Fnatic secures $19 million in funding round, appoints news CEO
European esports organization Fnatic has raised $19 million in a recent Series A funding, the team announced through its official website.
Entrepreneur Lev Leviev of LVL1 Group, Beringea, Blackpine, Unbound, and Joi Ito are some of the new investors in the Fnatic brand. This is the first funding round held by Fnatic since April 2017 when the team secured a round of $7 million.
“Esports is the future of entertainment, as well as one of the most dynamic and exciting emerging industries out there,” Leviev said. “Fnatic has established itself as a driving force both on the competitive stage and as a global business in esports.”
According to this latest announcement, the team will use the new funds to further expand into North America and Asia, strengthen its presence in top tier competitive leagues like League of Legend’s LEC, and launch new products through the Fnatic Gear branding.
Fnatic founder and CEO Sam Mathews spoke to the strength of the company’s new investors and how they would be able to see Fnatic through to accomplishing the organization’s new goals.
“This is a pivotal moment in the evolution of Fnatic,” Mathews said. “I am incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved over the past 15 years and now is the time to build on this strong foundation to realize our vision of being the leading global esports brand.”
Fnatic also shared news of some recent leadership moves, as founder Sam Mathews returns to the CEO position to replace Wouter Sleijffers, who took over as CEO in 2015. Mercedes AMG F1 CEO Nick Fry was appointed as board chairman, while former Affectv CEO Glen Calvert was named COO.
The news comes as Fnatic’s League of Legends team looks to rebuild after failing to make the LEC spring final, having lost to Origen en route to a third-place finish.
Read Also
Esports Betting
League of Legends Classic will be back in 2026, here’s what we know
Wasif Ahmed
Riot has announced that League Classic will come out in Season 3 of 2026, as a game mode. League Classic is “old League of Legends”, the ability to play the game on a specific patch from over a decade ago. How much information do we have? What is League Classic, when will League Classic release, and what patch will it be for? Ever wanted to rediscover the old version of ...
League of Legends
Karmine Corp vs Team Liquid: Best betting odds and picks for MSI 2026
Hannan Mundia
While both Karmine Corp and Team Liquid lost one series each, both teams will have another chance to continue in the 2026 MSI play-in stage to potentially qualify for the bracket stage. Both participating teams got swept by T1 in this MSI stage, bringing them to the third round. Team Liquid’s performance against Deep Cross Gaming was impressive, but does that really mean that it has what it takes to ...
Esports Betting
T1 exposes Karmine Corp with 3-0 win at League of Legends MSI 2026
Wasif Ahmed
T1 just beat Karmine Corp 3-0 in the play-in stage of the 2026 Mid-Season Invitational. More importantly, T1 turned KC’s strengths into weaknesses. The bot lane and teamfight prowess that shone in the LEC were no match this time. The match started with Karmine Corp picking a disrespectful draft, blind picking three immobile squishies. Right off the bat, a botched invade put their jungle and bot lane at a disadvantage. ...
League of Legends
KeSPA Cup returns in July 2026 exclusively on Disney+
Hannan Mundia
The KeSPA Cup is slated to return sooner than most expected, though its date and exclusive Disney+ partnership raises some questions. The KeSPA Cup is an annual tournament organized directly by the Korea e-Sports Association. While it doesn’t get nearly as much attention as Riot-organized leagues and events, LCK powerhouses still participate in it. 2025’s KeSPA Cup is still fairly fresh since it took place in December. This year’s tournament ...
Esports Betting
Best betting odds and picks for T1 vs Karmine Corp at MSI 2026
Hannan Mundia
This year’s MSI is still ongoing, and the next match in the play-in stage is slated to pit T1 against the LEC’s Karmine Corp. Both participating teams absolutely destroyed their respective opponents in this stage’s first round. With two 3-0 scores, both Karmine Corp and T1 have established themselves as powerhouses. However, the level of opposition was clearly different, and that fact may show its face in this match. Tournament: ...
Esports Betting
T1 vs Team Liquid: Best betting odds and picks for MSI 2026
Hannan Mundia
The League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) 2026 will kick off with T1 facing off against Team Liquid, but will the match really be as one-sided as the betting odds make it out to be? While some didn’t think that the reigning world champions, T1 would make it to this year’s MSI, the team proved many wrong once again. It barely made it to the play-in stage, where Team Liquid ...
Esports Betting
Karmine Corp vs Deep Cross Gaming: Best betting odds and picks for MSI 2026
Wasif Ahmed
Karmine Corp goes up against Deep Cross Gaming on the first day of MSI 2026. Obviously, KC is the favorite by a long shot. Does DCG actually stand a chance, though? Can they repeat the achievements of CTBC Flying Oyster who took down KC at First Stand 2025? Tournament: Mid-Season Invitational 2026 Stage: Play-in Game: League of Legends Format: Best-of-five Betting tips: As the second seed from a lower region, ...
