Tournament platform and hosting website Smash.gg has raised $11 million in a capital funding round.
According to a report from VentureBeat, Smash.gg plans to use their new funding to continue to provide a platform for organizations at a grassroots level. The website allows anyone to host tournaments on its platform, and provides the tools for organizers to try and grow their events. Prominent events on the platform include Super Smash Con and DreamHack.
“We are trying to create a ramp for people to get into esports,” Shantanu Talapatra, CEO of Smash.gg said. “It is like YouTube providing a ramp for people who want to create video.”
Talapatra believes that Smash.gg can lower the barriers to entry for those trying to create a career in esports..
Developing amateur talent and helping to grow grassroots esports could well become as big business as the top tier of the industry. ELEAGUE and GEICO will be staging an amateur Street Fighter V series to try and find the next big talent in that game, while Smash.gg competitors like Battlefy also compete for market share in the amateur scene.
