Gaming
‘Zupee Ludo Fest’ is Set to Transform Kolkata into a Gaming Hotspot
Kolkata : Zupee, India’s leading skill-based gaming platform launched a week-long gaming festival – Ludo Fest on Monday, 10th February. Zupee Ludo Fest is a series of engaging roadshows and a grand finale event is scheduled for Saturday, 22nd February in Kolkata. Zupee will conduct mini-Ludo board games across 7 coolest spots of the city where the participants will have an opportunity to win exciting prizes including tickets to the main event. These mini games will be hosted in spots like College street; Salt Lake Sector V; Mohun Bagan/ East Bengal Club; Hogg Market; Park Street; Howrah Bridge; Prinsep Ghat.
The grand gaming spectacle will feature over 150 influencers, making it one of the most anticipated offline gaming events in the city. Additionally, players will get a chance to win a range of prizes, including a grand prize bike worth INR 2 lakhs and vouchers valued at up to INR 20,000 rupees making it a total pool of over INR 6 Lakhs. Players will also compete for hourly prizes ranging from INR 1,000 to INR 10,000. Adding to the excitement, the event will be attended by a popular influencer and top 12 winners will have the unique opportunity to compete alongside a celebrity player, renowned actor Jisshu Sengupta.
Commenting on the event, Zupee’s spokesperson said, “We are excited to host the Zupee Ludo Fest in the city of Joy and bring together the vibrant skilled gaming community in Kolkata. We look forward to seeing both seasoned players and new participants come together, compete with celebrities, showcase their skills and win amazing prizes.”
Zupee consistently encourages responsible gaming and this Ludo fest provides an exciting, engaging, and responsible environment for its users. Therefore, whether you are a Ludo legend or just looking for some fun, join the Zupee Ludo Fest at any of the given locations.
About Zupee:Zupee is the largest skill-based ludo platform in India. Zupee offers ‘games of skill’ in which a player’s skill, knowledge, attention, experience and capabilities are crucial to success. Zupee’s product portfolio of skill-based board games is redefining the online real-money gaming ecosystem by providing meaningful entertainment and bringing moments of joy. Zupee seeks to offer a learning-driven gaming ecosystem in the country. Founded by IIT Kanpur graduates, Dilsher Singh Malhi and Siddhant Saurabh in 2018, Zupee is backed by marquee investors such as WestCap Group, Tomales Bay Capital, Nepean Capital, AJ Capital, Matrix Partners India, & Orios Venture Partners. Recently, Zupee was also recognized and applauded as the ‘Future Ready Organization’.
Zupee, a responsible gaming platform, adheres to a transparent communication policy and outlines clear guidelines on its website regarding Do’s &Dont’s. Zupee advocates for responsible gaming practices, emphasizing that gaming should be enjoyed primarily for entertainment purposes, rather than solely for monetary gains.
Media Contact:amrit.anand@zupee.in
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.
