fırtına, Mehmet Çalım, and Bekir Batuhan Çelebi, Grand Games is dedicated to developing original, genre-defining games. The founders bring extensive experience, having worked on hit titles such as Zen Match and Wonder Blast at companies like Good Job Games and Moon Active.
Grand Games employs cutting-edge technology to streamline its game development process. By using AI to generate up to 30% of its codebase and platforms like MidJourney for art concept creation, the company significantly reduces production time. This efficiency allows them to rapidly build, test, and iterate new games, staying ahead of competitors.
In just under 10 months, the team has launched two major titles, Magic Sort and Car Match, which have together generated over $4 million in monthly gross in-app revenue within three months of release.
While mobile gaming continues to expand, the quality bar for games has risen sharply, and the number of successful titles has decreased. Grand Games sets itself apart by focusing on creating original games rather than cloning existing ones, aiming to redefine genres and meet underserved gamer needs.
“We are recruiting the best of the best and giving them unparalleled ownership and accountability—you build your game your way,” said Bekir Batuhan Çelebi, co-founder of Grand Games. “At Grand, we’re addressing the lack of differentiation in the market by delivering genre-defining games with significant product innovation.”
Suranga Chandratillake, General Partner at Balderton Capital, highlighted Istanbul’s emergence as a hub for world-class gaming studios. “Within this ecosystem, Grand Games stands out with its vision to create genre-defining casual games. The speed at which they’ve built a stellar team culture and achieved early success is a testament to their talent and ambition. We are thrilled to support their journey.”
Oguzhan Ozer, Principal at Bek Ventures, added, “Grand Games was our first gaming investment since Peak Games. Their exceptional talent and bold vision convinced us they have what it takes to build an enduring company. Their ability to produce multiple premium titles simultaneously has exceeded expectations, and we are proud to continue supporting them.”
Görkem Türk, Founder of Laton Ventures, echoed these sentiments. “Grand Games’ early traction and strong team culture position them as a future unicorn. We’re delighted to be part of their success story.”
With its rapid growth, innovative approach, and substantial funding, Grand Games is redefining Turkey’s gaming ecosystem. As it prepares to scale globally and launch groundbreaking new titles, the company is well on its way to becoming a major player in the international gaming industry.
