Mika Games, a gaming investment company established by Nick Katselapov, former co-founder of Wargaming, has closed a $10 million funding round spearheaded by Flint Capital. The round also drew backing from both returning and new investors.

The firm addresses a persistent challenge in mobile game development: early-stage studios typically cannot access financing for user acquisition because traditional funders demand proof of marketing success. This proof usually requires several months of campaign history, prior marketing expenditure between $300,000 and $500,000, and demonstrated returns on investment.

Mika Games operates differently, investing in studios whose user acquisition track records remain incomplete. The investment structure pairs equity funding—used for game development and operational costs—with dedicated capital allocated toward substantial paid marketing initiatives. These campaigns allow developers to measure player retention rates, revenue generation, and the return on their marketing spend, potentially opening doors to additional capital for scaling.

According to Katselapov, the mobile gaming landscape has grown more competitive. "Early marketing capital can therefore influence which games players ever get to discover. Our aim is to give new titles enough runway to reach players," he stated.

Mika Games has grown its investment portfolio to five studios during the current year, up from three previously. Among its holdings are Guli Games, creator of the 3D farming title Legendale, which has attracted over 3 million players globally, and Agonalea Games, whose roguelike tower defence game Punko has exceeded 500,000 downloads.

The portfolio also encompasses Bulberry Studio, which produced Wargard—a mobile strategy game blending deck-building mechanics with direct troop control in competitive player-versus-player modes—and LevelApp, a developer focused on merge-2 games such as Merge Dale and Sea Bloom.

The newly raised capital will fund game development efforts and expanded marketing campaigns across the portfolio, enabling studios to validate their games' commercial viability and grow their player communities.

Source: Tech.eu