iWorld
Travelxp series gives America a new angle
MUMBAI: Forget bucket lists and picture perfect itineraries. Travelxp’s new original series, 50 States, asks viewers to trade postcards for perspective as it sets out to rediscover America one honest moment at a time.
Premiering on 22 November, the series is hosted by Iona, a Boston native who steers clear of the usual tourist trails. Instead of chasing must-see spots, she lets the country reveal itself slowly, through everyday encounters, imperfect moments and the kind of conversations that only happen when the camera stops performing.
50 States is built on a simple idea, to understand a place, begin with your own. The show strips away scripts and staging, capturing the small details that often say more about a place than its biggest landmarks. It is less about movement and more about meaning, offering a gentle, unhurried look at the lives and stories that shape modern America.
The journey opens in Florida, a state known for never doing anything halfway. Rather than racing through highlights, the series takes time to observe the quiet, the colourful, the contradictory and the wonderfully ordinary. It is Florida as lived, not packaged.
“Most shows show America,” says Travelxp content strategist Puja Gokarn. “We wanted to feel it, the humour, the food, the rhythm, the road. The small details you only discover when the camera isn’t waiting for a monument.”
Iona adds, “It’s been special to showcase my country through a local lens. Florida captures the mix of culture, nature and character that make the U.S. so unique. I wanted to share the America I know, shaped by the everyday people who make it feel alive.”
Travelxp, now available in more than 118 countries and 25 languages, is known for its immersive, lived in storytelling. With 50 States, the brand nudges audiences to slow down and listen to the places they visit.
In a world obsessed with quick clips and glossy frames, the series offers something rarer, an invitation to witness America as a living, breathing story, told by the people who call it home.
Gaming
MTG gaming chief Benninghoff joins NODWIN board as esports firm primes for IPO
The Gurugram-based esports firm is pursuing a public listing, has returned to profitability and is growing revenues by 42 per cent
GURUGRAM: NODWIN Gaming is moving fast. The Gurugram-based gaming and esports company has launched a pre-IPO fundraising round, appointed UBS as lead adviser for both the round and a subsequent public listing, and landed a heavyweight board director, all in one go.
The new board member is Arnd Benninghoff, executive vice president of gaming at Stockholm-listed Modern Times Group (MTG), who has overseen the group’s strategic investments and portfolio growth since 2014. He is no stranger to building things: Benninghoff has founded and built fifteen companies, served as chief digital officer at ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG, managing director of SevenVentures, and chief executive of Holtzbrinck eLAB. He began his career as a journalist at Deutsche Presse Agentur and various TV networks, holds a Diplom-Kaufmann in business and administration from the University of Münster, and previously sat on the board of Edgeware AB.
The numbers back the ambition
NODWIN is not pitching a story without substance. The company has returned to EBITDA profitability and posted a 42 per cent year-on-year revenue surge, reaching $58.5m in the first nine months of FY2026. The pre-IPO round will combine a primary issuance to fund global expansion through organic growth and acquisitions, alongside a secondary sale to give existing shareholders some liquidity.
Akshat Rathee, co-founder and managing director of NODWIN Gaming, said Benninghoff understands “the entire lifecycle of the gaming and media ecosystem, from the boots-on-the-ground reality of building startups to the strategic complexity of managing multi-billion dollar global portfolios.”
Benninghoff, for his part, said the company “sits at the intersection of sports, entertainment, and technology, making it one of the most exciting players in the global gaming landscape today.”
A portfolio built for the global south
Founded in 2014 by Rathee and Gautam Virk, NODWIN has quietly assembled one of the more compelling esports portfolios outside the Western hemisphere. Its properties include DreamHack India and Comic Con India, and it recently acquired StarLadder, the Ukraine-based tournament organiser behind premier events in CS:GO and Dota 2. The company also serves as a long-term strategic marketing partner for the Evolution Championship Series (EVO), the world’s most prominent fighting game tournament, helping push it into new geographies.
Its geographic focus spans South Asia, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Backers include Nazara Technologies, KRAFTON, Sony Group Corporation, JetSynthesys, and the founders’ investment vehicle Good Game Investments.
What comes next
With UBS running the books, a board freshly reinforced with European media and gaming expertise, and revenue heading in the right direction, NODWIN is laying the groundwork deliberately. The esports industry has burned investors before with big promises and thin margins. NODWIN’s return to profitability, combined with a real portfolio of owned intellectual properties across gaming, music and youth culture, gives it a more credible runway than most. The IPO clock is now ticking.
