Highlights
- Tamatem acquired Playable Factory to become a global, full-stack gaming and ad-tech platform.
- A $10M round from Square Enix and Krafton fuels an AI-first strategy and global expansion.
- The move integrates playable ads to drastically improve user acquisition and player retention.
Middle East and North Africa (MENA) mobile games publisher Tamatem has officially acquired Istanbul-based ad tech specialist Playable Factory. The landmark acquisition marks Tamatem’s shift from a traditional publisher to a full-stack games platform. Backed by major industry players like Square Enix and Krafton, Tamatem is now leveraging its new technology to scale beyond the MENA region and into competitive global markets.
This strategic move is fueled by a recently confirmed $10 million USD funding round led by Next Ventures, alongside strategic participation from Square Enix and Krafton. This latest capital injection brings Tamatem’s total funding to $25M, providing the financial runway needed to invest heavily in artificial intelligence, scale operations globally, and vertically integrate game publishing, distribution, payments, and advanced advertising technology under a single roof.
The acquisition directly targets the growing challenge of user acquisition in the mobile gaming space. The deal adds a platform responsible for over 30 billion impressions and 90,000 playable ads to Tamatem's arsenal. Playable Factory made its name by specializing in interactive, miniature versions of games that let users "try before they download."
This highly engaging format has been proven to scale user acquisition effectively, boasting up to eight times higher install conversion rates and a 40% boost in player retention compared to traditional ad formats, as per Pocketgamer.biz.
Transitioning to an AI-First Strategy
For Tamatem CEO Hussam Hammo, the buyout represents a defining moment in the company's decade-long history. Hammo explained that as the industry evolves, user acquisition and monetization require far more engaging, data-driven formats. Playable ads, he noted, sit perfectly at the intersection of gaming, advertising, and user experience. Playable Factory’s AI-driven technology and experienced team stood out as the ideal partner to help Tamatem transition into a comprehensive gaming and ad tech powerhouse.
Artificial intelligence sits at the very core of this operational transformation. Tamatem is actively weaving AI into multiple layers of its business, from automating elements of game development and localizing content to generating creative assets and optimizing ad performance at scale. Hammo emphasized that companies effectively leveraging AI will hold a massive competitive advantage in the coming years, and this acquisition positions Tamatem to lead that charge.
Building on Regional Success and Expanding Footprint
This pivot builds on a foundation of massive success in emerging markets. Since its founding in 2013, Tamatem has localized and published over 70 culturally relevant titles, achieving more than 300 million downloads and maintaining a loyal audience of over three million monthly active users. By pairing Tamatem’s deep understanding of local culture and player behavior with Playable Factory’s robust technology, the company aims to craft hyper-relevant ads tailored to regional nuances.
Following the buyout, Tamatem has significantly expanded its regional footprint. The newly integrated company now employs a combined workforce of 180 staff members spread across offices in Amman, Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, Cairo, Istanbul, and Baghdad.
The acquisition caps off a remarkably successful season for the publisher. Tamatem recently took home three major accolades at the MENA Games Industry Awards 2025, hosted at the Dubai GameExpo Summit, winning Best Publisher, MENA Game of the Year, and Best Arabic Localisation.
