Lisbon-based start-up Bica Studios has announced the closure of its first seed investment round led by Portugal Ventures, the country’s leading VC company.

The undisclosed investment will help Bica Studios accelerate the development of a slew of new casual games, including SMASH TIME, an aptly named F2P smash-em-up.

Portugal has seen more gaming studios created in the last year than in the previous decade, and Bica Studios wants to create mobile games while planning for new industry trends.

Cash injection

“We are betting on mobile because of its potential to reach hundreds of millions of players and for being the perfect medium to show our cool games,” said the studio’s co-founder Miguel Tomas.

“That said we are keeping an eye on emerging technologies such as virtual and augmented reality in order to explore new ways of entertainment."

Bica Studios’ board of directors will now be expanded with two new members: Marcos Osorio of Portugal Ventures, and Nuno Goncalves Pedro, who is currently managing partner of San Francisco VC fund Strive Capital.