Esports needs no momentum boost but it’s certainly getting one, thanks to leading sports-focused venture capital firm, Stadia Ventures, and Frisco’s own LaunchPad City.
Whether you enjoy video games or you know very little about video game culture, there’s an excellent chance you’ve heard the buzz about the growing esports market.
Esports features professional video gamers competing in organized tournaments and leagues. The industry is taking the world of traditional sports and gaming by storm with surging popularity and revenues flirting with $1 Billion in 2018.
A Meeting of the Minds with Powerful Potential
Stadia Ventures has carved a niche specifically around sports technology and focuses on growing startups through its accelerator channels. Combined with the surge of esports popularity, and the business incubator leading the charge in this lane, LaunchPad City, it’s a meeting of the minds with powerful potential.
Thus the Stadia Ventures Sports Accelerator program is coming to Frisco with the goal to find, mentor, and invest in early-stage esports companies. LaunchPad City General Manager and Director of Esports, Kedreon Cole said,
LaunchPad City and Stadia are seeking companies from all over the globe who are creating and using leading-edge technology to improve the esports space and enhance the player and fan experience. Augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and data analytics spliced with user adoption are the kinds of products that will get you noticed in this program.
The accelerator program is ideal for a company with an established team who is on a path to generating revenue and cultivating a customer base.
Companies chosen for the program will experience 14 weeks of intensive mentoring, connections to leading sports and esports, media, entertainment and global brands, as well as an investment of up to $100,000.
The first step for these potential participants happens as soon as May 14, 2018, when the first of three informational sessions take place in Frisco. Mavs Gaming will host the second session in Dallas and the third will be in Austin, Texas. Dig into the details of these sessions at launchpadcity.com.
Applications for the Stadia Ventures Accelerator program open at the end of May.
In August, ten finalists will have the opportunity to pitch their company to judges who will select up to five companies to earn a spot in the program and the investment of up to $100,000. This pitch day takes place on day two of Stadia’s Demo Day, where the Spring 2018 cohorts will be showing off their progress after completing their fourteen weeks in the accelerator program.
The Fall 2018 participants will be the first in the esports track, setting the tone in the rather young category that’s experiencing monumental popularity hikes.
Success Stories
The success stories coming out of Stadia’s Accelerator thus far include companies putting their stamp on sports technology, as well as instances of larger companies acquiring the incubator cohorts.
VNTANA, from the Spring 2017 accelerator, is a leader in social augmented reality technology. Think holograms. Sports franchises such as the Anaheim Angels, Chicago Cubs, LA Clippers, LA Dodgers, and San Diego Padres are VNTANA clients. Global powerhouse brands including Lexus, Marvel, NBC Universal and Intel also have tapped into VNTANA’s technology breakthroughs.
Another success story is Winning Identity from the Fall 2015 cohort. They specialize in golf software solutions to help athletes maximize performance. Winning Identity’s solutions and partnerships with the Golf Channel and Golf Now caught the eye of Blast Motion, who acquired the incubator star.
LaunchPad City is carving the esports path for Stadia’s program. The Frisco company’s role in the accelerator program is to drive the esports track by developing relationships with partners, industry insiders, influencers, and mentors.
The momentum is in play and the boost is imminent.
