Firstpoint VC

[Firstpoint VC @firstpointvc]

The program may be over, but the relationships are just getting started.

Here are some highlights from the week! 🚀

#FirstpointVC #FirstpointBoost #CentralAsia #GamingIndustry #GameDevelopment

[Firstpoint VC @firstpointvc]

What a week for Firstpoint Boost – Central Asia! 🎮

Over five days, we brought together game studios from across Central Asia with experienced founders, publishers, operators, and investors from the global gaming industry.

[Firstpoint VC @firstpointvc]

A big thank you to all the participating studios, speakers, mentors, and local ecosystem partners who made this possible!

For us at Firstpoint VC, Boost is part of a broader commitment to building a strong local presence in emerging gaming markets, supporting promising founders early, and connecting them with global opportunities.

[Firstpoint VC @firstpointvc]

🚀 We are at Web Summit 2026!

Burak will be attending Web Summit 2026 in Lisbon, Portugal.

Looking forward to connecting with founders, investors and ecosystem leaders, and exploring new opportunities for collaboration!

📍 Lisbon, Portugal
📅 November 9-12, 2026

#Firstpoint #WebSummit2026 #VentureCapital #Startups #Networking

[Firstpoint VC @firstpointvc]

• Beliz Zorlu – Partner, Zorlu&Partners
• David Tuganov – Co-founder, Creata Group
• Can Gunaslan🔜 MIGS – Founder & CEO, Game Caster
• Enes Çetin – Co-founder & CEO, threeW Games

From publishing and investment to AI, studio growth, legal strategy, and entrepreneurship, our speakers will share real-world experiences and practical lessons with game founders across Central Asia.

📅 November 2–6, 2026 | Online, in English
Learn more: https://t.co/OLNMV8P6FQ
#FirstpointVC #FirstpointBoost #CentralAsia #GamingIndustry #GameDevelopment

[Firstpoint VC @firstpointvc]

More industry leaders are joining Firstpoint Boost – Central Asia! 🎮

From the first hire to the first global publishing deal, every game studio faces decisions that shape its future.

At Firstpoint Boost – Central Asia, we're bringing together experienced founders, investors, operators, and industry specialists to share practical insights with the next generation of game studios.

We're excited to welcome:

• Burak Yılmaz – General Partner, Firstpoint VC
• Maryna Bondarenko – BD Director, Fortis Games
• Herlinda Garcia – M&A Manager, TapNation

[Firstpoint VC @firstpointvc]

• Alf Inge Wang – Co-founder, Kahoot! & Professor, Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet (NTNU)
• Andreas Edesberg – Co-founder & CEO, Sloyd
• Selim Ozturk – Founder, Pixel Movement
• Sam Triplow – Partner, Pixel Movement

[Firstpoint VC @firstpointvc]

Building a successful game studio takes more than making great games.

That's why we're bringing together people who have built, published, funded, and helped grow some of the world's leading gaming businesses.

We're excited to introduce the first group of speakers joining Firstpoint Boost: Central Asia!

• Mike Fischer — General Partner, Firstpoint VC
• Jen MacLean — Co-founder & CEO, Dragon Snacks Games
• Luke Dicken — Former Head of AI, Take-Two Interactive
• Horace X. — Former VP, Strategic Investment, Smilegate
• Bill Wang — Co-founder & CEO, Skystone Games
• Mariusz Gąsiewski — CEE Gaming & Apps Lead, Google
• Gus Curley — Principal, Lvp
• Jeff Orkin, Ph.D. — Founder, https://t.co/Qc6nNJgwk1

From publishing and investment to AI, game development, and global growth, our speakers will share their experience directly with the next generation of game founders across Central Asia.

And there's more to come. We'll be introducing the rest of our speakers soon!

📅 November 2–6 | Online, English
Apply here: https://t.co/OLNMV8P6FQ

WeFund Ventures, Astana Hub, IT PARK Uzbekistan, Yoshlar Ventures, Sherdor Games, Uzbekistan Creative Association, Creata Games, IT Park Ventures.

