Firstpoint VC Research
Overview
Firstpoint VC is a newly launched early-stage venture capital firm focused on AI-driven gaming and entertainment startups in emerging markets. The fund was officially announced on April 22, 2026, with a €50 million ($58.7M USD) target fund size. The firm was founded by General Partners Burak Yılmaz and Mike Fischer, who bring a combined 30+ years of experience spanning gaming investment and executive leadership across 20+ countries.
The fund's thesis is rooted in replicating and scaling the proven success of Türkiye's gaming ecosystem — which produced unicorns Peak Games, Dream Games, and Loom Games — across other emerging markets in Eastern Europe and Asia.
Note on Portfolio Companies: Firstpoint VC launched on April 22, 2026, and has not publicly announced any portfolio investments as of this research date. The portfolio companies listed below are from GP Burak Yılmaz's prior fund, WePlay Ventures (Türkiye's first gaming-focused VC), which invested in 15 gaming startups across 17 countries. They are included as thesis-validation context for Firstpoint's investment approach, not as Firstpoint portfolio companies.
Investment Thesis
Firstpoint VC backs AI-driven startups in gaming, interactive media, and adjacent sectors. The firm's core belief is that the next generation of standout gaming and entertainment companies will not simply use AI as a tool, but will place AI at the center of product development, growth, and user acquisition. In Mike Fischer's own words: "the companies that stand out will not be those that use AI simply as a tool, but those that place it at the centre of product development."
The fund operates from the conviction that capital-efficient, globally scalable companies can be built from underserved emerging markets — particularly those with strong developer talent ecosystems that have historically been overlooked by Western VCs. Türkiye, Poland, Vietnam, and Central Asia are the anchor markets.
Firstpoint's strategy explicitly draws on the Türkiye playbook: over the past decade, Türkiye's gaming ecosystem produced three unicorns (Peak Games, Dream Games, Loom Games) through capital-efficient, world-class mobile and consumer game development. Firstpoint believes Poland (PC/console), Vietnam (mobile downloads), and Central Asia offer the same structural opportunity.
Sector Focus
Firstpoint invests across the following verticals:
- Gaming: Mobile, PC, console, and game studios — the primary focus
- Interactive Media & Entertainment: Creative tools, virtual platforms, interactive content
- Consumer Apps: AI-native consumer applications
- Sports Tech: AI-driven sports applications and platforms
- Music Tech: AI-driven music creation and distribution tools
- Game Analytics: Data and analytics infrastructure for gaming
Stage Focus
Firstpoint is an early-stage investor. The firm targets:
- Pre-Seed: Founders with a compelling vision and early prototype
- Seed: Teams with working products and initial traction
The firm emphasizes conviction-driven, founder-friendly investment terms with long-term alignment. They position themselves as hands-on partners rather than passive capital.
Check Size
Check size has not been publicly disclosed. Given the €50M fund size and a typical early-stage portfolio of 20-30 companies, estimated check sizes would range from approximately $500K to $3M per investment. The firm focuses on early-stage capital efficiency consistent with the emerging market model.
Geographic Focus
Firstpoint's primary markets are:
- Türkiye: The founding ecosystem; producer of three gaming unicorns
- Eastern Europe: Poland (PC/console gaming excellence), Ukraine, and surrounding markets
- Southeast Asia: Vietnam (rapidly growing mobile downloads), Indonesia, and regional hubs
- Central Asia: Underserved markets with strong technical talent (Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia)
The venture partner and scout network spans Istanbul, Kyiv, Baku, London, Amsterdam, Tbilisi, and Seoul — reflecting genuine regional depth.
Fund Status
Firstpoint announced its inaugural fund in April 2026 at €50M target size. The fund is in early deployment stage. No portfolio investments have been publicly announced as of the fund's launch date.
GP Track Record: WePlay Ventures
Burak Yılmaz co-founded WePlay Ventures, Türkiye's first gaming-focused VC, where he:
- Invested in 15 gaming startups with 22 investment rounds across 17 countries
- Total portfolio valuation reached $131M
- Achieved one exit within the first year: UDO Games (acquired by Talewords, Türkiye's largest PC game developer)
- Portfolio breakdown: 60% mobile studios, 40% PC/console studios
- Companies include: Mixer Games, Apphic Games, Gyroscoping Games, Studio Billion, Fantazzie, Njoykidz, L8 Studios, Funverse Games, Gnarly Game Studio, Abrakadabra Games, Hero Games, Gorilla Softworks, Unipoly, BitPet, UDO Games, One Percent
Team
General Partners
Burak Yılmaz (Istanbul) is the founding GP with deep roots in Türkiye's gaming ecosystem. He previously served as CEO of WePlay Ventures, Türkiye's first gaming-focused fund, where he worked with 90+ startups across 17 countries in Europe and Asia. He is a board member of the Turkish Esports Federation and has been a central figure in building Türkiye's gaming investment infrastructure. His hands-on operator experience with early-stage gaming studios in capital-constrained markets is a core differentiator.
Mike Fischer (Hong Kong) brings executive and operational depth from the largest names in global gaming. His career spans senior leadership roles at Square Enix (President/CEO, Americas), Epic Games, Amazon, Bandai Namco, SEGA, and Microsoft. He has worked with iconic IP including Final Fantasy, Tomb Raider, Fortnite, Unreal Engine, and Xbox. He is also a faculty member at the University of Southern California's Games and Interactive Media Program. Fischer's presence in Hong Kong provides direct access to Southeast Asian and East Asian gaming ecosystems.
Partner
Emre Kesti (Istanbul) — Partner, focused on deal sourcing and portfolio support in Türkiye and broader EMEA markets.
Venture Scouts
- Fidan Rustamli (Baku) — Asia Venture Scout, covering Central Asia from Azerbaijan
- Eugene Lavrinenko (Kyiv) — Europe Venture Scout, covering Eastern Europe from Ukraine
Advisory Board
- Luke Dicken (San Francisco) — Former Head of AI at Take-Two Interactive; provides AI/gaming technology advisory
- Jen Maclean (Seattle) — Former General Manager at Xbox; provides platform and publishing expertise
- Bora Kocyigit (Istanbul) — Former Country Manager at Riot Games Türkiye; provides regional gaming industry network
Venture Partners
The firm has a global venture partner network: Herlinda Garcia (Canary Islands), John Wright (London), Yuliya Nabieva (Amsterdam), Iro Tsagareishvili (Tbilisi), Alex Yahorau (London), Jay Choi (Seoul), Aliaksandr Zhorau (London).
Decision Process
Firstpoint operates as a two-GP partnership between Burak Yılmaz and Mike Fischer. The distributed venture partner and scout network suggests a collaborative sourcing model with centralized investment decisions. The firm emphasizes conviction-driven, selective investing with long-term alignment.
Founder Preferences
Firstpoint seeks founders who:
- Are building from emerging markets with a global ambition
- Place AI natively at the core of their product (not as an afterthought)
- Have deep gaming or entertainment domain expertise
- Can demonstrate capital efficiency — the Türkiye model
- Are building in gaming, interactive media, consumer apps, sports tech, or music tech
Investment Approach
The firm offers:
- Capital with founder-friendly terms
- Hands-on mentorship from industry leaders with deep operator experience
- Strategic network introductions (especially leveraging the gaming industry connections of Fischer and Yılmaz)
- Fundraising strategy support for subsequent rounds
Contact: [email protected]