Jens Hilgers

Jens Hilgers (born in 1975, in Cologne, Germany) is a German serial entrepreneur, known for his work in the esports industry. He was the founding CEO of the Electronic Sports League (ESL) — one of the oldest and largest esports organizers which sold for $1.05B to Savvy Gaming Group in 2022.[1] He is a co-founder and the CEO of Bayes (formerly Dojo Madness), an esports data company based in Berlin. In 2014, he co-founded G2 Esports together with Carlos "ocelote" Rodriguez, and currently serves as its chairman.[2][3] He is also founding general partner of BITKRAFT Ventures, a global early and mid-stage investment platform for gaming, esports, and Web3 which he started in 2015.[4] He is credited by some as an early pioneer of the esports industry.[5]

Jens Hilgers
Born1975
Germany
NationalityGerman
OccupationEntrepreneur
Years active23 (since 1997)
Spouse(s)Olga Hilgers
Children2

Background

Jens Hilgers completed his studies in software development in 1998. Then he founded and managed multiple startups in the tech and games/esports business. Receiving first Amiga 500 computer in 1988 was a defining moment in his life around computers, online games, and hacking that turned into a professional career. Hilgers founded and managed multiple startups in the tech and games/esports business. Hilgers thinks that his childhood obsession with Lego games has something to do with his love for building products.[6]

Career

Hilgers began his esports career in 1997. While in college, he built Gamers.de, a news portal for online PC games; launched the first German Clan League and created Gamers Gathering, a European Lan-Party.

Turtle Entertainment

Then in 2000, Hilgers founded Turtle Entertainment GmbH based in Cologne, Germany. Turtle Entertainment is the parent company of ESL, and Hilgers served as its CEO until 2010 when he transitioned to chairman of the board. The company operates online platforms and TV studios broadcasting tournaments in the gaming industry.[7][8] During his ten-year tenure as CEO, Hilgers grew the company into a notable brand and made significant contributions to the esports industry.[9] Modern Times Group bought a majority stake of $86 million in ESL when Hilgers was its chairman in 2015.[1] He also served as CEO at GIGA Digital Television GmbH and co-owns G2 Esports, a competitive esports team based in Berlin, Germany.[10]

Bayes

In 2014, Jens Hilgers founded Bayes (formerly Dojo Madness), an esports startup based in Berlin, Germany. Bayes pioneered AI-based Esports coaching with its League of Legends Coaching APP LOLSUMO and moved to become a provider for professional esports data in partnership with Sportradar.[11] In 2017, under the leadership of Raine Ventures and participation from Kakao's K Cube Ventures and investors, Dojo raised a total of $12.75 million in another round of funding.[12] In 2020, Bayes announced the closing of a $6 million funding round today, which included participation from the Pohlad Family investment group, Fertitta Capital, Sony Innovation Fund, and other sports and media investors.[13]

G2 Esports

In 2015, Jens Hilgers co-founded G2 Esports (formerly Gamers2), one of the leading global esports and entertainment brands, alongside League of Legends player-turned-team owner, Carlos ‘Ocelote’ Rodriguez.[14] Since its inception, G2 Esports has raised $27.3M, including a $10M investment round from Joseph Tsai.[15] The European esports organization is headquartered in Berlin, Germany, with players competing in League of Legends, Valorant, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Hearthstone, Rocket League, Rainbow Six Siege, and Sim Racing.[16]

BITKRAFT Ventures

In 2015, Jens Hilgers launched BITKRAFT Ventures, an investment platform for gaming and Web3 globally. BITKRAFT has been the most active gaming venture capital firm and lead investor in 2020 and 2021, according to research from Invest Game[17] and Drake Star Partners.[18]

References
  1. "This eSports company just got acquired for $87 million". Fortune. July 3, 2015.
  2. "G2 Esports Brings On Billionaire Joseph Tsai As An Owner And Plans To Take Over New York". Forbes. December 10, 2019.
  3. "G2's grand vision targets more than just esports dominance". ESPN. May 24, 2019.
  4. "BITKRAFT Launches With 18 Million Euro To Fund Esports Startups". Forbes (magazine). April 27, 2017.
  5. "ESports: Global revenue expected to smash $1 billion by 2019". CNN. May 29, 2016.
  6. "About me". The Observer Ward.
  7. "Company Overview of Turtle Entertainment GmbH". Bloomberg News.
  8. "Jens Hilgers: eSports sector already at critical mass?". CalvinAyre.com. February 19, 2016.
  9. "Vainglory Breaks Through in E-Sports on a Tablet". The New York Times Bits. August 9, 2015. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  10. "Riot Games Ruling Re: Jens Hilgers, Fnatic And G2 Esports Sets A Financial Integrity Standard". eSports Betting Report. June 29, 2017.
  11. "Machine learning will be a game-changer for esports". VentureBeat. March 11, 2017.
  12. "Dojo Madness raises $6 million for esports coaching apps and analytics". VentureBeat. April 5, 2017.
  13. Nicholson, Jonno (2020-09-17). "Bayes Holding closes $6M funding round". Esports Insider. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
  14. "G2 Esports expands into music with label launch". www.musicweek.com. Retrieved 2022-03-02.
  15. "G2 Esports Raises $10M From Brooklyn Nets Owner Joseph Tsai – ARCHIVE - The Esports Observer". 2019-12-10. Retrieved 2022-03-02.
  16. Bliss, Nathan (2022-03-02). ""Generational phenomenon" - How Carlos 'ocelote' Rodriguez built Esports empire". Buzz.ie. Retrieved 2022-03-02.
  17. "Global Video Game Deals Report 2020 — Investment Overview". InvestGame.net. 2021-01-14. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
  18. "https://www.drakestar.com/news/global-gaming-report-2021/". www.drakestar.com. Retrieved 2022-02-18. {{cite web}}: External link in |title= (help)
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