Last month Winstrike, a Russian globally-oriented eSports company, has attracted $10 million from private investor Nikolai Belykh and several business angels. The news was reported by Vedomosti based on its exchanges with Jaroslav Komkov, Winstrike’s CEO, and the investor.
Belykh will receive a 25% stake in the company, the Russian business daily reported. The funding will be provided gradually.
“I believe that the niche of cyber-sports clubs is still vacant in Russia, particularly outside Moscow and Saint Petersburg. Expanding throughout the country is exactly what Winstrike is suggesting,” said the investor.
The company plans to expand through a network of cybersport clubs and arenas, mobile apps, team sponsorship and a variety of marketing activities. One of these arenas is scheduled for launch in Moscow in the spring of 2018.
Besides the home country, Winstrike is aspiring to expand to Cologne in Germany, Atlanta in the USA and several other cities.
Two years ago USM, an investment company controlled by Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov, announced an investment of at least $100 million in Virtus.pro, a popular eSports platform.
Russia places second in the top five eSports countries in Europe.