#FirstpointVC #FirstpointBoost #CentralAsia #GamingIndustry #GameDevelopment #GameStartups #GamePublishing #GamingInvestment #StartupAcceleration #GameFounders

[Firstpoint VC @firstpointvc]

3 days left to apply for Firstpoint Boost – Central Asia!⏳

We're bringing together game studios from across Central Asia with experienced founders, publishers, investors, and operators from the global gaming industry.

From publishing and marketing to AI, growth, and global markets, Boost is designed to help studios build stronger foundations and take their next steps.

🎮 Open to Mobile, PC & Console studios
📅 November 2–6, 2026
💻 Online | English
✨ Completely free to participate

Applications close on October 23.

Don't miss your chance to be part of the first Firstpoint Boost cohort!

Apply now → https://t.co/OLNMV8P6FQ

#FirstpointBoost #Gaming #GameDevelopment #CentralAsia

[Firstpoint VC @firstpointvc]

And there's more. Top-performing studios may also have the opportunity to be considered for a fully funded U.S. industry program, including executive-level meetings, studio visits, and networking opportunities.

Participation is completely free.

📅 Applications close October 23.

Program: November 2–6, 2026 | Online | In English
Apply now: https://t.co/OLNMV8P6FQ
#FirstpointBoost #FirstpointVC #CentralAsia #GamingIndustry #GameDevelopment #GameStudios

[Firstpoint VC @firstpointvc]

Over the past few months, we've spent time getting to know game founders and studios across Central Asia.

We wanted to turn those conversations into something practical.

That's why we launched Firstpoint Boost, bringing our global network, industry experience, and resources directly to the studios building in the region.

What participating studios get:

• Insights from global gaming operators, publishers, and investors
• Hands-on 1:1 support with the Firstpoint team
• Access to our global gaming community
• 40+ partner perks and credits

[Firstpoint VC @firstpointvc]

Great games can be built anywhere. Access to the global gaming industry should be just as widespread.

🚀 Applications are now open for Firstpoint Boost: Central Asia!

We're launching a one-week global access program designed to connect ambitious game studios across Central Asia with the experience, networks, and opportunities they need to grow internationally.

Taking place November 2–6, 2026, the online program brings together experienced global operators, publishers, investors, and industry experts.

Throughout the week, participating studios will gain access to industry sessions, hands-on mentorship, one-on-one studio reviews, and Firstpoint's global community, along with 40+ partner perks.

And the opportunity goes beyond the online program.

Top-performing studios may have the opportunity to be considered for a fully funded U.S. industry program, featuring executive-level meetings, studio visits, industry roundtables, professional networking, and access to a major U.S. games industry event.

We're excited to bring Boost to Central Asia together with our ecosystem partners: WeFund Ventures, Astana Hub, IT PARK Uzbekistan, Yoshlar Ventures, Sherdor Games, Uzbekistan Creative Association, Creata Games and IT Park Ventures.

🗓️ Applications: October 13–23, 2026

💻 Program: November 2–6, 2026 | Online | In English

Building a game studio in Central Asia? We'd love to hear from you.

🔗 Apply here: https://t.co/0e3grjFF85

#FirstpointVC #FirstpointBoost #BoostCentralAsia #GamingIndustry #GameDevelopment #GameStudios #CentralAsia

[Firstpoint VC @firstpointvc]

Last week, our Burak and Emre were in Astana for AI & Digital Bridge 2026, spending time with founders, investors, and the people building the region’s technology ecosystem. 🇰🇿

We also joined the LP & GP Summit 2026, where investors and fund managers explored the region’s venture ecosystem and its connections to international capital.

Kazakhstan’s Grand Games offers one example of the gaming potential here. The team started with add-ons for PC games and went on to create Grand Mobile, which has surpassed 70 million downloads.

Central Asia is one of our four focus regions, and stories like this are part of the reason. Being here helps us get to know the teams, understand what they need, and build relationships early.

Thank you to Astana Hub, Alem Capital Management, and everyone we met.

See you again soon, Astana.

#FirstpointVC #AIDigitalBridge2026 #Astana #Kazakhstan #CentralAsia #VentureCapital #StartupEcosystem #LPGPSummit2026

[Firstpoint VC @firstpointvc]

From Türkiye to Central Asia, and now to the Caucasus, the conversations shaping the next generation of gaming ecosystems keep expanding. 🎮

On October 10, Mike Fischer and Burak Yılmaz will be in Baku as speakers at GAMESUMMIT Business Conference.

