JetSynthesys to take e-sports global, starting with Middle East entry

JetSynthesys already made an investment in the Middle East region through Jetapult, a gaming investment start-up backed by JetSynthesys and Accel

Digital entertainment and technology company JetSynthesys is set to expand its footprint in West Asia, a stepping stone towards taking the Pune-based firm global while riding the esports wave.

 

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) recently decided to hold the Olympic Esports Games in 2027, with its inaugural event slated to be held this year in Saudi Arabia.

 

One of the major esports properties that JetSynthesys has is the Global e-Cricket Premier League (GEPL), which is a franchise-based cricket esports league.

 

“The entire area of esports is one where we have huge untapped potential because the IOC recently announced that they will have an Esports Olympics in 2027 in Saudi Arabia,” Rajan Navani, founder and chief executive officer (CEO), JetSynthesys, told Business Standard.

 

“We are now looking at taking esports global, especially through the Middle East (West Asia).”

 

The Pune-headquartered company is backed by the likes of Kris Gopalakrishnan (co-founder, Infosys), Adar Poonawalla (CEO of Serum Institute of India), Sachin Tendulkar, and the multibillion-dollar family offices of Thermax, Triveni Group, Yohan Poonawalla Group, and DSP Group.

 

Last year, JetSynthesys had made an investment in the West Asia region through Jetapult, a gaming investment startup backed by JetSynthesys. And Accel had invested $4.5 million in Saudi Arabia-based game developer UMX Studio.

 

Navani added that there is a huge demand side and a pull factor now for new-age businesses, and currently, the company’s focus is to leverage India’s success.

 

Navani also said that GEPL has the potential to become the IPL (Indian Premier League) equivalent in the burgeoning world of cricket esports, emerging as a vital IP (intellectual property) for the company in the years to come.

 

“E-sports is a big driver for the growth of JetSynthesis moving forward,” said Navani.

 

He said that the company will also continue to look at mergers and acquisitions as a strong lever for its growth.

 

“We will also strategically partner, maybe give equity to some of our large global partners. This is what we believe and what we feel is right for the business because some of the capabilities that we have in India are newly being built,” he said.

 

Currently, Maharashtra is a big driver in terms of consumer spending in gaming and esports. The company also has a strong presence in the southern region, especially in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

 

“We are continuing to invest deeply as we grow. We have a committed, long-term family office capital. But as we move ahead and grow in scale and we build deeper partnerships, we do see ourselves expanding and working with the right set of stakeholders,” said Navani.

 

Earlier, the company had announced a 20 times the current growth plan over the next six years.