A new gaming-focused venture capital firm in Turkey shows continued growth momentum in the industry

Turkey’s reputation as a veritable mobile gaming startup has led to the rise of venture capital firms dedicated to the industry. The latest to join the ranks is Laton Ventures, a new gaming-focused venture capital firm that has raised $35 million in funding. Founding partner and Solo GP Görkem Türk said he aims to invest in pre-seed and seed stages to build a bridge between the Turkish gaming ecosystem and the rest of the world. The fund is legally registered in the Netherlands.

As an emerging market with a young population, Turks have devoured mobile games at the fastest speed, spawning more than 740 game startups. More than 48% of Turkey’s 86 million people are under the age of 30, and more than 92% of Internet users play games in Turkey, compared with the world average of 82%.

In fact, Turkish gaming startups raised more than $1 billion between 2018 and 2022.

Granted, Raton has some competition. There are currently at least 25 venture capital funds investing in video game startups outside Turkey. That said, most people also invest in other areas of technology.

Türk, a former industry manager for games and startups at Google, explained to me over the phone that Laton plans to differentiate itself by emphasizing operational consulting for its portfolio companies.

“We are positioned to be a bridge between the booming Turkish gaming ecosystem and the international gaming ecosystem. Secondly, we will increase operational support in terms of user acquisition, game design, cohort analysis, development, etc. We have received more than 20 support from founders who have exited. That really sets us apart,” he said.

The fund has invested in five companies in the past six months: two in Turkey, two in Europe and one in the United States, and plans to leverage its network of experienced industry advisors.

To this end, Laton’s LPs include Gram Games co-founder Mehmet Ecevit; Mert Gür, founder of Loop Games; Mert Can Kurum, founder of Ruby Games; Fırat îleri, managing partner of Hummingbird Ventures; Nevzat Aydın, founder of Yemeksepeti; Eric Kress , founder of Gossamer.