Unikrn

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Unikrn Inc.
File:Unikrn logo.png
Type of site
Private company
Founded2014
Headquarters
Seattle
,
United States
Area servedWorldwide
Founder(s)Rahul Sood, Karl Flores
IndustryOnline gambling
ServicesOnline Esports betting & gaming
URLhttps://unikrn.com

Unikrn Inc. (styled as "Unikrn") is an esports betting company, based in Las Vegas, Nevada with offices in Seattle USA, Sydney Australia and Berlin, Germany.[1]

Overview

Founded in November 2014, Unikrn primarily offers real money [2] and token-based wagering on competitive video game tournaments, otherwise known as esports.[3] Unikrn creates betting markets on esports (organized video game competitions) matches akin to traditional betting.

Unikrn is licensed to provide real-money betting on esports in the UK[4] and Australia.[5]

Origins and Development

The company was founded by Rahul Sood and Karl Flores in November 2014, after Sood finished his role as General Manager at Microsoft Ventures.[6]

Unikrn raised $10 million[7] [8] in funding from several high-profile investors, including Mark Cuban, Ashton Kutcher[9], Binary Capital[10], and Tabcorp[11], its main partner for betting operations[12], as well as Elisabeth Murdoch and Shari Redstone. It also has partnerships with HP and Razer.[2]

In 2016, Unikrn became an investor in BIG (Berlin International Gaming),[13] a professional Counter-Strike: Global Offensive team. It has also fielded an all-female CS:GO team, Team Unikrn.[14] Unikrn also has an investment in MAINGEAR,[15] a high-end PC manufacturer.

In the second quarter of 2017, Unikrn acquired LEET,[16] an esports startup based in Las Vegas, Nevada, who specialize in integrating esports into land-based casinos. Unikrn also owns an Indian-based esports company, DotaProHub.[17]

Unikrn endorse the launch of The Esports Integrity Coalition (ESIC), along with Betway, ESL and Dreamhack, which aims to curb corruption and enforce ethical standards in the esports industry.[18]

In December 2017, Unikrn announced a partnership with MGM Resorts International to host events in Las Vegas.[19]

UnikoinGold

In 2017, the company has created UnikoinGold, an Ethereum-based cryptocurrency coin that will be used for betting on their platform. The initial coin offering will also provide funding for the company.[20]

References

  1. ^ "Why An Ex-Microsoft Exec Chose Google Apps Over Microsoft's Office 365 For His Startup". Business Insider. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
  2. ^ a b "There's an easy way to bet on competitive video games". Engadget. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
  3. ^ "Gambling Comes to E-Sports with Unikrn". The New York Times. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
  4. ^ "Account details". UK Gambling Commission. 4 August 2017. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  5. ^ Morris, Chris. "Mark Cuban invests in eSports betting company Unikrn". Fortune. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  6. ^ Burns, Matt. "VoodooPC Founder And Microsoft Ventures General Manager Rahul Sood Is Leaving Microsoft To Start Another Company". TechCrunch. Retrieved 19 September 2017.
  7. ^ "Unikrn Picks Up $7M To Bring Betting To Esports". TechCrunch. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
  8. ^ "Unikrn Closes Series A with Binary Capital and All-Star Group of Investors to Further Global Expansion". Businesswire. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
  9. ^ "Ashton Kutcher Joins Mark Cuban in Backing E-Sports Company Unikrn". Inc.com. 1 September 2015. Retrieved 19 September 2017.
  10. ^ Constine, Josh. "Binary Capital backs runaway trains with $175 million new fund". TechCrunch. Retrieved 19 September 2017.
  11. ^ "Tabcorp puts some skin in the game". Retrieved 19 September 2017.
  12. ^ "Fantasy eSports By the Numbers: You Won't Believe How Much Money's On the Line". Playboy. 1 November 2015. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
  13. ^ "eSports Betting Company Unikrn Invests In German CS:GO Team BIG". SportTechie. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
  14. ^ "Unikrn fields all-woman team to compete in e-sport matches". The Seattle Times. 19 November 2015. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
  15. ^ "Maingear, Unikrn Bet on PC Gaming's Future". PCMag. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
  16. ^ "Unikrn to acquire casino focused esports company LEET". Esports Insider. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
  17. ^ "Esports betting hub Unikrn buys statistics company DotaProHub | GamesBeat". venturebeat.com. Retrieved 19 September 2017.
  18. ^ Kamen, Matt. "Esports Integrity Coalition aims to clean up competitive gaming". WIRED UK. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
  19. ^ "Esports Betting Site Unikrn Partnering With MGM In Las Vegas". Esports Betting Report. 18 December 2017. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  20. ^ Shen, Lucinda. "This Is the Cryptocurrency Mark Cuban Is Backing". Fortune. Retrieved 12 July 2017.
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