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DATA PLATFORM FOR ESPORTS AND GAMING, GRID, SECURES USD 10M SERIES A

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GRID receives investment from gaming industry leaders behind Alinea Capital, Bumble Ventures, and NFL’s JuJu Smith-Schuster, to grow its data platform and expand its US presence

GRID Esports GmbH, the leading provider of data solutions for the esports and gaming industry, is announcing the completion of a USD 10 million Series A round of funding. The round includes leading investors in the gaming, iGaming and tech industry: the industry leaders behind Alinea Capital, Bumble Ventures, Tar Heel Capital Pathfinder, as well as NFL Pro Bowl Wide Receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster.

The three year old company has made a significant impact on the esports and gaming ecosystem providing the technical capabilities for tournament organizers and game publishers to unlock the engagement and monetization potential of their official in-game data. Data as an asset and the value of data reliant use cases have proven to be a critical part of traditional sports business. Emulating similar dynamics that overcome esports and gaming specific data challenges has the potential to bring immense value and sustained growth to the industry’s ecosystem.

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“2020 proved to be a massive growth year in the gaming and esports industry and for our company. We saw wide adoption of our technology across the most renowned players in the ecosystem, and with it, our coverage of esports events and roster of clients grew exponentially,” says Moritz Mauer, CEO and Founder of GRID. “We are in a unique position to leverage technology to standardize esports data by embracing the digital nature of the sport and do so in alignment with rights holders in the space such as game publishers and tournament operators.”

The Berlin-based tech company launched its data platform in 2018 during the FACEIT London CSGO Major and quickly expanded its foothold securing partnerships from other major tournament organizers like FLASHPOINT and WePlay. Within three years the company’s tech infrastructure supported all major esports titles and was integrated by a significant majority of top tier tournament organisers.

“We are impressed by the early success of Moritz and his team, already establishing GRID as the esports data market leader,” Says William Hatle, Portfolio Manager and Partner of Alinea Capital. “We believe GRID’s unmatched esports knowledge and intense focus on delivering top service to its partners and clients is the reason for their success and will continue to be so in the future.”

GRID began expanding its services to the US market at the beginning of 2020 with promising success. The company was a major driver for the first ever esports wager in New Jersey, and will be powering America’s first esports-only sports book launched at SkyUte Casino in Colorado. Now armed with more financial backing, GRID looks to capitalize on their recent momentum in expanding and evangelizing the adoption of their official data assets.

“GRID has already outperformed its traditional sports counterparts in the esports space and we aim to work with them closely to continue this trend. The core team is built from data industry veterans and has used their unique skill sets along with a love for gaming to build a powerhouse of a business,” Carsten Salling, Investment Manager at Bumble Ventures comments. “We are committed to providing the resources to boost GRID to escape velocity and secure the rest of the esports data market.”

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Historical investors of the company include Agileo Ventures and Tar Heel Capital Pathfinder. Have reaffirmed their commitment with the company and will continue their support.

“GRID’s pioneering technology unlocks the new commercial potential of esport data. It is a game-changer for teams, tournament organizers, and game publishers,” says Arkadiusz Seńko, Managing Partner of Tar Heel Capital Pathfinder. “We are proud to have been GRID’s partner from the very beginning and we are excited to further support the team in creating a sustainable future for the esports market.”

As with its earlier rounds, GRID worked with sports and entertainment M&A firm Astero Partners. The German legal teams at Orrick, Herrington and Sutcliff assisted GRID. Poellath and the German teams of DLA Piper assisted existing shareholders and new investors.

With the USD 10 million investment, GRID will take on the US and look to continue its control of the data infrastructure in an exploding esports market.

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GIANTX unveils its team for the Spanish Superliga of League of Legends

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The global esports organization GIANTX has officially presented the roster for its League of Legends Superliga team, the most prestigious esports competition in Spain, organized by the LVP. The roster includes Feisty (midlaner) and Aetinoth (ADC), who continue for another year after establishing themselves as key players for the organization, and newcomers Badlulu (toplaner), Ferret (jungler), and Lospa (support).

The team, known as GIANTX Pride, will be led by Fearless, a veteran coach who has already won three Superliga titles with GIANTX. After previous stints with teams like Guasones and Rebels, Fearless returns to lead this young and promising roster as they pursue the organization’s long-awaited eighth Superliga trophy, with the season set to begin in January 2025.

The roster was revealed during an event at the Home of GIANTX in Málaga, attended by over 150 fans and supported by Opel, the team’s main partner in the Superliga. The event featured activities, giveaways, and a showmatch against Barça Esports, where fans got a first glimpse of the team in action.

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Feisty (South Korea, 2003) and Aetinoth (Turkey, 2005) return for another year, having gained recognition as rising talents with potential for the LEC, Europe’s premier competition in which GIANTX also competes. Badlulu (France, 2002), with prior experience in the Superliga at CASE Esports, joins as the toplaner. Ferret (Turkey, 2001), a promising jungler from the Turkish scene, comes from FUT, while Lospa (South Korea, 2002), a former Iberian Cup champion, joins as support after training in Gen.G Academy.

