Gaming
Pocket Aces’ Loco, Fnatic enter into long-term, multi-pronged strategic alliance
NEW DELHI: Leading live game streaming app- Loco announced a long-term partnership with global esports organisation, Fnatic, in a first-of-its-kind partnership for the Indian gaming ecosystem.
Fnatic is one of the world’s preeminent esports organisations and has an unrivalled decade-long legacy in a variety of games like League of Legends, Counter-Strike, Dota 2, and more. The company is now pioneering the PUBG Mobile esports space with its squad-based out of India.
As part of the partnership, Loco will onboard Fnatic India’s entire roster onto the app (which include some of India’s leading streamers and gamers) who will broadcast exclusive content on Loco.
Loco and Fnatic will also co-create unique esports content together. This includes multiple tournaments and non-fiction shows. The two companies believe that esports content is in a nascent stage and the coming together of two organisations with a strong content pedigree will deliver unparalleled entertainment to gaming fans in India.
Pocket Aces founders Anirudh Pandita and Ashwin Suresh said, “Fnatic and Pocket Aces share a common vision of building a sustainable esports ecosystem in India. We want to provide Indian esports and gaming fans, world-class gaming entertainment across formats and this partnership will ensure that this shared vision is realised very soon. Fnatic has made a strong commitment to Indian gaming and as the home of Indian gaming, we are delighted to welcome them!”
Fnatic lead India Nimish Raut said, “At Fnatic, we are dedicated to entertaining our fans through content and new formats of gaming. We believe that esports has the potential to be the top form of entertainment in this country and these shared thoughts make Pocket Aces and Loco the perfect partner as we seek to level-up the content play in India. As a pioneer in the digital content space, Pocket Aces has a history of building entertainment channels from scratch and working with one of the best talents. We are thrilled to be working with Loco to build the future of esports and entertainment together."
In the last few months, Loco has seen a surge in streamer signups which has been ~ 50x more than expected. Recently, Loco also hosted an exclusive partnership with another esports giant – Skyesports for a ‘Grandslam Tournament’ across five game titles. The association between Fnatic and Loco started early April this year, for a PUBG Mobile charity tournament called #GamingForGood that witnessed a total viewership of 5.8 million.
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.
