Gaming
Iqoo levels up mobile gaming with India’s top gamers on board
MUMBAI: Iqoo is taking mobile gaming to the next level, forging a power-packed alliance with seven of India’s biggest gamers, Dynamo Gaming, Gamerfleet, Mortal, Payal Gaming, Scout, Shreeman Legend, and Ungraduate Gamer. Together, they will test, refine, and certify Iqoo smartphones, ensuring a next-gen gaming experience built by gamers, for gamers.
Kicking off this high-stakes collaboration is the Iqoo Neo 10R, the first smartphone tested and certified by these gaming legends. Armed with the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 processor and India’s slimmest 6400mAh battery, the Neo 10R is set to launch on 11 March 2025, promising unparalleled gaming endurance and performance.
As part of this industry-first initiative, these gaming stalwarts will not only stress-test every Iqoo device but also use them as their primary smartphones during live YouTube streams. By directly incorporating their insights, Iqoo ensures its smartphones meet the intense demands of pro and casual gamers alike.
“These gamers are the real questers, the catalysts behind India’s Esports culture,” said Iqoo CEO Nipun Marya. “By collaborating with them, we are ensuring iQOO smartphones push the boundaries of Android gaming, delivering an experience gamers truly deserve.”
With the Indian gaming market projected to reach 9.2 billion dollars by FY’29 (Lumikai-Google report), Iqoo is doubling down on its commitment to Esports, solidifying its position as a key player in the industry. The brand has already made significant strides, including partnering with six BGMI Esports teams and over 100 gamers in December 2024, onboarding a 23-year-old Gen Z chief gaming officer in 2023 to gather firsthand gaming insights, and serving as the official mobile phone partner for Esports in the 2022 Asian Games.
This gamer-driven innovation strategy positions Iqoo as a key player in shaping India’s Esports future. With cutting-edge devices and gaming champions at the helm, Iqoo is not just playing the game, it’s changing it.
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.
