Splyce has raised yet another substantial amount of money in a funding round. More specifically, the organisation has secured $2.6 million (£1.96 million) from the likes of basketballer Metta World Peace, American footballer Roman Harper, and sports agent David Meltzer.
The round was led by The Ledger Group, which we previously reported contributed $1.5m (£1.07m) itself. Its plan of rebranding to OverActive Media, due to multiple investments in the esports industry, still stands.
The likes of American venture capital firm First Serve Partners also joined the round. The firm works with numerous athletes and companies in media, entertainment, and technology, and was responsible for getting World Peace, Harper, and Meltzer involved in the round. The Ledger Group and First Serve Partners are set to join the board of Splyce as observers.
Waylon Chin, CEO of First Serve Partners discussed the investment with ESPN: “We believe that our investment in Splyce, featuring a strategic collection of iconic athletes and business leaders in our syndicate, positions us to not only capitalize on the transcendent growth of esports but to bridge the gap between athletes as entrepreneurs and investors, and continue our leadership across sports, media, and entertainment.”
It’s worth noting that Splyce is finalizing its application to be a part of the new franchising model for the European League of Legends Championship Series (EU LCS). Each spot is reportedly worth €8 million (£7.045m) and can be paid over time.
Marty Strenczewilk, CEO of Splyce also commented: “There’s a lot of excitement from everyone in Splyce about bringing in our new groups from Toronto (Ledger) and New York (First Serve Partners). They not only expand our networks into two key business regions in the northeast but also provide a wealth of business acumen to support our growth strategies. I’ve never looked at us as purely a sports team, but rather an entertainment company. Working with accomplished entertainment veterans like Joey Brander, David Meltzer, Roman Harper and Metta World Peace gives us a lot of support and reach for our projects to expand the Splyce brand beyond the core esports audience and reach new fans.”
Splyce competes in League of Legends, Call of Duty, Halo, Rocket League, StarCraft II, SMITE, and Paladins. The organisation is partnered with the likes of CLTX Gaming, Turtle Wax, Foot Locker, Mountain Dew, CORSAIR, Turtle Beach, Scuf Gaming, and Twitch.
Esports Insider says: Splyce is doing a good job of acquiring substantial funds from impressive and promising sources, so well done to the organisation! With this additional funding, it’s fair to assume that it’s EU LCS hopes are looking promising.