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Team Vitality, a leading European esports team, receives €20 million investment from entrepreneur Tej Kohli

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Team Vitality, a leading European esports team, receives €20 million investment from entrepreneur Tej Kohli
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Team Vitality has announced that it has received an initial €20 million investment from tech entrepreneur Tej Kohli.

The investment is thought to be the largest-ever for a European team. It represents a major boost for the continent’s esports sector, which is currently expanding rapidly and looks set to rival Asian and North American markets.

Through a combination of strong management, ambition and hard work, Team Vitality has quickly established itself as a leading professional brand in Europe with rosters across a number of titles and some notable commercial deals to boot. Vitality will make use of Mr Kohli’s business acumen and global experience to develop and strengthen the team and become a globally recognised brand.

The team’s founders also believe the investment will deliver for the fans. The €20 million sum will serve to develop state of the art facilities, including training and performance centres, as well as a flagship store and office. It will also enable world class athletic teams to be built, and ensure that fans can experience esports entertainment in a more immersive style.

Adding to its strong presence in European esports leagues, Vitality has recently launched a team in the leading FPS title Counter Strike: Global Offensive, better known as CS:GO, that last weekend won the DreamHack Open in Atlanta.

Vitality was also recently confirmed as one of the teams that has secured a long term partnership in newly franchised EU LCS, which has been rebranded to the LEC. This gives Vitality a long term corner stone in Europe’s premiere esports league.

With Mr Kohli’s support, the team plans to first expand its presence in China and Southeast Asia to reach an even wider range of viewers. Southeast Asia is the fastest growing region for esports, with major brands such as Singtel pledging extensive support and the likes of the Malaysian Government committing funds to help grow the industry locally.

Team Vitality, founded in 2013 by Fabien Devide and Nicolas Maurer, is a professional European esports team based in France, with a total of 50+ world class players from 11 countries. The team has a current portfolio of ten games, including League of Legends, CS:GO, Fortnite, PUBG, Rocket League and more.

Active in both European and international competitions, Team Vitality has a wide following in Europe, with a unique community of loyal supporters and an impressive list of AAA- brand partners such as Adidas and Renault.

Mr Kohli is the lead backer of Swiss-based robotics and venture studio Rewired, focused on applied sciences and technologies. His passion for technology and innovation enabled him to recognise the exciting investment opportunity offered by the growing esports market.

With Mr. Kohli’s commitment of €50m, Rewired launched an esports division Rewired GG, one of the largest investment arms in Europe dedicated solely to esports. Through it, he aims to expand the esports industry, as well as develop individual players, games and commercial opportunities. The backing of Team Vitality is Rewired GG’s first investment.

Team Vitality President and Co-founder, Fabien Devide, said:

“This investment marks a truly significant moment in the five-year history of our team and is a result of the hard work of our players, and the unquestionable loyalty of our supporters. We look forward to building on the already great community Team Vitality has established and to welcoming new players and supporters in the future.”

Mr Tej Kohli said:

“Esports is the future of both sport and entertainment and Vitality is one of the biggest and most exciting European teams. I’m thrilled to accompany them on their journey, as they look to become the number one esports team in Europe, and ultimately worldwide. I look forward to using my forty-years of business and technology experience to assist the management team in building a well-respected, world-class team, which will be a dream for every gamer and supporter to be a part of.”

Team Vitality CEO and Co-founder, Nicolas Maurer, said:

“Team Vitality has always strived to be one of the best esports teams in the world. With Mr Kohli’s support we are excited to step even closer to achieving our global ambitions. Team Vitality is set to become leaders in an industry that we believe will soon rival traditional sports in terms of audience and investment.”

 

 

About Team Vitality

Team Vitality was created in 2013 as a Call of Duty team and developed into a console organisation. It started its expansion on the PC esports scene in January 2016 with arrival in The European League of Legends Championship Series (EULCS). With continued growth on major titles and a lot of great results, Vitality’s mission is to bring the most professional environment possible to its players, while providing the best entertainment possible to its supporters. The two core pillars of Team Vitality are excellence and proximity.

