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- Esports infrastructure platform builder Vindex announced its launch backed by a $60M USD Series A investment. Investors come from the hedge fund and private equity world.
- The company also announced the acquisition of esports production company Next Generation Esports and the launch of esports operations firm Esports Engine.
- Vindex will be supported by a board of directors, including former ESPN CEO Steve Bornstein and founder of Gotham Asset Management.
Today, Vindex announced its launch with initial funding of $60M to build a global esports infrastructure platform. Additionally, the company made the acquisition of Next Generation Esports (NGE) and the launch of Esports Engine (both companies in esports operations, production, and technology) public.
Vindex was founded by esports industry veterans Mike Sepso and Sundance DiGiovanni, co-founders of Major League Gaming (MLG), which was acquired in 2015 by Activision Blizzard; as well as Bryan Binder and Jason Garmise, fintech entrepreneurs and private investors. The company provides technology and services that power esports experiences and help game publishers, esports leagues, and teams engage with their fans around the world.
Esports Engine, which was co-founded by MLG founding employee Adam Apicella, creates turnkey esports operations and fan experiences for publishers and esports teams. NGE is an independent esports production company based in Burbank, California. Vindex plans to maintain and grow both companies’ current partnerships. Moreover, the founders and senior management of both companies will remain in their roles and are now part of the Vindex leadership team.
“Esports has been a vibrant growth story for nearly two decades, and I have been honored to be a part of it, but we’re just getting started. More than ever, esports is driving growth and engagement for the entire games industry,” said Vindex CEO Mike Sepso in a release. “We’re here to make those experiences easier to deliver, more scalable, and deeply engaging and rewarding for fans.”
The $60M Series A financing round was backed by investors from the hedge fund and private equity sphere. Also, the company is supported by a board of directors; initial board members include Steve Bornstein (a sports broadcast veteran who was CEO of ESPN and the NFL Network, and worked with Sepso at Activision on the launch of its esports division) and Joel Greenblatt (investor and founder of Gotham Asset Management).
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