As the esports industry continues to grow, so does the interest in owning a piece of the pie. Celebrities and venture capitalists are investing millions of pounds, companies are merging together to consolidate, and acquisitions are becoming pretty common, too.
To make things easier, Esports Insider has brought together the major esports investments, mergers, and acquisitions of September 2020, including $186.3 million (GBP143.6 million) in disclosed funding.
Redragon to acquire 7.5% of Flamengo Esports from Simplicity Esports
Simplicity Esports and Gaming Company entered a letter of intent that would see Redragon obtain equity in its Brazilian subsidiary.
The deal would see Redragon acquire 7.5 percent equity stake in Simplicity One Brasil, the company behind Flamengo Esports, for $390,000 (GBP290,746.95) in cash and over $133,000 (GBP99,152.16) in additional consideration.
Anubis Gaming secures $300K in latest seed funding round
Egyptian esports organisation Anubis Gaming secured $300,000 (~GBP234,297) in its latest round of seed funding.
A regional ecommerce group is the source of the investment, which comes after a separate seed round last month saw Anubis Gaming raise $100,000 (~GBP78,069). The organisation has raised a total of $450,000 (~GBP349,521.75) in funding since launch.
Wisdom Gaming Group secures $3M in Series A funding
Wisdom Gaming Group, a North American esports content and experiences company, secured $3 million (~GBP2.3 million) in Series A funding.
The investment round, led by Minneapolis-based Excelsior Ventures Fund, will allow Wisdom Gaming Group to grow its portfolio of gaming and esports tournament communities.
Bayes Holding closes $6M funding round
Berlin-based esports data company Bayes Holding secured $6 million (GBP4.64 million) in its latest funding round.
Participants in the funding round included investment group Fertitta Capital and the Sony Innovation Fund.
AFK Gaming receives $200K investment from IP Ventures
Mumbai-based media company AFK Gaming raised $200,000 (~GBP154,472) in a Pre-Series A round from Indian investment company Inflection Point Ventures.
The funds will be used to link reach to revenue through programmatic and direct advertising as well as expanding AFK Gaming’s scope to additional esports titles in Southeast Asia.
India’s Mobile Premier League raises $90 million Series C
The Mobile Premier League (MPL), an Indian mobile gaming and esports platform, raised $90 million (GBP70.4 million) in its Series C round.
The round was led by SIG and early-stage tech investor RTP Global, as well as MDI Ventures and Pegasus Tech Ventures. Existing investors Sequoia India, Base Partners, and Go-Ventures also took part.
Data startup PandaScore raises EUR5 million Series A funding
PandaScore, a French startup focused on artificial intelligence-driven statistics and odds data, raised EUR5M (GBP4.55 million) in a Series A funding round.
The round was led by French VC firm Serena alongside esports and gaming investment firm and Team Liquid owner, aXiomatic Gaming. VC firms Alven and KB Partners also participated.
Guild Esports completes GBP41.2M listing on London Stock Exchange
London-based organisation Guild Esports completed its floatation on the London Stock Exchange, with a market capitalisation of GBP41.2 million.
The listing comes after the organisation managed to raise GBP20M towards the end of September. The listing was led by joint brokers Zeus Capital and Mirabaud Securities.
Top Dawg Entertainment founder invests in ReKTGlobal
Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith, the founder of independent record label Top Dawg Entertainment, invested in ReKTGlobal.
ReKTGlobal owns and operates Rogue, Call of Duty League franchise London Royal Ravens, Fearless Media, TalentX Gaming, Greenlit, and Fullcube.
Southeast Asian esports firm Ampverse announces pre-Series A funding
Ampverse, a Southeast Asian startup with its fingers in various aspects of the esports industry, completed a pre-Series A funding round.
While the company did not disclose the amount of funding raised, it said that the round was oversubscribed and that Ampverse plans to double its headcount over the next 12 months.