Tag: Esports company

Singapore — Singapore-based Esports company Ampverse is preparing for accelerated growth, expansion into Indonesia and the Philippines, and development of its new Web3 business unit with a series of new hires and promotions within its senior leadership team. The updates include Tine Hansen as head of commercial partnerships; Thomas Jouanno as head of marketing and D2C; meanwhile, Robert Gaxiola is appointed as head of creative; and Jenny Hall is named as head of strategic partnership.

Following a successful US$12m Series A fundraiser earlier this year, Ampverse plans to strengthen and scale several key business units, including commercial, web3, marketing and strategic partnerships.

Hansen is a senior commercial executive with over 10 years of experience in the entertainment industry, focusing on IP and branded content. Hansen has worked across Europe, the US, Latin America, and APAC, holding director-level positions at the likes of Sony Pictures and NBC Universal.

Meanwhile, Jouanno is a digital and tech entrepreneur with over 12 years of experience in digital marketing, e-commerce, data analytics, and product monetization. He has built and successfully exited several companies and previously served as president and CMO for Atmosol.

On the other hand, Gaxiola is a globally recognized and multi-awarded creative leader who will spearhead Ampverse’s creative direction and product evolution into original content and Web3 including bespoke metaverse experiences. He joins from Something Else, the digital content and NFT studio for the publishers Vogue, Esquire and Robb Report having previously held roles including executive creative director at Ogilvy & Mather.

A seasoned veteran with over 15 years of experience in business development and brand partnerships, Hall has been promoted to lead the company’s new strategic partnership business unit. She will develop new commercial products and partnerships across the group’s portfolio of IP.

Charlie Baillie, chief strategy officer of Ampverse, said, “When you’re building an innovative company in such a dynamic sector as gaming and diverse region as Southeast Asia and India, a world-class team is vital to realise the scale of our ambition. The latest additions to the management team all have their unique strengths but also share common traits – they are entrepreneurial, passionate, self-driven, and not afraid to challenge the norm.”

Over the last year, Ampverse increased its headcount from 60 to more than 100 employees and saw revenue grow during the same time period. Its portfolio of leading esports IP includes Thai esports brands Bacon, MiTH, and many more. 

Singapore — Singapore-headquartered Esports company Ampverse has announced its US$12m Series A fundraise. The round was led by investment fund Falcon Capital and included follow-on investment from both Singaporean fund Vulpes and Gandel Invest, both of whom participated in prior Ampverse rounds.

The fresh funding will allow Ampverse to expand into the Indonesian and the Philippine markets, further esports team acquisitions and are earmarked to scale Ampverse’s play-to-earn business unit. This includes acquiring play-to-earn guilds as the esports company dynamically moves into the P2E space to complement its existing esports IP pillar.

New Series A investors join a list of distinguished strategic investors from the worlds of gaming, media, sports and esports. These include Rob Gilby, former Disney SEA MD, David NG, CEO GoGame, Michael Patent, CEO Culture Group, Marcus John, former VP Lagadere and Wolfpack Fund—founded by former IMG and Group M executives.

Wil Rondini, CEO of Falcon Capital, said, “Falcon is ecstatic to lead the Ampverse Series A round together with Vulpes and Gandel Invest and to join earlier leading investors from the esports, media and entertainment sectors. The growth that the Ampverse team have delivered in a short period is monumental. With their continued esports M&A strategy and play-to-earn vision, we know that the future is bright for Ampverse.”

Ferdinand Gutierrez, CEO of Ampverse, commented that Ampverse has witnessed tremendous growth over the last twelve months, with 125 per cent revenue growth and expansion into the Vietnamese and Indian markets, while also strengthening our esports assets portfolio.

“We will utilise these funds to move forward to solidify our position within Southeast Asia by continuing our expansion into Indonesia and the Philippines. We are also thrilled to continue scaling our esports and new play-to-earn business unit through further M&A,” Gutierrez said.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Global esports organizer Forest Interactive Gaming Habitat Team (FIGHT) and video-sharing app TikTok have partnered to launch TikTok Gaming Ground PH (TikTok GGPH), an esports dedicated account, within the platform. This marks the start of a year-long partnership between TikTok Southeast Asia and FIGHT Esports, which is kicking off with TikTok Philippines.

Through TikTok Gaming Ground PH, the community of Filipino gamers on TikTok can expect a line of live gaming events and tournaments hosted by the official TikTok GGPH account, as well as even more gaming content, shared and compiled by the TikTok PH Gaming Community.

Gaming Operations Manager of TikTok PH, John Castro, commented that the app continues to pursue opportunities to inspire creativity and bring joy to all Filipinos.

“With gaming actively becoming a positive source for community building and enjoyment, we are happy to be doing our part in providing the growing gaming community with a platform for education, positive connections, and interaction,” said Castro.

To inaugurate their partnership, TikTok Philippines and FIGHT Esports are jointly hosting the first-ever #TikTokGGPH Creator Cup Tournament, which will be set within Valorant, a popular first-person shooter game developed by Riot Games. The Creator Cup Tournament will take place on 27- 28 February from 3 pm to 9 pm PST, to be live-streamed on TikTok via @tiktokggphofficial. To raise the stakes, TikTok Philippines is offering a $1,000 prize pool to be awarded to the champion, 1st runner up, and 2nd runner up of the tournament.

FIGHT is the esports arm of mobile platform Forest Interactives, which focuses on tournaments, showcases, and seminars that will help the gaming community. It has already hosted over 80 tournaments in seven countries, including Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Taiwan.

FIGHT’s Project Manager Chantal-Denise Ortega said that TikTok is fast becoming a place where people create, share, and enjoy a new type of experience. It really makes a lot of sense for them to leverage the digital entertainment platform to reach the gaming community and give them the opportunity to connect and share their passion with fellow gamers around the world.

“This will create a unique and innovative esports experience where they can follow and engage with their favorite gaming content creators, tune in to esports tournament live streams, as well as celebrate esports in ways that have never been done before,” Ortega added.

The TikTok app is also holding a video campaign for the official #TikTokGGPH launch, starting from 12 to 28 of February. Users may upload videos that capture their gaming style and must use the hashtag #TikTokGGPH. At the end of the campaign period, 20 creators will be selected to become part of TikTok’s community of gamers, based on the level of passion for gaming and creative potential seen in their videos.