The global gaming and entertainment sectors today represent a combined $600 billion market, with that figure expected to reach $1 trillion within the next five years. Spanning mobile games, video games, game technology, interactive media, consumer apps, and sports and music tech, this broad category continues to expand in both scale and diversity. At the same time, AI is rapidly reshaping how products are built, how users are reached, and how companies scale.
Against this backdrop, Burak Yılmaz and Mike Fischer have announced Firstpoint VC with a €50 million target to invest in gaming and entertainment startups building in a market increasingly shaped by AI across Türkiye, Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, and Central Asia. Firstpoint’s investment thesis is rooted in the belief that the model proven by Türkiye’s gaming ecosystem for producing globally relevant companies can also be applied across rising markets in Europe and Asia.
The fund is led by two General Partners, whose combined 30+ years of investment and executive experience span 20 countries and include senior roles across WePlay Ventures, Square Enix, Epic Games, Amazon, Bandai Namco, SEGA, and Microsoft.
Having built his career across venture capital funds in Türkiye and the Netherlands, and most recently serving as Chief Executive Officer of WePlay Ventures, Türkiye’s first fund dedicated to gaming, Burak Yılmaz has worked with more than 90 gaming startups across 17 countries in Europe and Asia. His experience spans investing, founder support, and ecosystem development across markets that are still early in institutional capital, but increasingly strong in entrepreneurial talent.
Mike Fischer, meanwhile, brings executive and operational experience in gaming and interactive media. Over the course of a career spanning the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan, he has held senior leadership roles at Square Enix, Epic Games, Amazon, Bandai Namco, SEGA, and Microsoft, and has worked directly with some of the world’s best known gaming IP and technologies, including Final Fantasy, Tomb Raider, Fortnite, Unreal Engine, and Xbox. Fischer also serves as a member of the faculty in the Games and Interactive Media Program at the University of Southern California.
“Over the past decade, Türkiye’s gaming sector has shown that globally relevant companies can be built with limited capital. Today, we see similar structural dynamics taking shape in other rising markets across Europe and Asia, particularly in countries such as Poland and Vietnam. By bringing together our team’s regional investment experience, deep operating knowledge across global gaming companies, and a broad partner network spanning the region, we aim to support the next generation of standout companies from the earliest stage.”
Beyond the General Partners, Firstpoint has assembled a world-class Advisory Board and Venture Partner network with deep experience across the global gaming and entertainment ecosystem. The Advisory Board includes Jen Maclean, former General Manager at Xbox; Luke Dicken, former Head of AI at Take-Two Interactive; and Bora Kocyigit, former Country Manager at Riot Games. Its Venture Partner network spans from London to Seoul, bringing together experienced professionals from leading global companies.
“AI is opening a new chapter for gaming and entertainment. In this next phase, the companies that stand out will not be those that use AI simply as a tool, but those that place it at the center of product development, growth, and user reach. One of Firstpoint’s greatest strengths is its ability to combine that category focus with a strong regional network across Türkiye and other high potential markets in Europe and Asia. That puts us in a strong position to identify exceptional founders early and back them build companies with global relevance.”
The starting point for the fund’s investment thesis is the success of Türkiye’s gaming sector. Over the past decade, Türkiye’s gaming ecosystem has produced three unicorns, Peak Games, Dream Games, and Loom Games, along with a meaningful number of exits. More importantly, it achieved that success faster and with materially less capital than many other sectors. Firstpoint believes similar structural dynamics are now emerging across rising markets in Europe and Asia. Poland is increasingly recognized as one of the most notable centers for PC and console gaming, while Vietnam is moving rapidly toward global leadership in mobile game downloads. Central Asia, meanwhile, is becoming an increasingly attractive destination for digital investment, driven by its strong talent base and strategic position. Firstpoint’s strategy is built on the view that the model proven in Türkiye can be applied across these rising markets as well.
