Technology

Agave, the startup behind Find the Cat, secures $18 million in funding

AifrontierFebruary 22, 202505 mins

Agave Games Secures $18 Million in Funding for Its Hit Casual Mobile Game Find the Cat

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A Turkish Startup’s Success Story

Agave Games, a startup from Turkey that has created a hit casual mobile game called Find the Cat, has secured $18 million in funding. This investment will be used to expand the team and work on future titles, with at least two more games planned for release within the next year.

The Rise of Casual Mobile Games

The funding comes at an exciting time for the gaming industry, particularly for casual mobile games. These types of games have been incredibly popular in recent years, raking in huge audiences and revenues. Find the Cat has already achieved significant success, with over 10 million downloads in its first quarter of life.

Agave’s Story

Agave Games was founded by CEO Alper Oner, who had previously studied computer engineering at UC Berkeley. After returning to Turkey due to COVID-19, Oner came together with his high school friends Ali Baran Terzioglu, Burak Kar, and Oguzhan Merdivenli to start the company. They initially explored various ideas before settling on casual games, which combined their technical expertise with their gaming interests.

Find the Cat: A Game of Hidden Cats

Find the Cat is a game where players must find cats in increasingly complex drawings, similar to Where’s Wally-style puzzles. The game has been a huge hit, with over $10 million in revenues generated on Android alone. Agave Games uses AI to create the initial pictures, which are then polished by human artists.

The Role of AI in Game Development

Agave Games is leveraging AI in its creative process, using it to generate initial pictures and freeing up human artists to focus on polishing and refining the game experience. Oner emphasized that while AI has proven effective in certain areas, coding remains a task best handled by humans.

Future Plans and Potential

The funding will enable Agave Games to expand its team and work on new projects, including at least two more games planned for release within the next year. According to Robleh, "We are backing the capability they’ve built to be able to do that." This investment is a testament to the potential of casual mobile games and the innovative approach taken by Agave Games.