Your Gaming and Esports Update
Deals
ROBLOX Raises $150M In Funding
Online gaming platform Roblox has raised $150 million in funding in a round led by Andreessen Horowitz’s late-stage venture fund. In the funding round, Roblox is also offering employees and stakeholders an opportunity to participate in a secondary round (ie. sell their equity for cash). Roblox said it comes at a time of significant growth for Roblox as it hits new milestones including reaching over 115 million monthly active users and more than 1.5 billion hours of monthly engagement. Roblox will use the funding to further grow its engineering team, and support creators around the world with the technology and infrastructure to build more immersive collaborative experiences.
Saber Interactive Acquired by Embracer Group for $525M
Saber Interactive, the developer of World Conflict Z, has announced that they have been by THQ Nordic’s parent company. While most of the details are unknown about the deal, we do know the deal was worth $525m. Which they paid $150m up-front with another $375m over three years based on performance. Saber will continue to do business as usual with no plans for layoffs or restructuring. Killing Floor 2 and SnowRunner will proceed as they have been planned as well. “Over the course of 19 years as an independent developer, Saber has had its share of suitors. With Embracer Group, we’ve at last found the perfect partner. We could not be more thrilled to see through the many projects we’ve dreamed of together.” says Matthew Karch, Co-Founder and CEO of Saber Interactive.
Gamerji Raises $400k
Indian esports platform Gamerji has raised $400K from La Gajjar Group, an investment group based in Ahmedabad. The investment is being utilized for building the technology, increasing operations and also for gaining users. In India, Gamerji is giving an opportunity to today’s casual gamers, who comprise the majority of the market to leverage their skills and earn money through their esports platform. Launched in 2019, Gamerji was founded by Soham Thacker and Varun Gajjar. In just four months, Gamerji today already has over 120K gamers on their platform.
Amuka Esports Acquires Waves Gaming
Amuka Esports has announced it has acquired a 100% (price undisclosed) interest in the assets of Waves E-Gaming Inc., Canada’s largest esports and gaming venue. The state-of-the-art facility is strategically situated minutes from York University and sits on the border between Toronto and Vaughan. Waves is over 14,000 sq. ft in size and boasts over 100 PC and console game stations and sees more than 1,000 gamers every month. It’s designed as a place where people can play, compete, create, and stream all under one roof. With this new partner, Waves hopes they can start creating and hosting more world-class events.
Updates
Allied Esports Backtracks Potential IPO
On January 29th, Allied Esports announced that they would begin the initial process to launch a public offering. Less than a month later they have withdrawn the proposed public offering. According to Esports Insider, “Paperwork to confirm the withdrawal of the public offering has been filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Allied Esports will instead see its Chairman of the Board of Directors, Lyle Berman, commit to purchasing newly-issued shares of common stock. Should the proposal come to fruition, Berman will buy up to $2 million (£1.6 million) of shares from the company. The option for him to do so will last up until April 9th. He has agreed to not sell, transfer, or dispose of such shares for a six-month period following the commencement date.” Allied Esports has stated that it “plans to use the proceeds from the common stock sale for working capital and general corporate purposes.”
CORSAIR Partners with Stream Hatchet
American peripherals and hardware company CORSAIR has formed a strategic partnership with data analytics measurement company Stream Hatchet. Torque Esports‘ analytical company will work with CORSAIR to identify and measure influencer talent in esports and gaming to inform future business decisions and expansions. Stream Hatchet has developed products and solutions to help measure esports league performance, optimize influencer marketing campaigns, and inform go-to-market strategy. During the DreamLeague Season 13 Major earlier this year, Stream Hatchet was used by CORSAIR — the title sponsor of the event — to identify key performance areas relating to the tournament, including hours watched.
Herman Miller, Logitech G To Collaborate on Esports
Logitech G, a brand of Logitech and Herman Miller, today announced an exclusive partnership to research, design, and manufacture the next generation high-performance furniture solutions for gamers. Both companies bring years of design and engineering expertise in their respective fields, and combined will address the needs of esports athletes, gamers, and streamers. “At Herman Miller, we have a rich history of designing solutions to support people wherever they live and work,” said Tim Straker, Herman Miller’s Chief Marketing Officer. “We’re excited to combine our ergonomic, research-driven approach with Logitech G’s excellence in technology and innovation. Together, we’ll develop high-quality solutions that provide gamers and esports athletes with the utmost support and comfort.”
Twitter: @taylor_konvoy
