Connect with us

eSports

Israeli startup raises $2m to develop the next-gen academy platform for Esports teams

Published

4 years ago

on

Reading Time: 2 minutes

 

Edge Gaming is looking to revolutionize the competitive gaming world, with a new system that analyses and trains players to become professional gamers

Israeli startup Edge Gaming has just announced its pre-seed round, raising $2m to develop an Academy platform for Esports clubs and gamers. Leading the round are AnD Ventures and Stardom Ventures, two early stage Israeli VCs focusing on consumer & media. Prior to raising the round, The company has been part of the IDCX Studio accelerator program.

The Edge academy platform will enable Esports clubs to invite their large global fanbase into a virtual hub of plentiful competitive gaming experiences. Coupled with other content creation and community activities – the academy hub will enable players to develop and enhance themselves in the best way as professional gamers. Players will be able to join a unique “path to pro” program, train and develop their skills at the level required from professional Esports players, earn rewards, climb the leaderboards and create exciting gaming content with their peers. For Esports clubs, the academy is looking to open a whole new dimension for harnessing their powerful brand power and influence, allowing them to build a pivotal new scalable revenue channel, driven by memberships, special items and other gaming monetization channels that Edge is developing.

The platform’s core technology relies on a novel gaming skills engine, which was developed by renowned sports performance experts, neuroscientists, Esports coaches and AI engineers. The engine analyzes the player’s reactions, thought process and playing style, and then creates specific exercise patterns aimed at developing the player’s cognitive and gaming skills.

The company was founded by brothers Asaf Gazit (CEO) and Omri Gazit (COO). Both were previously officers in the Israeli special forces, gaining extensive experience in training cognitive skills for elite performance scenarios. With Edge, they’ve set out to combine their knowledge with their other big passion: competitive gaming.

“In our military service, we prepared soldiers for some of the most complicated situations a person can endure. We found that despite the obvious differences, training scenarios for soldiers and for professional Esports players are actually quite comparable,” said CEO Asaf Gazit.

“In Esports, players are required to process a great deal of information in a matter of seconds. The engine we are developing, which is a first of its kind in the market, is designed to answer that need, and others, through a 4 stage flow. First it deeply analyzes the players’ ability to process information and react, followed by mapping the results using our science-backed cognitive skills models. Next, the engine shows the player where and how they need to improve, with easy-to-grasp visuals and animations, instead of overwhelming statistics. Finally, it automatically builds for each player a set of personalized exercises and a training program. This level of end-to-end training experience is what aspiring players and Esports clubs have been deliberately looking for” Gazit added.

Roy Geva Glasberg, Managing Partner at AnD Ventures: “The Esports space is already generating billions in revenue, and is growing at a double-digit rate year over year. Our investment in Edge was driven by our conviction in the founders and their vision to bring an exciting new experience to the market of 100s of millions of gamers. The Edge Academy and its underlying technology hold a tremendous opportunity to unlock substantial value & growth for the 3 key stakeholders of the industry: the gamers, the Esports organizations and the game publishers.”

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Advertisement

eSports

PlayVS Announces Multi-year Partnership with Zenni Optical

Published

2 weeks ago

on

March 26, 2025

By

playvs-announces-multi-year-partnership-with-zenni-optical

 

PlayVS, the leading esports platform in North America, announced a multi-year partnership with Zenni Optical, the world’s leading online eyewear retailer. This partnership establishes Zenni as the official eyewear partner of PlayVS, bringing exclusive benefits to PlayVS’ esports community.

As part of this collaboration, Zenni will serve as the official eyewear partner of the PlayVS Cup, the annual national esports championship for high school students. The Cup provides top scholastic esports teams from across the country with an opportunity to compete for a national title and earn recognition and awards, including college scholarships. Zenni’s partnership will help power scholarship prizes for Cup finalists, furthering PlayVS’ dedication to empowering students and supporting their educational and athletic ambitions. These scholarships not only aid with alleviating financial strain, but also highlight esports as a viable pathway to academic and professional success.

Zenni’s eyewear will also be included in the prize packages that PlayVS Cup champions and PlayVS Awards winners receive, providing students with high quality eyewear to complement their gaming performance. Additionally, Zenni will offer members of the PlayVS community exclusive discounts on eyewear.

“We are excited to partner with PlayVS and expand our ongoing support of the gaming and esports community. Empowering a dedicated high school esports program that not only will generate awareness around the importance of eye health to a new generation of gamers but also support their academic pursuits is such an amazing opportunity for Zenni to partner with,” said Robb Chiarini, Head of Partnerships, Licensing, & Events at Zenni Optical.

