Pokergründer and Reitan company support new e-sports center in Trondheim – E24

Before Christmas, the e-sports center Jotunheimen hopes to sell part of the company to small shareholders through the public financing platform Folkeinvest.

– It smells like a full subscription, and so be it, says co-owner Alex Hole before the issue.

He believes that the interest of small investors did not long to come.

– Many people want to create a gathering place for gaming and e-sports in Trondheim. We hear about everything from grandparents to young people with their first job wanting to buy shares, says Hole.

Expert: – The market is there

TV2’s e-sports commentator, Simen Henriksen, believes that the goal of 4 million kroner is realistic.

– I think the interest in gaming centers is there from both customers and investors. More people are opening their eyes to e-sports and investors see that the e-sports explosion in other countries may come to Norway. The market is there. The question is to what extent, he says.

– I’m very excited to see if you can build the audience culture for e-sports that you see abroad. You do not need to go further than to Sweden and Denmark before you see much greater interest, and people like to meet to see live matches and big e-sports matches than in a football pub, says Henriksen.

Millionsum for gaming PCs

In connection with the fundraising, the company is worth 16 million nok. A large part of the healthy equity will be spent on computer equipment.

If we are to succeed, this must be done right, otherwise those who do e-sports will rather sit at home. Then we need the most sophisticated machines and technology, says Hole.

In addition to rooms for players, the center will include a bar serving alcohol, spectator arenas for e-sports events and separate training rooms for e-sports teams.

Support from Reitan company

The center is scheduled to open its doors in the winter. The center has 700 square meters in Kjøpmannsgata in Trondheim, where the center has access to premises on very favorable terms from the EC Dahls Eiendom of the Reitan family.

– They were sitting in the hall for the first time when we presented the plans for the center before the autumn, and they are a very important partner for us. They even held the premises and told no other tenants while we planned the center. I think they see the social responsibility behind the center, says Hole.

The income comes from bar operations and lease of premises and PCs for e-sports events, children’s birthdays and corporate events.

– We hope that the center will create a sense of belonging and a meeting place for those who engage in other free activities such as football and handball only. There is a huge interest in e-sports, says Hole.

Poker founder on the owner side

On the owner side is the investor and poker player Morten Klein, who is behind the Swedish betting company Cherry and the cryptocurrency company Arcane Crypto. For the public funding campaign, small subscriber for shares of 1 million nok

– I would like to go with more, but it is important that gaming-interested and non-professional investors also get the opportunity to participate in something that they can use and use, he says.

– The interest in e-sports and gaming is huge. The business model itself makes this very interesting, and a development I would like to be a part of. In addition, the company is reasonably priced and has highly competent people on the team, he says.

In addition to small million, the existing shareholders Lars-Tore Finnanger, Anders Estenstad, Lars Kristian Iversen and Tommy Pedersen are 300,000 NOK in the issue. The leaves of 2.7 million nok to the people.

– has the right to life

Hole believes the e-sports center will operate profitably in a couple of years. In the long run, the company will expand with more gaming centers.

– Such a center, we believe, has the right to live in more cities than Trondheim, and we create a concept that can be expanded to other places, either through self-expansion or franchising, he says.

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