 

About Mr Tej Kohli

Mr Tej Kohli is a visionary entrepreneur, businessman and philanthropist who rose to success building solutions for e-commerce businesses during the peak of the dot-com boom. Passionate about the potential of disruptive technology, innovation, philanthropy and in empowering young people, Mr Kohli has ensured this is reflected in his work and career. Mr Kohli now invests in innovative technology firms specialising in robotics, artificial intelligence and biotech, through a $100 million fund called Rewired. He has recently committed €50M to Rewired GG, an investment arm dedicated to esports. Beyond this, Mr Kohli carries out philanthropic work through the Tej Kohli Corneal Institute (TKCI), as part of his mission to cure corneal blindness worldwide by 2030.

 

About Fabien Devide

Fabien is President of Team Vitality. His career in the esports industry has covered the full spectrum of roles, from player to coach, manager and president. As a passionate competitor, Fabien’s vision is to take care of athletes, pass on his love for the game and nurture an authentic and close relationship with fans. Since launching Vitality in 2013, he has transformed the team into a true European leader. Today, Fabien’s role is to oversee and manage the sports and brand departments. He is also identified as the definitive voice and expert on esports in France. He has spoken before the national parliamentary working group on esports and was appointed head coach of the efootball National Team by the French Football Federation.

 

About Nicolas Maurer

Nicolas is CEO of Team Vitality. Since the team began, he has taken charge of its operational management. Nicolas looks after Vitality’s structuring, human resources, fundraising and monetisation of the brand via sponsorship, merchandising, commercial operations and revenues from leagues and games management. In just five years, Nicolas has turned Team Vitality into one of Europe’s leading esports businesses. Vitality is today a structured and well-funded operation, thanks to an initial fundraising round that drew EUR 2.5 million in December 2017. These fundraising rounds are among the first ever conducted by an esports club in Europe. Nicolas’ success has been to attract key strategic investors and prestigious sponsors, such as Orange, Renault and adidas. Today, Nicolas manages more than 70 dedicated and passionate people and continues to transform the team into a major actor in the world of esports.

 

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eSports

Sportradar and Oddin.gg ink AV betting agreement to elevate and expand esports reach

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Sportradar and Oddin.gg ink AV betting agreement to elevate and expand esports reach
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Sportradar and Oddin.gg, an award-winning B2B betting-solutions provider for esports, today announced they have entered into a multi-year strategic partnership to offer audiovisual streaming of Oddin’s exclusive esports content to Sportradar’s betting operator clients around the world.

The deal will support Oddin.gg’s growth ambitions in the expanding global esports market, whose betting turnover was estimated to be €83 billion in 2023. It will extend the reach of Oddin.gg’s official competition content by leveraging Sportradar’s market leading position as an AV betting provider.

Sportradar’s global network of 900+ betting operator clients will benefit from the opportunity to offer greater volume and a wider variety of live streamed esports events to their customers, increasing opportunities for engagement with existing and new betting markets. The partnership also paves the way for future collaboration in other areas.

Oddin.gg holds the official rights to high-profile competitions including the newly released Counter Strike 2 (CS2) which Sportradar will distribute to sportsbooks through the company’s integrated streaming product, providing access to prominent competitions globally and enabling operators to offer exciting new content to their customers.

A number of prestigious competitions are featured in the partnership, including:

• PGL Copenhagen Major 2024, the first Major for the newly released Counter Strike 2;
• Dacha DOTA2 Qualifiers and Main Events;
• Dacha Counter Strike 2 Qualifiers and Main Events;
• Tipsport MCR 2024.

Patrick Mostboeck, SVP Fan Engagement, Sportradar said: “This agreement further strengthens Sportradar’s esports offering while supporting Oddin.gg in realising their growth plans through AV streaming for betting. Sportradar’s ultra-low latency audiovisual outputs, as well as our comprehensive Live Odds and real-time trading solutions, provide betting operators with the critical materials they need to commercialise the global, highly engaged esports fan base.”

Vlastimil Venclik, CEO and co-founder of Oddin.gg shared: “As the forefront innovator in the esports betting sector, Oddin.gg is embarking on a journey by aligning with Sportradar, a leader in the realm of sports data and content distribution. This partnership is not just a collaboration but a combination of distinct strengths, where Sportradar’s extensive and sophisticated video distribution capabilities are set to be the vehicle for our unparalleled esports odds and analytical insights. This strategic alliance aims to harness the best of both worlds, merging our profound expertise and nuanced understanding of the esports betting market with Sportradar’s wide-reaching video distribution.”

