Esports One Raises $3MM for a Real-Time Customizable Esports Experience

Esports One Raises $3MM for a Real-Time Customizable Esports Experience Computer vision, machine learning and custom analytics complement what’s happening on the competitive stream

Esports One, the data and analytics company that revolutionizes the way fans watch and engage with esports, today announced the close of $3M seed round co-led by XSeed Capital and Eniac Ventures, with participation from Crest Capital. Esports One utilizes proprietary computer vision technology, machine learning and custom datasets to provide real-time, live modules to inform and engage any esports fan. The financing enables the company to continue to scale operations and hire top talent.

“Esports spectatorship is currently catching fire. According to NewZoo, the number of enthusiasts is expected to grow 50% by 2020 to approximately 286 million, and this audience is groomed to expect the most advanced, competitive and customizable technology,” said Vic Singh, Founding General Partner at Eniac Ventures. “We are excited to support an industry veteran and a technology platform with computer vision and machine learning capabilities that bring esports spectators a deeper, more engaging experience through real-time data and analysis, a key missing ingredient in the viewing experience today.”

“Esports One is using cutting-edge technology to focus on what, we believe, is the most important aspect of the market, the spectator experiences,” said Damon Cronkey, Partner at XSeed Capital. “The Esports One team’s skills and category authenticity are undeniable and critical to their ability to understand the needs of the expanding esports community.”

Today, the majority of esports data companies rely on third-party game publisher APIs, which are oftentimes restricted, unreliable or even non-existent. Esports One utilizes computer vision technology to capture what is happening in a live broadcast real-time, machine learning technology to understand this, and then generates real-time information to display to the viewer. Users have total control of what information they want to see during each game, ranging from a player’s history against their opponent, farming efficiency, player positional tracking, previous head-to-head results, objective tracking, prediction models and more.

“Esports One is able to provide a service to esports fans around the world that no one else is yet capable of,” said Ray Panahon, Technical Lead of Esports at Riot Games. “Their technology and game expertise allows them to capture and present a layer of data that completely changes the way you watch and interact with an esports broadcast. We are constantly keeping an eye out for new companies with the goal of improving the industry and after an exclusive look at their platform, it’s safe to say that Esports One is going to do just that.”

“Having been friends with and worked alongside Matt for more than six years, there are very few that not only have the vision but also the drive and dedication to bring innovation to the forefront of the esports industry than he does. Esports One is no exception with its ability to provide a valuable service that no one else in the market is capable of yet,” said Mark “Garvey” Candella, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Twitch. “The data-driven analysis coupled with the customizable approach significantly improves our broadcast quality and, in turn, increases viewership and engagement. Paired with Twitch Extensions, the capabilities for both the broadcaster and viewer are endless. Furthermore, Esports One will be a major value-add for our Twitch Student program as we continue to explore new ways to improve the academic experience for Twitch users all over the world. On top of that, with the launch of Esportspedia Collegiate, we will now have an all-in-one resource for each one of our clubs. Needless to say, we are super excited to be working with the Esports One team and can’t wait to see it in action on Twitch!”

“The team at Esports One has incredible talent and insight in this space. They are able to conceptualize and deliver the most advanced enhanced viewing experience in esports,” said Atef Merhej of Crest Capital Ventures. “Interest in esports has exploded globally and the opportunity to help shape the way this industry develops is exciting. We are very happy to partner with Esports One to help build and promote incredible solutions for esports players and fans”

“2018 has already been a shaping up to be a big year. The close of our $3MM seed round is just the beginning. We’re continuing to make key hires, expanding operations and offices along with the upcoming launch of our esports podcast,” said Matthew Gunnin, Co-founder and CEO, Esports One. “We couldn’t be more excited to have the backing of our investors. Their support will be pivotal as we get ready to expand games and execute on our biggest launches yet.”