Seattle-based eSports betting company Unikrn had been interested in sponsoring a team for quite some time and even discussed the possibility of ownership, according to Chief Executive Officer Rahul Sood. On Thursday, Unirkn entered the eSports financial arena for the first time, investing in newly-formrd German Counter-Strike: Global Offensive team BIG.
“We met this dream halfway with BIG,” Sood said in a statement. “We are not only partnering up with BIG, we are actually investing in them! We want to create value for the team but at the same time we are completely hands-off when it comes to the daily operation or anything roster related. We support them through financial backing and business development!”
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An announcement on the Unirkn website reiterated Sood’s thoughts, stating how “eSports and community” are two things that the eSports company cares most about. You might also remember that Unikrn grabbed headlines 18 months ago following a $7 million Series A funding round, which included backing from Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban.
“eSports is something that everyone who is reading this embraces in one way or another. We at Unikrn are no different,” the announcement reads. “It was only a matter of time before we strengthened our ties to eSports, and that day is finally here.”