Lightspeed Venture Partners is a venture capital firm that engages in consumer, enterprise, technology, and cleantech markets. It focuses on seed, early-stage, later-stage, expansion-stage, start-ups, growth companies, and incubation, and specializes in debt financing for start-ups and growth companies. Lightspeed Venture Partners invests in various sectors that include enterprise, consumer, big data, bitcoin, enterprise technology, cleantech, mobile, internet, financial technology, cloud solutions, e-commerce, storage, media, networking, energy, and software, software-as-a-service, information technology, biotechnology, and social.

Lightspeed Venture Partners

Vermilion's investment team has a combined 70 year of experience in the analysis and management of investment portfolios. The firm manages equity capital in a technically-oriented fashion for institutions and high net worth individuals.

Vermillion Capital

Hidden Leaf Games

Hidden Leaf Games is an indie game development studio founded with the mission of delivering a world-class experience that focuses on competition, progression, and social play. We believe games are meant to be played together, regardless of skill level or platform. At our core, we're players who deeply value the social and community interactions that competitive moments have to offer. We believe that competitive games create lasting moments and are committed to recreating that experience for others to enjoy.

Hidden Leaf Games is a game developer in the process of developing a 3-on-3 multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game called ‘Fangs’ as of May 2021. The game will include strategic real-time gameplay, session-based rounds, and a diverse set of characters. The game attempts to solve multiple gamer pain points associated with typical MOBA games, such as lack of cross-platform play and extended game sessions. The game will launch on PCs initially, then on mobile devices, eventually supporting cross-platform play.

A foundational component to the next generation of digital entertainment.

Esports

Hidden Leaf Games and VShojo will partner on VTuber game

Hidden Leaf Games is a game developer in the process of developing a 3-on-3 multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game called ‘Fangs’ as of May 2021. The game will include strategic real-time gameplay, session-based rounds, and a diverse set of characters. The game attempts to solve multiple gamer pain points associated with typical MOBA games, such as lack of cross-platform play and extended game sessions. The game will launch on PCs initially, then on mobile devices, eventually supporting cross-platform play.The founders, David Li and Bao Lam, are industry veterans having worked at larger studios such as Riot Games, Zynga, and Super Evil Megacorp. The design team is led by Steve Feak, whose custom work on Warcraft III defined the genre and inspired MOBA hits such as League of Legends and Dota 2.In May 2021, the company announced its launch with a USD 3.2 million seed funding round led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, with participation from Vermillion Ventures and angel investors such as Eden Chen (CEO, Pragma) and Alex Paley (VP of Product, Scopely).

Stakester is a platform for gamers to compete against one another for cash prizes. The platform was launched in May 2020 and is currently available in 38 US states, the UK, and Singapore. As of November 2020, the platform has more than 15,000 users. Stakester has also established partnerships with ESL (Electronic Sports League) and GameByte (competitive gaming community).Stakester’s management includes Gary J. Foreman (co-founder of Rockstar Games) and Alan Patmore (former EVP and GM at Humble Bundle, GM of Mafia Wars and CityVille at Zynga), who joined as a strategic advisor and board member in June 2020.In November 2020, the company raised USD 2.7 million in seed funding led by RTP Global with participation from angel investors Jens Lapinski (CEO of Angel Invest and former MD of Techstars) and Chris Adelsbach (founding partner at Outrun Ventures and venture partner at Techstars). The funds will be used to grow its community by increasing the value of prizes on the platform. In addition, the company plans to expand its platform to Australia and Germany in the near future.

Stakester

Peru-based ESGPlay operates an esports platform that creates competitive esports tournaments.

ESGPlay

eMasters is a Brazilian esports platform that facilitates the creation of esports competitions with cash prizes. The platform supports games including League of Legends, Dota 2, and FIFA 19.

eMasters

Gaming Frog is a console based online esports tournament platform. The platform offers single player and multiplayer competitive matchups for cash prizes in FIFA.The platform officially launched in August 2019 and since has seen over 1,500 matches being played on the platform.Since launch, the platform claims to have attracted 3,500 users. The company has raised USD 150,000 from friends and family and is in the process of raising a USD 400,000 seed round. The company outlined plans to launch on Android, expand its development team, integrate artificial intelligence (AI), introduce a membership model and bring in NBA and Madden games into the platform.

Gaming Frog

NAG Studios is a Swedish startup focused on creating esports games and platforms. It was founded by esports and gaming industry veterans Peter Stahl (former head of development at Resolution Games, a game studio focused on augmented and virtual reality) and Johan Skott (former esports product owner at Tobii Tech, a unit of technology company Tobii AB). NAG’s vision entails building an esports game and platform which will incorporate the community (i.e., professional players, streamers, broadcasters, and viewers) from the beginning of the development process.The company raised USD 1 million in an extended pre-seed funding round led by London Venture Partners in October 2020. The company aims to use the funds to build its development team.

NAG Studios

Companies facilitating communication among esports players or between players and esports communities during gameplay.

Companies operating esports arenas and providing technical expertise for hosting and broadcasting competitive leagues and tournaments. 

Companies facilitating competitive online and in-person esports tournaments.

Companies producing and broadcasting esports related content.

Companies recruiting players to form professional teams and rosters for esports tournaments and leagues.

Companies developing esports related titles.

Commonly used in the tournament platforms segment to match players of equal skill

Hidden Leaf Games

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