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eSports

Apeiron Partners with TALON and United Esports To Bring Web3 Esports to Both East and West Markets

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Apeiron, the first-ever web3 god game, today announced a partnership with Hong Kong-based TALON and LA-based United Esports to host the Apeiron x TALON Nova Tournament.

Apeiron is a dapp x god game x roguelite x battle arena, combining classic with modern gameplay to create a unique entertainment experience. The tournament will feature two conferences, each hosting eight top players from around the world. The goal is to showcase Apeiron’s PvP to the world, with the Eastern Conference (Asia) scheduled for April 4-6 and the Western Conference (Americas) for April 11-13.

The tournament will follow a double-elimination bracket format, with matches being best-of-3 matches and the final matches being best-of-5. Each player will bring 3 decks, each with a different Avatar, and once a deck has won a game, it may not be used again within that set. The total prize pool is $30,000, split equally between the two conferences, with rewards ranging from $750 to $5,000 for the top Apeiron competitors.

Participation is by invitation only, and fans influence the selection by requesting their favorite Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) to join. The participants include notable members of the Web2 and Web3 gaming space, including:

Web2

  • (East) League of Legends pro player Tsai “GreenTea” Shang-Ching, Thailand content creator gamtoh and Wild Rift analyst Kitiphat “Cyberclasher” Kanjanapiphat

  • (West) top TeamFightTactics player RobinSongz, content creator and chess Woman Grandmaster Nemo, master of card games Deathsie, the most viewed English Hearthstone streamer Rdu.

Web3

  • (East): GamingGridX founder Yellow Panther, Axie Infinity player 1437, GGChronicles’ raiden, crypto gamers, esushima

  • (West): Content creator orangie, content creator Brycent, US content creator rojan, Twitch streamer ralo, METAT8 Esports founder Elijah Flowers

“We are excited to partner with TALON and United Esports from both the East and West to bring competitive web3 esports to a wider audience seeking strategic and fast-paced gameplay. Apeiron’s unique gaming experience challenges players’ strategic thinking, reflexes, and ability to improvise, offering an exhilarating experience for both streamers and viewers to witness and share the most epic clutch moments and comebacks,” commented Frank Cheng, CEO of Foonie Magus.

“The appetite and opportunity for esports within the Web3 space continues to grow and what we love about Apeiron is that it has a low floor making it easy to come in and play, but a high ceiling for experienced players to grow into their mastery of the game,” said Jazz Tham, Co-Founder of TALON.

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eSports

TEAM VITALITY DOUBLES DOWN FOR TWO COPENHAGEN MAJORS IN COUNTER STRIKE AND ROCKET LEAGUE

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  • From today, Team Vitality gears up for Copenhagen, competing in both the Counter-Strike and Rocket League Majors, highlighting their commitment to ascending as the world’s best esports club.
  • World champion in both games, the French club will defend its titles with its franchise players Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut on Counter-Strike 2 and Alexis “zen” Bernier on Rocket League.
  • On site and from its premises in Paris, Team Vitality will carry out immersive experiences and exclusive meeting sessions with its players, in close collaboration with its partners.

 

Team Vitality, the world’s leading esport club, is set to take part in two key events on the esport calendar, both taking place simultaneously in Copenhagen. Firstly, the first Major in the history of Counter-Strike 2 at the Royal Arena. And then, the Major of the Rocket League scene at the KB Hallen Arena. Together, the French trio will attempt to regain their position as leaders on the international scene after winning the 2023 World Championships in Düsseldorf.

TEAM VITALITY’S QUEEN TEAM AIMS TO MAINTAIN ITS REIGN

Team Vitality’s squad enters the first Counter Strike 2 Major, taking place at the Royal Arena in Copenhagen, with the determination to defend their title after reigning supreme at the BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023. With renewed energy, commitment and determination, the new Team Vitality era promises to be explosive. This new Major would be an opportunity for the team to achieve back-to-back Major victories, obtain a new star on their jersey, and maintain its heritage as champion of the scene.

