The Esports Club Secures Funding To Build Sustainable Ecosystem

Bengaluru-based tournament organiser The Esports Club (TEC) has raised $3 Mn in a Pre-Series A funding round.

With the fresh capital, reportedly, the startup wants to expand its operations to Middle East and Southeast Asia and “build a state-of-the-art esports platform”.

Founded in 2019 by Vamsi Krishna, Ishaan Arya & Mansoor Ahmed Noor, The Esports Club provides specialised gaming marketing services. It has developed IPs such as The Arena in partnership with Comic Con, a consumer gaming show. The esports startup has also launched long-running esports tournaments such as TEC Challenger Series and TEC gauntlet.

“We are thrilled to have secured this funding and to be expanding our operations to new regions,” Vamsi Krishna, founder of The Esports Club, said as quoted in reports.

“Esports is a rapidly growing industry, and we are excited to be at the forefront of it. We are committed to building a strong and sustainable esports ecosystem, and this funding will allow us to do just that. We are excited to bring our competitive tournaments, events, and content to new audiences, and to help cultivate the next generation of esports talent,” he added.

The startup also plans to roll out new initiatives in different regions, as well as hire local broadcasting talents to bolster its online presence. It also plans to invest in broadcast facilities and technology to support its tournaments that cater to new markets.

In recent times, many esports startups have caught the attention of investors. For example, esports startup Gamerji had raised $3 Mn in a Pre-Series A funding round from GVFL and existing investor Unicorn India Ventures in November. The Ahmedabad-based startup also hosts esports tournaments across gaming titles including BGMI, Free Fire Max among others.

Recently, the government has also integrated esports with mainline sports in the country, giving the segment an official recognition. The central government appointed the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) as the nodal ministry for esports in multi-sports events.

The size of the Indian esports industry was estimated at INR 250 Cr in 2021 and is predicted to clock 46% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in four years to reach INR 1,100 Cr by 2025, as per an EY report.