Through this partnership, Zenni will also be integrated into PlayVS’ content series, Road to the PlayVS Cup, a set of videos showcasing different esports programs across the nation as they compete to earn a spot in the PlayVS Cup.

“Partnering with Zenni is a natural fit for us as we continue to grow the high school esports community. Zenni shares our commitment to supporting students in both esports and academics. By joining forces with Zenni, we’re empowering students with scholarships and enabling them to partake in healthy competition to foster their esports careers. We’re excited to work together and bring Zenni’s eyewear to our community of gamers,” said Jon Chapman, CEO of PlayVS.

The post PlayVS Announces Multi-year Partnership with Zenni Optical appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

Continue Reading

eSports

Genius Sports Signs Partnerships with Bayes Esports and GRID

Published

2 weeks ago

on

March 24, 2025

By

genius-sports-signs-partnerships-with-bayes-esports-and-grid
Reading Time: 2 minutes

 

Genius Sports Limited has signed new partnerships with Bayes Esports and GRID Esports (GRID) to provide sportsbooks with the highest-quality official esports offering.

GRID, as the only game data platform directly working with the game publishers will provide Genius Sports with exclusive access to official live esports data from League of Legends, and VALORANT, the fastest-growing betting esports title, alongside Ubisoft’s Rainbow Six data, and a robust portfolio of CS2 and Dota2 data from the global tournaments by BLAST and Champion of Champions.

Genius Sports’ sportsbook partners will also be able to access official streaming and data visualizations powered by official GRID data.

Bayes Esports is helping power Genius Sports’ esports offering with its highly granular Live Match Data. As the exclusive data partner of key esports tournament organisers such as ESL FACEIT Group, Bayes Esports covers the majority of official live data for Counter-Strike 2 and Dota 2 esports, which brings in some of the highest revenue for sportsbooks.

Genius Sports will further enhance its offering with Bayes Esports’ data product suite, including low-latency video and live data-powered widgets. Select Genius Sports products will be available through Bayes Esports’ distribution in return.

Going forward, Genius Sports will provide sportsbooks worldwide with an end-to-end esports trading product across pre-match and in-play, powered by ultra low-latency data to guarantee sharp odds and maximum market uptime. Through this product, sportsbooks can unlock new revenues by reaching a highly engaged audience with high-octane, year-round content.

“We are thrilled to announce these new partnerships with Bayes and GRID, two leaders in their field, to create an unrivalled esports content suite for our sportsbook partners. As the new home of esports for sportsbooks, we will provide our partners with the highest-quality data and odds on the most prestigious titles in the sport,” said Matt Stephenson, Global Partnerships Director at Genius Sports.

The post Genius Sports Signs Partnerships with Bayes Esports and GRID appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Continue Reading

eSports

DACH CS Joins as Member of Esports Integrity Commission

Published

2 weeks ago

on

March 21, 2025

By

dach-cs-joins-as-member-of-esports-integrity-commission
Reading Time: 2 minutes

 

The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) has announced that DACH CS GmbH (DACH CS), a tournament organiser seeking to revitalise competitive Counter-Strike in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, has officially joined ESIC membership.

By joining ESIC, DACH CS commits to upholding the highest standards of competitive integrity. The membership requires the league to implement ESIC’s Integrity Programme across all of its tournaments, tackling key issues such as match-fixing, cheating, and doping, fostering a culture of fair play within the region.

As an ESIC member, DACH CS will integrate ESIC’s codes of conduct, actively cooperate in investigations, and enforce ESIC’s rulings. This commitment aligns DACH CS with global best practices, ensuring that the DACH Counter-Strike esports scene operates with a proven integrity framework.

Stephen Hanna, Chief Executive Officer of ESIC, said: “DACH CS’s dedication to rebuilding and strengthening the competitive Counter-Strike scene in the DACH region makes them a valuable addition to ESIC’s growing membership. Their commitment to competitive integrity and fair competition aligns perfectly with our mission to safeguard esports. We look forward to working closely with them to support a sustainable and transparent ecosystem for players, teams, and stakeholders in the region.”

Anton Christoph, Founder & Managing Director of DACH CS, said: “At DACH CS, we’re on a mission to take the Counter-Strike Scene in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland to old and new heights! We’re super excited to be joining forces with ESIC, as we’re confident that this is a vital step in keeping our community’s most prized values at the heart of our operations. By teaming up with ESIC and aligning with their globally recognised integrity standards, we’re making a promise to you, our players, teams and stakeholders, to provide a competitive environment that’s both trusted and well-structured. We are excited to work closely with ESIC to build a sustainable and respected esports landscape in the DACH region.”

The post DACH CS Joins as Member of Esports Integrity Commission appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Continue Reading

Trending