With star player ZywOo’s contract renewal until 2026, Team Vitality gains renewed energy and commitment, heralding a new era of determination. These renewals reinforce the team’s dedication to finding and nurturing esports talent and support their competitive mission of maintaining their top position in esports. As the team’s cornerstone, ZywOo’s exceptional skills elevate Team Vitality’s competitive edge and inspire the entire organisation in its quest for excellence in esports.

“We will arrive in Copenhagen with a desire to make a good impression. For some players, this will be their first Major. For the players, arriving with the title of world champions, poses a significant challenge as they strive to live up to the expectations of being considered the best in the world. But for the team, it will be an opportunity to put our preparation to the test, evaluate if we have made the right decisions, and show our determination. Our ambition is strong, we are led by the best player in the world – ZywOo – we can only aim for the top spots.” explains Fabien ‘Neo’ Devide, co-founder and President of Team Vitality.

TEAM VITALITY’S ROCKET LEAGUE ROSTER READY TO DEFEND ITS LEADERSHIP

Reigning world champion and record-holders of the first perfect split in the history of the game, Team Vitality’s Rocket League team returns to the forefront to defend its leadership on the international scene from March 28 at the KB Hallen Arena in Copenhagen.

Made up of the crème de la crème of French players with Zen, Radosin and Alpha54, the Team Vitality team is driven by the desire to add even more titles to its list of achievements. The new coach of the roster, the former world champion FairyPeak!, will also be able to prove himself behind the screen by pushing his players to surpass themselves.

Together, the team hopes to win first place and remain the number 1 team on the French-speaking and international scene.

“RLCS Copenhagen, stands as a new competition where Team Vitality must take its stand and defend its title. This new season has been challenging, particularly in terms of player support. Currently, we find ourselves in a transitional period, where the team is still digesting their status as World Champions. This Major is an important competition, serving as a bridge towards our main objective which is to win the Worlds at the end of the year. In any case, we are going to Copenhagen with the aim to achieve.” recalls Fabien ‘Neo’ Devide, co-founder and President of Team Vitality.

DEFINING THE IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE FOR ALL FANS, FROM PARIS TO COPENHAGEN

Within the Royal Arena, Team Vitality will have a dedicated booth to welcome its fans and organise meet & greets with the players. This will also be an opportunity to (re)discover the V.Hive club application through a 100% winning digital experience.

To celebrate this historical moment where both of the French Club’s formidable rosters take centre stage, Team Vitality along with its official audio partner, JBL Quantum, has crafted an array of captivating experiences for its fans on the stand including:

  • Sound is Survival, step into a realm where you must rely on sound alone using the JBL Quantum 910 to navigate a Counter-Strike 2 map engulfed in smoke to defuse a bomb as quickly as possible while blindfolded. The person with the best time will be able to win a headset.
  • Sound of Legends, fans can experience 100% sound-based quiz. They will have to recognise the sounds from the Counter-Strike 2 game as quickly and precisely as possible, with the chance to win a JBL Quantum 910 headset by achieving the highest score.

IN PARIS FROM THE BUZZING V.HIVE

Team Vitality fans who did not have the chance to travel to Copenhagen will also have the opportunity to follow their teams thanks to EVNIA and Crédit Agricole. In Paris, viewing parties will be held at V.Hive from March 21 to 31.

Finally, Team Vitality and its partner Unilever are launching a unique gourmet initiative with Ben & Jerry’s named: Major Delivery. From March 20 to 29, fans can order delicious Ben & Jerry’s ice cream with the code ‘VITALITYMAJOR’ directly from the UberEats app. Team Vitality fans will benefit from a discount and will automatically be entered into a giveaway to have the chance to win a trip to attend the second Rocket League Major.

“It is an exceptional opportunity to have these two esports events at the same time and in the same place. Particularly in a city like Copenhagen where the culture of esports is well established and respected. This is why Team Vitality and its partners have made an effort to curate experiences for our fans who have travelled there, but also for those who remain at home. I am delighted that we were able to bring our partners on board this new adventure, signalling an important step for the club, and an opportunity to cement our leadership in the international scene.” said Nicolas ‘Nico’ Maurer, co-founder CEO of Team Vitality.

 

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