SwiftSkill raises £150,000 pre-seed to democratise esport skill development
SwiftSkill, the digital platform that allows aspiring esports professionals to assess, track and improve their performance, has raised a £150,000 pre-seed round from Jenson Funding Partners. The funding will allow the business to expand its team and provide its service to additional esports game titles, to help gamers build their skills to become professional esports players.
Founded by Anil Kumar Peri of Cranfield University and Shankha Subhra Dutta from Lancaster University, SwiftSkill was created after the pair recognised the lack of advice available to aspiring esports players. Being closely connected to the esports sector in India where they first met at the Birla Institute of Technology, Peri and Dutta recognised that gamers from different regions may not have the same opportunity to enter into esports. Those not part of an established team, with dedicated coaches and analysts to improve player performance, can often struggle to build a successful profile in the sector. SwiftSkill aims to reach the 400 million aspiring esports professionals around the world with its platform, democratising the opportunities for different regions to build its talent in the sector.
SwiftSkill works by providing a digital analysis tool that gives player’s an insight into their performance. The platform analyses data from matches, providing insight, heat maps and a breakdown of their performance. Players can then identify trends and skills that to succeed in future matches. PC First Person Shooter (FPS) Valorant is the first title available through SwiftSkill but the funding will be used to expand its service to other established esports titles, including Counterstrike.
Current services that offer esports analytics can often be too narrow, focusing on one particular segment or element of the gamer’s performance and offering generic advice to players. With SwiftSkill, Peri and Dutta aim to not only provide a comprehensive tool to encourage the growth of esports professionals but help gamers coach themselves to become better players.
Anil Kumar, co-founder of SwiftSkill, says: “Every gamer plays differently and there can’t be a one-size-fits-all training for those eager to become esports professionals. At SwiftSkill, we’re giving aspiring professional gamers the insight they need to play better. With major global esports having the potential to generate 238 full-time equivalents (FTEs of employment and £12 million in Gross Value Added (GVA) for the UK economy alone, providing more opportunities for gamers to compete on a professional level will strengthen the sector. Valorant is just the start for us and we are eager to expand our service to other popular esports titles and across other genres. The funding from Jenson will provide the team and skillset needed to address the unique metrics that each esports title provides, allowing us to service the esports champions of tomorrow.”
Jeffrey Faustin, CIO of Jenson Funding Partners said: “The gaming sector has consistently grown in recent years and the pandemic escalated the lucrative investment opportunities present in the industry. Esports presents a huge opportunity and innovative businesses such as SwiftSkill are driving the growth of the industry. SwiftSkill creates an opportunity for aspiring gamers to become professionals, honing their skills in the same way that traditional athletes compete.”
