The��investment will incorporate a strategic partnership to support����Բ��پ���’s��expansion into the growing Japanese esports sector, and the substantial Asia-Pacific market.����

Marubeni’s investment in��Fnatic��builds upon��12��months of growth, including an 80% year-on-year increase in revenues year-to-date and expansion as a high-performance eSports brand.����

Newzoo��anticipates��the eSports market��will generate��more than $1��billion in revenues in 2021.����

The previous��12��months have also accelerated the growth of the global eSports industry, particularly in cornerstone markets such as China and East Asia.����

To tap into this global and growing market,��Fnatic��has recently strengthened its leadership team with the addition of Georgina Workman (Head of Studios, Previously Appear Here), Julien Dupont (Partnership development, previously Vitality/Havas), Oliver Royce (Head of Apparel, Previously��Gymshark) and Patrick Foster (CFO, previously��Getaround).����

It has also expanded��its digital and physical performance products – revenues from these ranges have increased by 91 per cent year on year in the first quarter of 2021.����

The investment from Marubeni will also accelerate����Բ��پ���’s��growth in the substantial Asia-Pacific market with a new strategic partnership that will incorporate the expansion of����Բ��پ���’s��base of operations in Japan and support for����Բ��پ���’s��Rainbow 6 Siege team who plan to relocate to the country.����

The Japanese eSports industry is a significant and growing market, expected to increase in value by more than 250 per cent between 2019 and 2023. More than 6.9 million people attended eSports events in Japan in 2020, a 42 per cent increase on the previous year.��

The current round includes a range of international family offices and institutional investors, alongside venture debt from Bootstrap. The round comes after����Բ��پ���’s��groundbreaking��crowdraise��in 2020, which was joined by more than 3,500 investors.����

Fnatic��CEO Sam Mathews said: “We’re so excited to have the strategic know-how of Marubeni leading this funding round.�� Marubeni’s knowledge of Japan’s business landscape will be a huge asset to��Fnatic��as we expand our commitment to APAC.”��

Founded in 2004,��Fnatic��has��more tier-1 tournament wins than any other organisation. This focus on performance has enabled the growth of����Բ��پ���’s��pioneering eSports equipment line, which grew 52 per cent in 2020.����

Fnatic��has also expanded its high-performance teams globally, with a worldwide squad of 40 pro gamers across 8 game titles, and more than 100 staff in 6 offices globally.��

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Reset��aims to provide ‘C-Suite-in-a-box’ solutions and is��focused��on helping gaming companies turn their investments into stable businesses.��

It��provides��organisational design and interim operational support, and helps brands activate in gaming with accurate data and measurable results.��

The Reset team already has a proven track record for its services having supported clients such as Samsung, Kia, BT and Duracell, eSports teams London Spitfire and��Ellevens, and tournament operators including BLAST and FACEIT in the last year.��

Reset was��co-founded by four executives from the worlds of gaming, sport, media & entertainment.��

Duncan McMonagle, who has spent two decades working with global brands and rights-holders across sports and gaming, most notably as CRO at Minute Media, where he launched the companies esports platform DBLTAP, is��joined by Ben Brown, veteran of Accenture, Universal Music and Spotify;��plus��Chris Jordan and Charlie Stebbings, who together co-founded the leading eSports executive search practice at SRI.��

McMonagle��said:��“Our vision is to elevate gaming as a commercial property and develop a sustainable ecosystem. One where fans are prioritised, endemic players have sustainable business models, advertisers reach and engage the right audiences, and investors can deploy capital with confidence.”��

For the past��nine months Reset has managed��all operations for the Overwatch League Team, London Spitfire.����

David Harris, Managing Director of Guinevere Capital,��said: “Having worked with individual members of Reset in their previous roles across the industry, it’s exciting to see this group come together to service the sector.����

“Over the past year with limitations on travel, they have provided an amazing��turn–key service for both operational and commercial support on the ground in the UK.����

“They know the industry and key stakeholders meaning they have been able to pick up and run with everything from London Spitfire watch parties��and��co-streams, to merchandise logistics and go to market sales collateral.������

“They’ve assisted us launching training academies and liaised with University programs working up and down the chain from grassroots to elite level working directly with publishers.������

“We have had no hesitation referring Reset on to work with other groups in the industry and look forward to continuing our relationship in 2021.”��

��Reset has hired Mike Murphy O’Reilly, former Head of Gaming & Esports at Minute Media, who joins as Reset’s Commercial Director.��Murphy O’Reilly has��worked on brand partnerships with clients including Kia, H&M, Warner-Bros and Activision-Blizzard.��

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It says��the��new chapter will��combine��the three pillars of skills, innovation and start up under one roof, with a focus on building a world-leading reputation in data science, AI, gaming and immersive technologies.����

Based at the heart of MediaCityUK, which was recognised as one of the UK’s fastest growing tech hubs that will propel the region into recovery after the pandemic, HOST will serve as a driving force to the interconnected and collaborative Salford Innovation Triangle – alongside Salford Royal Foundation Trust, with its global-leading innovation factory; Salford University, the fastest-growing University in the North West; and MediaCityUK, the creative tech and digital hub with 8,000 employees and over 250 SMEs.����

IN4.0 Group took over management of the hub on 1 October 2020 with plans to build on its great pedigree, and since then it has already made several high-profile appointments and collaborations.����

HOST has already established significant partnerships with Amazon Web Services, Barclays Eagle Labs, Greater Manchester AI Foundry, AI Tech North and Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, mobilising the most diverse and innovative business community.����

100 MediaTech Innovators

Simon Benson, co-inventor of PlayStation VR, was appointed��director of��immersive��technology in November 2020.����

Dr Maria Stukoff, director of the University of Salford’s Maker Space and former BBC Academy and Sony PlayStation ‘imagineer,’ recently joined the hub to foster future talent and support the development of its eSports and XR immersive community. ��

Several more high-profile announcements are on the horizon for HOST that will further enhance its capability to help drive the region into post-pandemic job rich recovery.����

A precursor to this is��FreelanceHER��100, a ground-breaking 12-week accelerator programme that is currently supporting and empowering over 109 women impacted by the pandemic, to kick-start their careers as freelancers.����

The five floors of the building will also be refreshed to include a state-of-the-art Innovation Lab, which will house a 24/7 security and network operations centre, dedicated to supporting SMEs with secure and scalable digital adoption and nurturing new IP in cyber and AI technology.����

Mo��Isap, CEO of IN4.0 Group, said: “We are delighted to be working alongside Salford City Council as we enter this landmark moment from when The Landing was first established in 2013.����

“HOST, Salford’s Home of Skills & Technology, is not just a name-change, it is a representation of the hub’s mission to establish an ecosystem that supports skills, growth and innovation in the region.����

“Diversity, accessibility and inclusion are at the core of everything we do, and it is imperative we continue to build on these values as we enter this new chapter with HOST. We are an enabler, not just of productivity, but of prosperity for all – we may be about technology, but the benefits we bring are all about people.”����

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Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett said: “The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed an extra emphasis on digital technology and skills more than ever before. Our aim in Salford is to be the UK’s leader in digital enterprise.����

“HOST scaling its ambition and driving this important work forward is another piece in the jigsaw to enable us to do that. It is fostering and nurturing talent which is creating growth, opportunities and jobs that local people can benefit from. It is a very exciting time for this city.”����

Debbie Brown, Strategic Director of Service Reform at Salford City Council added: “The digital sector is continuing to thrive in Salford. HOST will be the engine room to��open up��opportunities for residents and businesses in the city and beyond. I am delighted with the progress and look forward to working with the team on this next step of the journey.”����

Stephen Wild, Managing Director of MediaCityUK: “MediaCityUK is constantly evolving and HOST’s ambitions in data science, gaming and immersive technologies will accelerate our position as the home of globally recognised talent and innovation. Through HOST’s inclusive approach it will make opportunities accessible and help transform visions into a reality.”������

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A report published today by Delancey’s Here East and supported by the London Legacy Development Corporation has outlined a roadmap to create a world-class��eSports��cluster that will drive job creation and bring an industry worth��£130��billion globally to��East London.����

The report, which includes��interviews with��eSports��leaders and academics, identifies��why it believes the��Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park��is��the natural home for��eSports��in the UK,��including��state of the art sporting venues,��close proximity��to international��eSports��teams and close engagement with academic institutions and local initiatives specialising in��eSports.����

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is already home to global��eSports��competitions at the Copper Box Arena, Staffordshire University London – which offered the UK’s first��eSports��undergraduate course – and��eSports��and gaming businesses such as BT Sport, Sports Interactive and��Bidstack.��

/how-bidstack-is-placing-coronavirus-messaging-into-video-games/

A dedicated team, led by Here East and LLDC and including other Park stakeholders and venues, will be established to deliver marketing and communication campaigns, new��eSports��partnerships and collaborations with local initiatives to develop pathways to foster talent.��

The plan will also benefit from use of the existing mechanisms that LLDC, Here East and other Park partners have in place for stakeholder and community engagement. In particular, the existing relationships with youth networks will be a real strength in terms of communication about the games business.��

eSports��generated £60m in revenue across the UK in 2019��and the stakeholders believe they can��accelerate the growth of the industry in the UK and drive job creation and economic growth in London.����

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“Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park already hosts some of the most high–profile eSports competitions, teams and businesses in the UK and Here East has become the fastest growing community of eSports innovation in the country,” said Here East CEO Gavin Poole.��

“This report outlines our vision to transform the Park into a world-class��eSports��cluster that sends a clear message to the global��eSports��community – London has the talent, venues and expertise to become a global capital for��eSports.��

“We have outlined an ambitious roadmap to realise the potential of��eSports��on the Park in a way that brings significant economic and social benefits to the capital, the emerging British��eSports��industry and local communities.����

“We look forward to working with the London Legacy Development Company and the wider Park community to bring this roadmap to life.”��

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