ALL THE LATEST NEWS ABOUT THE BUSINESS OF PC GAMES

News

Fnatic expands its esports operation by raising $19 million in funding

Date Type Companies involved Size
May 1st, 2019 investment Fnatic $17m
Fnatic expands its esports operation by raising $19 million in funding

London-based esports company Fnatic has raised $19 million in new funding for major expansion.

The firm, which runs competitive pro teams across a range of games from Dota 2 to Clash Royale, will use the funds to push for rapid expansion in North America and Asia. Fnatic currently employs 150 people but aims to grow its headcount to 1,000 in the next five years.

The latest investment round was led by Israeli diamond mogul and now-board-member Lev Leviev. Other investors include venture capital firm Beringea, private equity firm BlackPine and investment firm Unbound.

Funding will also go towards nutrition and psychology programs for Fnatic’s range of teams, and help hire physical training coaches. Fnatic also wants to push a new line of audio equipment, primarily headsets.

New funding brings a new leadership structure for Fnatic, naming founder Sam Mathews as CEO. Former Mercedes AMG Formula One CEO Nick Fry returns to the esports company as chairman, while Affectv founder Glen Calvert takes on COO duties.


Staff Writer

Natalie Clayton is an Edinburgh-based freelance writer and game developer. Besides PCGamesInsider and Pocketgamer.biz, she's written across the games media landscape and was named in the 2018 GamesIndustry.biz 100 Rising Star list.