UK esports organisation Viperio have won a pitch investment competition at the Creative UK North East Investment Summit.
They were one of three companies in the North East of the UK pitching to investors at the event, alongside animation studio Chap in the Box Studios and sports headband company Rezon.
But it was Viperio who impressed the panel of investors the most, securing equity investment of up to £100,000 for “a compelling pitch backed up by tangible results and entrepreneurial potential”.
Esports News UK understands Viperio pitched for the full £100,000, so they’re expected to receive around that amount, as part of a larger raise however.
Brodie Mulvaney, co-owner and commercial director at Viperio, said:
Brodie added ahead of the event: “Viperio has seen year on year revenue growth over the last 10 years, with the last being our most successful to date. After a highlight year, there is increasing confidence in Viperio and our offering. At this time, it feels natural to begin exploring investment opportunities.
“It’s fantastic to see how far Viperio has come since its inception, competitively and commercially. Viperio is no longer an amateur organisation, but a reputable name within UK esports with over 10 years of heritage.
“It fills me with great excitement to be working with Creative UK – their commitment to the creative industries, especially in the North East, is truly inspiring and incredibly important to our region. Viperio has seen year-on-year growth to date, and I’m excited at the thought of propelling this growth together with the Creative UK team.”
Creative UK North East Investment Summit follows other funding in the North East
The Creative UK North East Investment Summit took place at Newcastle’s Tyneside Cinema, with a welcome address from Creative UK’s Chief Executive Caroline Norbury OBE and a keynote speech from Lisa Opie, Manager Director of Newcastle’s Ubisoft Reflections studio, according to this post on the Creative UK website.
In other investment news for the region, Creative UK says a further £2m commitment from the North of Tyne Combined Authority was announced for the North of Tyne Culture and Creative Investment Programme, along with a £35m Creative Growth Finance II fund, which was launched with Triodos Bank to boost UK creative industries.
“The award highlights Viperio’s success to date, and the potential for growth in the future. With Creative UK’s backing, I’m excited for the future as we look to create something truly special within the North East.”
Chris Sword, Viperio
Carol Bell OBE, Associate Regional Director, North, Creative UK, said: “It has been a very exciting week for Creative UK and we have been thrilled to launch two major investment opportunities to support the Creative Industries right here in the North of Tyne. Congratulations to Viperio and well done to all three businesses that took part in the competition.”
Chris Sword, Founder and Managing Director of Viperio, added: “I’m delighted to see Viperio selected as the winner of Creative UK’s North of Tyne Culture and Creative Investment Pitch Competition.
“The award highlights Viperio’s success to date, and the potential for growth in the future. With Creative UK’s backing, I’m excited for the future as we look to create something truly special within the North East.”
The Creative UK North East Investment Summit took place on September 27th 2023.
Read more Viperio content on Esports News UK
Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He graduated from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in Multi-Media Journalism in 2007.
As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation up until February 2021, when he stepped back to work full-time on Esports News UK and offer esports consultancy and freelance services. Note: Dom still produces the British Esports newsletter on a freelance basis, so our coverage of British Esports is always kept simple – usually just covering the occasional press release – because of this conflict of interest.
