Cypriot videogame startup Studio 42 levels up with €3.2 million to fund their debut title

Limassol-based Studio 42, a new mobile game development studio founded by industry veterans, today announced it has raised €3.2 million in Seed funding to develop its debut title. The round was led by Play Ventures, with participation from GEM Capital and Arcadia Gaming Partners. “We are excited to partner with Play Ventures, GEM Capital, and […] The post Cypriot videogame startup Studio 42 levels up with €3.2 million to fund their debut title appeared first on EU-Startups.

May 15, 2025 - 16:58

Cypriot videogame startup Studio 42 levels up with €3.2 million to fund their debut title

Limassol-based Studio 42, a new mobile game development studio founded by industry veterans, today announced it has raised €3.2 million in Seed funding to develop its debut title.

The round was led by Play Ventures, with participation from GEM Capital and Arcadia Gaming Partners.

“We are excited to partner with Play Ventures, GEM Capital, and Arcadia Gaming Partners and take the next step in our journey,” said Aleksandr Bogdanov, CEO of Studio 42. “Their support allows us to focus on what we do best — creating simple yet deeply engaging experiences. We believe that genius lies in simplicity, and together, we are ready to bring fresh ideas to the puzzle genre.”

Studio 42 was founded in 2025 by former Belka Games leaders Aleksandr Bogdanov (CEO), Ivan Larionov (COO), and Pavel Sudakov (CPO) — the team behind top-grossing titles in the casual games space.

Studio 42 believes in the “power of simplicity — clever mechanics, engaging gameplay, and a player-first approach.”

During Bogdanov’s seven-year tenure as CEO of Belka Games, the company’s revenue and team size each grew more than tenfold. Under his leadership, Belka launched titles such as Solitaire Cruise, Bermuda Adventures, and Roger That!, opened six offices across Europe, and reportedly reached millions of players worldwide.

Clockmaker entered the Top 100 highest-grossing games in the U.S. according to Data.ai, while Solitaire Cruise ranked in third place for Solitaire games globally, trailing only Solitaire Grand Harvest and Tiki Solitaire.

Studio 42 is currently working on its first original game, combining classic puzzle mechanics with a modern hybrid-casual approach. The team’s first project moved from concept to live testing in just two months. Using AI to test 100% of its product hypotheses, the studio plans to evaluate up to 10 new ideas each year.

“We’re thrilled to back Aleksandr, Ivan, Pavel, and the incredible team they’ve brought together at Studio 42,” said Henric Suuronen, Founding Partner at Play Ventures. “From the start, we were aligned on their vision — reimagining core puzzle mechanics through a hybrid-casual lens, with live ops as a strategic driver. Their track record speaks for itself, and we couldn’t be prouder to support them.”

The founding team’s deep roots in casual gaming include leadership roles at Belka Games, Snap Inc., Playrix, Game Insight, and others. Studio 42 now operates with a 14-person team across four countries, building the next generation of puzzle titles with a player-first philosophy.

The post Cypriot videogame startup Studio 42 levels up with €3.2 million to fund their debut title appeared first on EU-Startups.