Circle Games raises $25m Series A led by Tencent

Istanbul-based mobile game studio Circle Games has raised $25 million in a Series A round led by Tencent, according to SwipeLine. The funding brings the studio's total investment to $32.25 million.

Circle Games will use the new capital to expand its recently released puzzle game Jelly Escape into additional markets while continuing to grow Sort Express, its first globally released title. The studio also plans to at least double its employee count and expand its product portfolio with new mobile games.

Sort Express, a puzzle game that focused heavily on user experience and data analysis during development, demonstrated the studio's approach to the genre. "In order to be successful in the puzzle genre, it is necessary to establish the details correctly and not to lose that care as the game grows," said Circle Games co-founder and CEO Göktürk Balıkcı. "Sort Express showed us that we had the right approach."

Balıkcı added that the studio aims to grow its team with developers who maintain high standards. "With Tencent leading this round and continuing the support of our investors, who have been with us since day one, we have the resources to take this approach much further," he said.

Existing investors e2vc, BITKRAFT Ventures, APY Ventures and a16z Speedrun also participated in the Series A round. Circle Games previously raised $7.25 million in a seed round completed in July 2025.