Esports Insider is proud to announce that ESI Digital Summer will return on September 8th-9th.
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Alongside ESI Digital Summer, which is supported by Gold Partner GRID Esports, Silver Partner Omnicoach, plus MADMONQ and Bayes, Esports Insider’s pitch investment competition The Clutch, in partnership with Level 256, will also be integrated into the esports business event.
The winner of The Clutch will receive an exclusive place in Level 256’s leading incubator programme, worth EUR5,000, and includes meetings with notable investors, partners, organisations, institutions and key accounts from around the world.
With applications now open, esports focused startups can enter to take part in this prestigious competition taking place on September 9th. Entrants will have just minutes to pitch, before an esteemed judging panel starts their questions and investigation. The panel will decide the best company with the winner to be announced during the final moments of ESI Digital Summer.
Natalia Vasilyeva, VP of Marketing at Anzu, commented: “It was extremely important and exciting for us to win The Clutch Digital as it was another proof [statement] that this kind of technology is relevant to the esports space, and that Anzu specifically is relevant in the ad space. It was great to be recognised by leaders in the space.”
Vincent Vercelli, Head of Incubation for Level 256 (Paris&Co), added: “We are very thrilled to be a partner in this 4th edition of the ESI and The Clutch. We are looking forward to discovering the amazing entrepreneurs of the British esports world. It is also a great opportunity to support the European esports ecosystem by encouraging cooperation between France and the UK. We are happy to welcome the winner to benefit from our incubation program and we hope that this first step is just the beginning!”
ESI Digital Summer will bring together industry leaders in esports, sports and global brands to discuss and debate investment, esports ecosystems, education and more. The agenda includes speakers from the likes of Apex Legends, Team Liquid, Nerd Street Gamers, Omnicoach, GRID, Team Singularity, Abios and more. The event will also feature some of the world’s most interesting brand showcases.
With over 60 speakers, 400 attendees and more than 16 hours of live content across two days, ESI Digital Summer is also offering unparalleled networking opportunities for all attendees. Speakers for ESI Digital Summer will include some of the industry’s most prominent thought leaders and brand authorities, and is set to be announced over the coming months.
Sam Cooke, Managing Director and Co-founder of ESI, said: “I am really excited ESI Digital Summer will return this September providing world class content and presenting some of the largest global brands, and will also host the fourth edition of The Clutch. This year we are looking forward to showcasing the most ground-breaking startup ideas and first-rate pitches in the industry, and as always, it will be a difficult process to whittle it down to a final four.
“Since its inception in 2019, we have continued to see more and more esports startups enter the space and here at Esports Insider, we are proud to continue providing a platform for those companies looking to stand out, and unapologetically push boundaries in the esports industry.”
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Level 256 has raised over EUR20m since the launch of the project and has created 168 jobs. The programme has also featured 103 speakers and mentors during its hosted events, and has produced 32 incubated projects.
In its fourth edition, and now an annual ESI event, The Clutch has seen over 50 startups in its first two editions and seen some of the most impressive and industry-changing esports startups showcased. Previous winners have included esports performance company GScience who build performance systems tailored to gamers, and TEAMS.GG, a gaming matchmaking platform allowing players to find like-minded people to create ideal teams, and play better together.
The full agenda for ESI Digital Summer will be revealed soon. ESI is offering discounted Duo Passes for those wishing to secure their attendance to the two remaining digital events, ESI Digital Summer and Winter in 2021. Follow Esports Insider on Twitter for the latest updates, and sign up to the twice-weekly ESI Dispatch Newsletter here.