Whaleapp
2 known investors
Whaleapp is a game developer that creates casual and mid-core games for players worldwide. It operates as a global games company focused on producing player-oriented content.
Also known as WhaleApp
Founders & leadership
Investors Β· 2
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Whaleapp is an Israeli mobile games company headquartered in Herzliya that develops and publishes a portfolio of titles across multiple genres. It was founded in 2018 by Ilya Turpiashvili, a co-founder of Plarium, together with Lev Metchnik, who serves as CEO; Turpiashvili is the main shareholder and leads the company's product direction.
The company's titles include Blitz: Rise of Heroes, Hidden Hotel: Miami Mystery, and Family Zoo, which Whaleapp developed and Plarium marketed. Hidden Hotel combines hidden-object gameplay with hotel-renovation and interior-design mechanics wrapped in a mystery storyline. Whaleapp also operates a Casual Division, which produced Doctor Who: An Unlikely Heist for Apple Arcade, launched in April 2023. In the same month, Blitz: Rise of Heroes became available on Google Play Games.
Whaleapp initially developed a broad range of casual games in order to identify titles with wide appeal. As of mid-2023 the company employed over 200 people, with headquarters and some development staff in Israel and the majority of employees formerly based in Ukraine.
Founding story
Turpiashvili stated that after the sale of Plarium to Aristocrat he considered gaming his main interest and established a new mobile-focused game company a year after leaving Plarium, deliberately building a team without recruiting Plarium employees so as not to disrupt that company.
Business model
Whaleapp develops and publishes mobile games for players, distributing through mobile platforms including Google Play Games and Apple Arcade, and in at least one case (Family Zoo) developing a title marketed by another publisher, Plarium.
Traction
By mid-2023 Whaleapp reported approximately $80 million in revenue since its 2018 founding, over 200 employees, and leading titles Blitz: Rise of Heroes, Hidden Hotel: Miami Mystery and Family Zoo. Coverage also notes the company surpassing 40 million mobile game downloads.
Latest developments
In April 2023 Whaleapp's Casual Division launched Doctor Who: An Unlikely Heist on Apple Arcade, and Blitz: Rise of Heroes became available on Google Play Games. In July 2023 the company was profiled by Calcalist, disclosing approximately $50 million raised and about $80 million in revenue. The company has applied AI to its internal work systems to improve departmental efficiency, and in 2023 reduced expenses and headcount while focusing on core projects.
βΈFull profile β market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history, risks & controversies
Market position
Whaleapp is positioned within the Israeli mobile gaming sector and was founded by a co-founder of Plarium, a studio sold to Aristocrat Leisure for about $500 million. Whaleapp reports approximately $80 million in cumulative revenue since 2018 and has surpassed 40 million mobile game downloads.
Technology
The company has adopted AI tools to enhance internal work systems and improve efficiency across departments. Its games are built for mobile platforms and distributed via services including Google Play Games and Apple Arcade.
Go-to-market
Mobile game players across a range of genres, including casual audiences for hidden-object and simulation titles and players of hero-based games such as Blitz: Rise of Heroes.
Geography
Headquartered in Herzliya, Israel, with headquarters and some development staff in Israel; the majority of employees were previously based in Ukraine and, following the outbreak of war there, became distributed worldwide.
History
Ilya Turpiashvili co-founded Plarium with his brother Haim and brothers Avi and Gabi Shalel; Plarium was sold to Australian company Aristocrat Leisure for approximately $500 million in 2017. About a year after the sale, in 2018, Turpiashvili founded Whaleapp with Lev Metchnik. The company built a portfolio of casual and mid-core mobile titles and by mid-2023 had raised approximately $50 million and generated roughly $80 million in revenue. The outbreak of war in Ukraine, where most of its staff were located, forced employees to relocate internationally. After maintaining its workforce through 2021 with relatively easy access to funding, the company cited higher costs and harder fundraising conditions in 2023, reducing long-term investment spending, downsizing its workforce and concentrating on core projects.
Risks & controversies
Most of Whaleapp's workforce was based in Ukraine when the war began, requiring relocation of staff and creating operational disruption. Management cited rising user acquisition costs and reduced marketing effectiveness following Apple's privacy restrictions, along with higher costs and greater difficulty raising capital in 2023, which led to workforce downsizing and reduced long-term investment.
Compiled by commissioned research from 6 cited public sources β announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed β not independently audited.
Timeline Β· 2
launches, deals, and filingsWhaleapp announced that Blitz: Rise of Heroes became available on Google Play Games.
Whaleapp's Casual Division announced the launch of Doctor Who: An Unlikely Heist on Apple Arcade.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
In the news
βΈResearch sources Β· 6
primary sources listed
- Whaleappwhaleapp.com Β· web
6 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Whaleapp do?
- Israeli mobile game developer and publisher founded in 2018 by Plarium co-founder Ilya Turpiashvili.
- Who founded Whaleapp?
- Whaleapp was founded by Ilya Turpiashvili.
- Who are Whaleapp's investors?
- Whaleapp's investors include vgames, Griffin Gaming Partners.