Gaming
NODWIN Gaming partners with the Global Esports Federation
Mumbai: NODWIN Gaming, the South Asian gaming and esports company, announced the agreement with the Global Esports Federation (GEF) to become the Portfolio Management Company (PMC) for key global emerging markets across South and Central Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Southeast Asia. This collaboration marks a significant milestone in NODWIN Gaming’s ambition in driving the growth of gaming and esports globally, by leveraging its expertise and leadership position in emerging markets worldwide.
The GEF convenes the dynamic, ever-evolving esports ecosystem including the adjacent industries and diverse network of global impact partners. Established in 2019, GEF has flourished to over 155 member federations engaging billions of #worldconnected athletes, players, and fans.
Firmly dedicated to its mission and universal values, the GEF has evolved to become an authentic voice of the esports community, elevating the industry’s legitimacy and credibility at a global scale. Furthermore, the GEF plays a pivotal role in cultivating emerging technological development, and user, fan, and brand experiences that enable innovation in gaming while ensuring sustainable growth for esports and limitless opportunities that inspire the world’s hyper-connected youth.
With strategic partnerships with industry giants and a proven track record of organizing gaming events and lifestyle festivals, NODWIN Gaming has now acquired exclusive rights to create and market GEF-licensed esports events in more than 20 countries such as India, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Dubai, Bahrain, Jordan, Thailand, Vietnam, in addition to the entire continent of Africa.
As a PMC, NODWIN Gaming also secures non-exclusive rights to host GEF-licensed events globally, which paves the way for synergistic collaborations amongst the company’s subsidiaries and strategic partners worldwide. NODWIN Gaming’s recent acquisition of the Turkey-based Ninja Gaming readies the company for endeavours in Turkey, the Middle East, and North Africa, while its Singapore-based experiential marketing powerhouse Branded focuses on the Asia Pacific region. With its equity investment earlier this year into Freaks 4U Gaming, a leading full-service gaming and esports agency in Germany, NODWIN Gaming will tap into potential opportunities in developing GEF-licensed events in non-exclusive regions through the agency’s European as well as endemic and non-endemic network.
NODWIN Gaming co-founder and managing director Akshat Rathee shared his insight on the partnership with GEF: “The world of esports is evolving towards a true global celebration of esports titles across the world. GEF truly epitomizes the hopes and aspirations of all the developing world markets that NODWIN seeks to develop. We believe our partnership with GEF will bring the best of esports opportunities to the youth of the emerging world.”
GEF chief operating officer Mario Cilenti commented on the partnership: “We are thrilled to have NODWIN Gaming on board as our Portfolio Management Company for the South Asia, Central Asia, and Africa markets. Their capabilities and extensive experience make them ideal partners to advance the Global Esports Federation’s mission and further engage with esports communities across key growth regions.”
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.
