#GamingBusiness

Cyprus-based mobile games startup Studio 42 has raised $3.6 million in Seed funding to accelerate the launch of its first title and explore new puzzle game IP. The funding round was led by Play Ventures, with participation from GEM Capital and Arcadia Gaming Partners. Founded with a mission to reinvent the puzzle genre, Studio 42 is developing hybrid-casual experiences that blend classic puzzle gameplay with engaging metagame elements. The studio is taking a speed-focused and data-driven approach — embracing rapid iteration, live testing, and AI-powered hypothesis validation. “We believe genius lies in simplicity,” said Aleksandr Bogdanov, CEO of Studio 42. “This funding allows us to focus on crafting deeply engaging puzzle experiences that feel familiar, yet fresh. With the backing of some of the top investors in gaming, we’re excited to push the genre forward.” Studio 42’s first prototype moved […]

Source: VentureBeat TaleMonster Games, an Istanbul studio founded by Peak Games veterans on a mission to bring depth and creativity back to casual puzzle games, has raised $7 million in funding. TaleMonster just scored big. With fresh funding led by General Catalyst — joined by A16z Speedrun, Arcadia, and Ludus Ventures — the studio is set to fast-track development on its debut lineup, including the upcoming match-3 title Match Valley. But this isn’t just about one game. CEO Irem Sumer told GamesBeat that TaleMonster was built on a clear mission: today’s players are more sophisticated than ever — and their games should rise to meet them. This investment fuels that vision, backing the studio’s creative and technical push to redefine what casual puzzle gaming can be. Match Valley is a popular new game from TaleMonster Games. “We have been working together for […]

Source: VentureBeat Layer, the AI application gateway built specifically for game developers, has raised $6.5 million in seed funding to make next-generation production tools. 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. It’s got a lot of mobile game customers, which is why it has raised a new round of funding and is figuring out how to go after the PC and console game studio business. “We’re the leading AI-powered tool for content creation, and we’re here for game studios,” said Volkan Gurel, CEO of Layer, in an interview with GamesBeat. “We started off with a […]

Written by our partner, InvestGame. In the current investment landscape, a few themes dominate headlines as strongly as Artificial Intelligence. According to CB Insights, global AI funding exceeded $100B in 2024, with companies like Databricks ($10B – Series J), OpenAI ($6.6B), and xAI ($6B – Series B & $6B – Series C) raising the largest rounds. While the potential of AI in gaming is broadly recognized, dedicated AI-first gaming startups still lag in capital and visibility compared to enterprise- or productivity-focused peers. This raises crucial questions: Why is AI still underpenetrated in gaming startups? Is there genuine whitespace for gaming-specific AI solutions? How do investors perceive this burgeoning segment? To explore these points, we’ve closely tracked AI usage in gaming over the past five years from 2020–2024. Our findings indicate a substantial, though still emerging, market: over 178 AI startups secured around $1.8B across 264 […]

Backed by Ludus Ventures, a16z Speedrun, and Revo Capital, the self-publishing studio is gunning for global growth. Istanbul-based mobile game studio Alpaka Games has secured $2.25 million in seed funding to accelerate its global expansion in the hybrid action genre. The round was backed by Ludus Ventures, Revo Capital, a16z’s Speedrun, and Andreessen Horowitz’s elite acceleration program for game studios. Founded by Can Aksoy, Levent Alp, and Özgün Levent Kaya, the studio aims to scale its production and publishing efforts, pushing competitive titles into international markets. Alpaka Games stands out as a self-publishing studio, giving it full creative and operational control over its titles. The startup was also selected for the a16z Speedrun program — a Silicon Valley-based accelerator that accepts less than 1% of applicants worldwide. The founding team will spend early 2025 in San Francisco, gaining hands-on access to […]

The U.S. Department of Justice just dropped a bombshell: they want Google to break apart its ad tech business, starting with AdX & Google Ad Manager. Filed in court Monday, the DOJ’s proposal aims to dismantle what it calls a “decade-long campaign of exclusionary conduct.” A judge already ruled Google’s ad dominance violates antitrust law. Now the DOJ wants action. The Plan: AdX must go — fast. The DOJ says AdX has made it hard for publishers and advertisers to switch to rivals and wants it sold ASAP. Google would also be banned from running an ad exchange for 10 years. Google Ad Manager/DFP would be split off in phases. First: Google must build an API for third-party integration and offer a full data export tool. Then: Open-source the ad auction code — and permanently block Google from using it […]