Gaming
Loco announces global expansion backed by UAE-based investment company
Mumbai: Loco has announced an investment by Redwood Tech FZCO (“Redwood”), a newly-formed, technology-focused investment company, based in the UAE. This transaction marks a significant milestone in Loco’s journey, with the new investor investing significant capital to fuel Loco’s global expansion efforts. As part of the transaction, existing investors will be provided with an exit.
Loco has been a pioneer in the live game streaming and esports sector in India, paving the way for gaming to go from a niche hobby to a mainstream national interest. Loco has built highly engaged communities across various game categories, such as BGMI, Free Fire, Call of Duty Mobile, Clash of Clans, Grand Theft Auto (GTA), and Valorant. The platform will now be expanding to international markets that are aligned with Loco’s vision of becoming a leading global streaming platform. As part of this rollout, the company will be announcing new partnerships with major gaming companies, esports athletes, and streamers, helping it deliver the best gaming content to its users. The company has previously partnered with large publishers like Krafton, Activision, Ubisoft, and Riot Games, as well as global giants like the NBA and FIFAe, and will look forward to extending these relationships to new markets.
This investment will enable Loco to leverage its strong technology, and community-focused platform, to enter multiple new markets within the next 12 months. The commitment from Redwood underlines its confidence in Loco’s potential to expand its service internationally, transforming the way the world experiences gaming entertainment.
Loco founders Anirudh Pandita and Ashwin Suresh, said “This investment is a recognition of the immense work done by our team in the past few years. Gaming is an integral part of the cultural zeitgeist globally, and we look forward to building a platform that is at the heart of this global movement. Live streaming enables authentic connection in a way that other mediums can’t match and we want to put the fan at the center of this experience.”
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.
