Esports organization ReKTGlobal, Rogue’s parent company, has announced a $10.8 million series A funding round led by musician and entrepreneur Nick Gross. Other investors include Steve Aoki, Live Nation, and Imagine Dragons.
ReKTGlobal expects to use its latest funding round to support Rogue’s “global expansion” and its inclusion in the League of Legends European Championship. Rogue is a North American esports organization with a European team in the LEC. Gross is an early investor in ReKTGlobal, including esports programming in his Find Your Grind organization. Through that program, ReKTGlobal has launched a Junior Rogue program that mentors kids on esports as a viable career path.
Related: A new esports scholarship is offering $450,000 to would-be esports entrepreneurs
“By partnering with ReKTGlobal, Find Your Grind was able to bring esports curriculum to high schools across the United States and award $450,000 in annual scholarships to students interested in exploring esports as a possible lifepath,” Gross said in a statement. “I’m passionate about this space, and it’s exciting to take my involvement with ReKTGlobal to the next level by joining the board, bringing our Find Your Grind and Junior Rogue programs to Europe, and expanding Rogue esports around the world.”
ReKTGlobal acquired Rogue from Steve Aoki in January 2018. The team was founded in 2016 and rose to prominence with its Overwatch team. The team disbanded when Rogue was unable to secure an Overwatch League slot for the inaugural season. The Las Vegas-based organization now has teams in Fortnite, League of Legends, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Rocket League, Rainbow Six, and FIFA.
