Mika Games is one of the few specialized investment companies in the gaming market and has already invested in two mobile studios: Guli Games and Hot Siberians. These partnerships demonstrate Mika Games’ commitment to supporting ambitious gaming founders and driving their success worldwide.
The CEO of Mika Games, Nick Katselapov, has a deep interest in mobile games and views them as the most accessible and massive form of gaming to date. With his experience and knowledge gained from operating Wargaming, Katselapov aims to use Mika Games to boost growth within the teams they invest in.
One common problem in the gaming industry is that many studios are forced to halt progress after depleting their initial funding. If these studios are not yet generating enough revenue, venture capitalists who are not involved in the gaming business are generally hesitant to invest at this stage. Mika Games aims to bridge this gap by selecting projects with enough potential for market success and providing the necessary financing and business guidance.
According to Katselapov, “83% of mobile games fail within three years, and a significant factor contributing to this is the lack of financing and business guidance.” Mika Games aims to fill this market gap and capitalize on the opportunity by investing in talented teams and ambitious games, gradually building up value and increasing their chances for break-out success.
Unlike traditional early-stage gaming venture funds, Mika Games selects only a handful of established studios that have successfully built a game. The company supports these studios at their soft launch stage, helping them scale up and achieve a monthly revenue of at least $1 million. Mika Games not only acts as an investor but also provides hands-on support in areas such as business processes, game design, monetization, marketing, and product strategy.
Dmitry Smirnov, a partner at Flint Capital, believes Mika Games is a highly promising project with gaming expertise and a well-thought-out business model. Flint Capital, which led the initial funding round, has both an early-stage fund and a late-stage fund, indicating their ability to support Mika Games throughout its entire life cycle.
With the mobile gaming market anticipated to rebound to $111.4 billion in 2024, Mika Games sees a favorable opportunity to identify and secure the best projects for investment. The company plans to invest globally and across genres, focusing on mobile-first, free-to-play live service games with long-term monetization potential.
Despite his success in the gaming industry, Nick Katselapov has faced allegations in his home country of Belarus. The Belarus KGB accused him of being a terrorist, likely due to his involvement in helping Wargaming move out of its Russian operations. Mika Games acknowledges these allegations but cannot comment on the specifics of the matter.
Overall, Mika Games is poised to make a significant impact in the mobile game industry with its substantial investment and comprehensive growth support for promising game studios. With their expertise and hands-on guidance, they aim to increase the success rate of mobile games and drive the industry forward.
