Selçuk Atlı has quite the resume. He is the founder of successful start-ups like Manifest Commerce and Boostable. He fronts rock bands performing around the globe. And now, he leads the new start-up Bunch, which aims to inject a social dimension to the mobile gaming experience.
“I and my co-founders grew up with LAN [Local Area Network] parties, playing games like Starcraft and Counter Strike – where a lot of the fun is the live banter you have with friends,” recalls Atlı of his childhood in Turkey in the Internet’s early days.
“We wanted to bring this kind of experience to mobile; where players could play with friends anytime, anywhere,” notes the Silicon Valley veteran. In that spirit, Bunch allows mobile gamers to play together while communicating and interacting over live video chat.
Silicon Valley Offers Selçuk Atlı New Opportunities
At age 12, Atlı created the first online gaming magazine in Turkey with a friend in his hometown İstanbul. He finished college as valedictorian and then completed two master’s degrees in music and information technology in the US.
After receiving his degrees, Atlı moved back to Turkey – but the market for entrepreneurs was still developing. Eventually, he returned to the Bay Area to pursue new endeavors. “Silicon Valley is like the Mecca of technology,” he says.
Atlı founded multiple successful start-ups, including Manifest, an advertising technology company acquired by Rakuten Marketing, and Boostable, an advertising tool for online marketplaces acquired by Metric Collective.
Atlı Shifts Focus to Mobile Gaming
With Bunch, Atlı is tapping into emerging trends in the global gaming industry, whose focus is increasingly shifting to mobile platforms. Mobile games now make up over half of global gaming revenues, which are projected to hit over $150 billion in 2019.
Atlı also recognizes that gaming will continue to be defined by the influx of younger gamers. Bunch tries to meet the needs of a new emerging generation of gamers and their desire to socialize on-the-go.
“We see a different and younger audience spending more time playing less hardcore games with their friends on their phones,” Atlı explains. “That audience and that platform require a very different approach.”
Bunch has already raised over $4 million and eyes rapid growth. In contrast to other gaming platforms like Twitch and Discord, Bunch was built to be mobile native. While Bunch offers its own mini-games, it is compatible with popular games like Fortnite, Roblox, and HQTrivia.
Selçuk Atlı Makes Mobile Gaming Social
Atlı’s appreciation for the social aspects of gaming extends to all areas of his life – including his role as the frontman of several bands over the years, such as The HMMS. In fact, he sees important similarities between leading rock bands and tech start-ups, both of which have modest beginnings.
For both, Atlı observes, “you have to surround yourself with a team of talented people and sell them on your vision.” With this emphasis on the social elements of the creative process, Atlı felt compelled to help make mobile gaming a more interactive experience.
While Atlı can be working to bring gamers together via his latest tech project, he can also be found in the studio, playing guitar and singing lead vocals for his indie rock band. The HMMS, in fact, are gearing up to release a new single ahead of their debut album. Stay tuned.