At Firstpoint VC, we spend a lot of time thinking about where strong founder ambition, emerging talent pools, and market timing begin to overlap. Azerbaijan is one of the places where that conversation is becoming more interesting.

Looking forward to joining founders, investors, and ecosystem builders in Baku, and to contributing to the dialogue around what comes next for gaming and entertainment across the region.

If you’ll be at GameSummit, we’d be glad to connect. 🇦🇿

#FirstpointVC #GameSummit #Gaming #GameIndustry #VentureCapital #Azerbaijan #Baku #EmergingMarkets #Entertainment

[Firstpoint VC @firstpointvc]

🇺🇿 A studio’s story starts long before its first investment. So can an investor’s role.

Our Emre Kesti joined the “High Risk, High Potential” panel at Game Cap during ICT Week Uzbekistan, alongside Akmal Salikhov, JP Isham, Hicham Nouhou, Vlademir Varenik and Tim C.

For Firstpoint, the theme raises a question beyond which studios to back: how early can we become part of their journey?

Central Asia is one of our investment regions. Getting to know founders, connecting them with experienced operators and helping them build their businesses can start well before a funding conversation.

The cheque matters. So does the work before it.

#FirstpointVC #GameCap #ICTWeek #Gaming #CentralAsia

[Firstpoint VC @firstpointvc]

🇰🇿 From Tashkent to Astana.

After a week in Uzbekistan, Firstpoint’s Central Asia journey continues in Kazakhstan.

Burak Yilmaz and Emre Kesti will be attending AI & Digital Bridge 2026 on October 1–3.

For us, spending time in these markets is an important part of building Firstpoint. Meeting founders, hearing their plans and getting to know local investors and partners helps us understand each ecosystem beyond the numbers.

In Astana, we’re looking forward to continuing those conversations, discovering new teams across gaming, entertainment and AI, and exploring opportunities to work together.

Attending Digital Bridge? Get in touch with Burak or Emre. We’d love to meet.

📍 EXPO IEC, Astana, Kazakhstan
📅 October 1–3, 2026

#FirstpointVC #DigitalBridge2026 #CentralAsia #Kazakhstan #Gaming #VentureCapital

[Firstpoint VC @firstpointvc]

Meeting the people building Uzbekistan’s gaming ecosystem. 🇺🇿

During ICT Week Uzbekistan, we spent time at Sherdor Games, meeting the studios under its umbrella, getting to know their founders and learning more about their work.

At Yoshlar Ventures, we explored how we could work together to develop Uzbekistan’s gaming ecosystem and where Firstpoint’s experience could contribute.

🌍 Central Asia is one of our investment regions. These visits help us better understand the local gaming community and build relationships with the people we hope to work alongside.

Thank you to Aygul Minbaeva and Firdavs Mamadkhonov at Sherdor Games, and Abdulaziz Yakubov, Yahyobek Yusufjonov and Bekzod Sobirov at Yoshlar Ventures, for the warm hospitality and thoughtful conversations.

#FirstpointVC #Uzbekistan #Gaming #CentralAsia

[Firstpoint VC @firstpointvc]

A few days in Tashkent, and plenty of conversations to continue. 🇺🇿

Burak Yılmaz and Emre Kesti were in Uzbekistan for ICT Week Uzbekistan, representing Firstpoint VC at the OTS Technology Forum and the week’s networking events. It was also a pleasure to spend time with Sadullah Uzun at the forum.

Central Asia is one of our investment regions. Spending time here helps us understand the local ecosystem and the people building it, and explore how we could work with local partners to support gaming founders.

Away from the conference floor, we joined the Golf Networking Event. It was a chance to get to know fellow investors and ecosystem partners beyond the usual introductions and put our golf skills to the test. ⛳️

Thank you to Azamat Karamatov for the warm hospitality, and to IT PARK Uzbekistan for bringing everyone together.

We look forward to staying in touch with the people we met and exploring where we can work together.

#FirstpointVC #Uzbekistan #ICTWeek #CentralAsia #Gaming #VentureCapital