Nazara tech acquires 70% stake in game publisher Publishme for INR 20 Crores

Nazara Technologies is an India-based, diversified gaming, gamified learning and sports media company. It has announced that it has signed a binding term sheet to acquire a majority stake in Arrakis Tanitim Organizasyon Pazarlama San. Tic. Ltd. Sti. (Publishme). Publishme is one of the largest mobile game publishing agency in the Middle East and Turkey. Nazara will invest an approx amount of Rs. 20 Cr for acquiring 69.82% stake by way of primary and secondary transaction through its subsidiary.

Publishme is a full-service games marketing and publishing agency that works extensively with gaming publishers in Turkey and the MENA region. Nazara already has its offerings in India. It is also present across global markets such as Africa and North America. With this acquisition, Nazara expands its international footprint in the freemium segment. Nazara will aim to build local execution capabilities cutting across key growth segments namely, freemium, gamified learning and esports.

Publishme CEO, Özgür Özalp announced the company's foray into the MENA region. "MENA is one of the fastest-growing gaming markets, with an estimated market size of $4.8bn and has over 160mn gamers in the region (of which 100mn are mobile gamers). Our alliance with Nazara offers a unique blend of the network, global reach and local capabilities to further the growth of the gaming industry in the region. With this, Publishme will become a full-fledged publisher in the MENA region," he said.

Nazara Founder and MD, Nitish Mittersain, said, "MENA is a key geography for us. This acquisition will help us in establishing ourselves as a key player in the region". The company also stated that Özgür and his team join the ‘Friends of Nazara’ network with their deep regional knowledge and capabilities.

What is the ‘Friends of Nazara’ network?

The ‘Friends of Nazara’ network comprises gaming companies in which Nazara holds majority stakes. It also works actively with existing founders and management teams to rapidly achieve scale. These companies include

- Nodwin Gaming and SportsKeeda in esports
- Next Wave Multimedia, developer of World Cricket Championship (WCC)
- Paper Boat Apps, developers of the popular gamified learning app Kiddopia.