MLG Co-Founders Launch Esports Infrastructure Provider Vindex, Acquire NGE and Esports Engine

The new company will provide esports operations, production, and technology services

Major League Gaming co-founders Mike Sepso and Sundance DiGiovanni are launching an esports infrastructure platform — dubbed Vindex — backed by initial funding of $60 million. In addition, the company has acquired esports-production outfit Next Generation Esports (NGE) and the new Esports Engine.

Sepso will serve as CEO of the company, which was also co-founded by Bryan Binder and Jason Garmise and counts Steve Bornstein, former CEO of ESPN and NFL Network, and Joel Greenblatt, founder of Gotham Asset Management, as board members. 

Vindex will provide esports operations, production, and technology services and help game publishers, esports leagues, and teams deliver more-engaging experiences. The company boasts more than 100 employees, proprietary broadcast technology, and competition-management software to equip partners with the services and technology needed to scale to an increasingly mainstream global audience.

The company’s broad mandate is to build and acquire the key business and consumer infrastructure to help drive the growing esports industry. Vindex’s investor base, board of directors, and management provide access to what the company calls “unprecedented” growth capital and strategic acquisitions to further unify the fragmented landscape.

Vindex CEO Mike Speso speaking at The SVG Summit in 2018

The founders and senior management of NGE and Esports Engine will remain in their roles and are now part of the Vindex leadership team. Columbus, OH-based Esports Engine, co-founded by industry veteran Adam Apicella, has established itself as a trusted partner to publishers and esports teams. Burbank, CA-based NGE has played a key role in some of the world’s largest and most-watched broadcasts in esports history.

According to the announcement, Vindex is fully committed to maintaining and growing the strong partnerships that NGE and Esports Engine have created, and the combination of the two “establishes the clear market leader with unmatched resources and capabilities.”

Esports presents a massive commercial opportunity, growing at more than 35% annually, according to Goldman Sachs. Esports revenues are expected to reach $3.0 billion by 2022, and Vindex says it will provide instant momentum in streamlining the business of esports, infrastructure, operations, logistics, and events to meet the demands of fans and participants.

“Esports has been a vibrant growth story for nearly two decades, and I have been honored to be a part of it,” says Sepso. “But we’re just getting started. More than ever, esports is driving growth and engagement for the entire games industry. We’re here to make those experiences easier to deliver, more scalable, and deeply engaging and rewarding for fans.”

Sepso co-founded Major League Gaming in 2002, which was acquired in 2015 by Activision Blizzard (ATVI), for which he helped build market-leading esports operations.

The $60 million Series A round of stock offerings is backed by notable investors across the hedge-fund and private-equity world, and Vindex is supported by a high-profile board of directors that includes legendary sports-broadcast veteran Bornstein, who worked with Sepso at Activision on the launch of its esports division, and Greenblatt.

“I haven’t been so excited for a new opportunity since my time as CEO of ESPN,” says Bornstein. I see the same level of enthusiasm and talent in Vindex. The team has delivered the biggest wins in esports to date and has a clear vision for driving the next wave of the industry’s growth. I’m excited to help unlock the global potential of the esports market.”

Says Greenblatt, “Vindex represents a unique opportunity to partner with a world-class management team, including the most highly regarded esports innovators. The company is building an industry-leading platform designed to help facilitate the explosive growth of esports.”