Mobile gaming company Champions Round won the start-up pitch contest at the 2021 Esports Investment Summit (EIS) which was sponsored by the Toronto Stock Exchange and hosted by Inven Global.

Champions Rounds beat out a competitive field of finalists, besting pitches from Brelyon, TNA Gaming, and Virtual Reload to claim the victory.

All of the participants in this year's startup pitch contest had the opportunity to do a full pitch presentation of their product and roadmap, after which they answered a series of questions from the panel of qualified judges.

This year's final round judging panel included: 

• Pat Hwang, Angel investor at Tech Coast Angels
• Donn Montoya, founder of Connect 2 All 
• George Khalife, Midwest VP of the Toronto Stock Exchange
• Joe Lawrence, VP of Development and investments at 535media

“My primary goal was to paint a picture of what the 2020s will look like for the sports & Esports industries, and ultimately demonstrate how Champions Round is building high-value products in conjunction with these trends,” explained Carter Russ, CEO and Founder of Champions Round after winning the competition. “Sports and Esports are merging together, and we see a tremendous opportunity to unite all fans around the moments that matter most. It was fantastic to see that the panel believed in our vision!”

Who is Champions Round?

Champions Round is a mobile social gaming platform with aspirations to expand into fantasy sports and sports betting over the next few years. The company is based in Los Angeles and was founded by Carter Russ and Chase Payne in 2018.

Their company tagline is: "At Champions Round we're pioneering Micro Fantasy Sports - Social fantasy sports & Esports games that better connect communities of fans around the moments that matter most."

During the pitch contest, they pitched a three-phase plan.
 

• Phase 1 is happening now, with free-to-play social games designed to connect people around the world. 
• Phase 2 starts in August of 2021 and will bring paid fantasy sports to the Champions Round platform where players can win cash for playing. 
• Phase 3 will take place in 2023 when Champions Round is hoping to implement a full sports betting and social betting platform which will provide high-value to users at low costs.

When asked about the short-term and long-term goals of his company, Russ said, “We’re Launching several key games surrounding NFL moments, while rounding out the year with our first main Esports products. As a fan, all of my favorite moments are enhanced tenfold when experienced with my friends and family. We're looking forward to these launches, but most importantly, we look forward to bringing us all a little closer around sports & Esports greatest moments."

To learn more about Champions Rounds, visit their website.