GIANTX Pride is the most decorated organization in Superliga LVP history, with seven titles to its name. The last victory came in the summer of 2021, and the team is determined to add the elusive eighth trophy to its collection. The Superliga for 2025 will feature ten teams, including Barça Esports, Guasones, Los Heretics, LUA Gaming, Movistar KOI, Ramboot Club, UCAM Esports, VENI VIDI VICI, and ZETA, competing across three splits—winter, spring, and summer.

The LVP, part of Grupo Mediapro, has introduced changes to the Superliga’s format for 2025. The updated calendar will be released soon, setting the stage for another thrilling season.

The post GIANTX unveils its team for the Spanish Superliga of League of Legends appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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GRID Joins IBIA as an Associate Member, Strengthening Esports Integrity

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GRID, an esports data platform, has officially joined the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) as a first esports-focused Associate Member. This collaboration signifies a pivotal moment for esports integrity, aligning GRID with IBIA and its globally recognized integrity-focused members, who monitor over $300bn in sports bets per annum and have a growing focus on esports betting.

With this partnership, GRID and IBIA are committed to collaboratively addressing any integrity issues in esports, fostering trust across stakeholders, and setting a benchmark for excellence in the ecosystem. GRID has been a certified member of IBIA’s Data Standards program since 2022, actively contributing to the development of tailored esports integrity protocols. This membership further underscores GRID’s dedication to transparency and collaboration in combating betting-related corruption within esports.

Since 2018, GRID has operated an internal integrity department pioneering official data-driven solutions for esports. This makes GRID one of the first companies to monitor tournament and data integrity in the competitive sports sector and actively flag and report suspicious behavior, enabling it to collect a large database of integrity reports and insights.

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IBIA is a not-for-profit body that protects regulated sports betting markets from match-fixing. It represents over 50 of the world’s leading betting companies which operate over 125 sports betting brands. IBIA’s global monitoring network is a highly effective anti-corruption tool, detecting and reporting suspicious activity in regulated betting markets using transactional activity linked to individual customer accounts.

Under the partnership, GRID and IBIA will share information relating to suspicious esports betting and potential match manipulation from their respective monitoring and intelligence platforms. IBIA members will also benefit from free access to wider integrity-focused resources supplied by GRID.

Moritz Maurer, CEO of GRID, commented: “Integrity is at the heart of GRID’s mission. By joining IBIA as an Associate Member, we are taking a definitive step toward establishing esports as a trusted and credible industry. This partnership enables us to further our efforts in promoting transparency, reducing risks associated with esports betting, and strengthening operational practices across the ecosystem.’’

Khalid Ali, CEO of IBIA, said: “We are delighted to welcome GRID as an Associate Member of IBIA. This partnership is a landmark for the esports sector and reflects our commitment to expanding our integrity initiatives into new markets. GRID’s expertise in esports data monitoring and integrity standards is an invaluable asset in our shared mission to combat betting corruption globally.”

 

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ComeOn Group and Astralis unite to drive esports engagement in the Nordics

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ComeOn Group announced a sponsorship partnership between its flagship brand ComeOn! and Denmark based Astralis, one of the most esteemed esports organisations globally. As a global leader in esports, Astralis is providing a vibrant and engaging esports experience that is aligned with ComeOn!’s brand experience and is further enhanced by its focus in providing a leading esports betting destination.

As the official sponsor of Astralis, ComeOn! will be prominently featured across all of their platforms, including social media, team events, and competitive gaming content, boosting their brand exposure in key global markets with a focus on the Nordics. ComeOn! is already known as a vibrant brand in the Nordics and with the increased brand visibility it will be put at the heart of the fast-growing esports scene.

ComeOn Group continues to invest in its Sportsbook product experience that is powered by its proprietary sportsbook platform, where esports holds an important strategic market opportunity with its ever growing demand.

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Juergen Reutter, Chief Executive Officer at ComeOn Group, said: “We are very excited to team up with Astralis as this collaboration not only allows us to showcase our innovative Sportsbook platform but also strengthens our ties to the esports community. This partnership is very much in the heart of one of the fastest growing betting markets globally. Esports has seen great demand by our audiences, and we want to provide the best betting experience for our customers. This partnership is also a testament to our localisation and personalisation focus and by working together with Astralis, we can deliver unique experiences that resonate with our players and elevate the entertainment experience around competitive gaming.”

Mads Rasmussen, Commercial Director at Astralis, said: ”We are proud to present ComeOn Group as our new global partner. This partnership holds great significance for Astralis both as an organization and as a business, and we look forward to bringing the agreement to life, benefiting the vast majority of our fanbase – who are adults. We have undergone a long and very positive process with ComeOn, and the fact that they are European-based with licenses in all our key markets, including Denmark, has been a decisive factor in our decision. Astralis fans, both in Denmark and internationally, can look forward to an innovative new digital activation, which promises to deliver an exciting and engaging experience.”

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