aXiomatic invests in eSports rec league

There's money in competitive gaming beyond the pro scene, and one company has attracted considerable investment to build a business on the amateur ranks. Super League Gaming today announced that it has secured $5 million in series C investment from aXiomatic and Toba Capital, bringing its total funding to date up to $20 million.

A traditional sports investment supergroup including team executives from the NBA, NHL, MLB, and MLS, aXiomatic made headlines last month when it acquired a controlling interest in eSports pro squad Team Liquid. Toba Capital is a VC firm established by Quest Software and Patrol Software founder Vinny Smith. Previous investors in Super League Gaming have included theater chain Cinemark USA, as well as a SoftBank-managed fund and Quadrant Management.

"eSports are well on their way to becoming bigger than traditional sports. It takes a rare company like Super League Gaming, with great technology and a brilliant team led by CEO Ann Hand, to join the very short list of leaders in this space," Smith said of the investment. "We are incredibly excited to partner with the company on this journey."

Super League Gaming runs recreational leagues at theaters in the US and Canada where players of all ages pay a registration fee to join a team for a series of weekly competitions. Individuals play on their own laptops in the auditorium while the theater screen is used to provide an overview of the action. Currently SLG charges $60 for entry into a three-week league. To date the only title the company has run events for is Minecraft, but it has teased that it will expand its business to include "the world's most competitive game" in the coming weeks.