Cloud9 has seen an investment from FunPlus Ventures including a group of high-level investors. The funding will be used to establish new partnerships, attract new partnerships to the esports industry and to push Cloud9 further in the world of esports.
The list of investors includes:
- San Francisco Giants outfielder Hunter Pence
- Tesla board directors Antonio Gracias, Kimbal Musk and investor Bill Lee
- Signia Venture Partners co-founder Rick Thompson
- The Founders Fund co-founder Ken Howery and partner Brian Singerman
- Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian
- Bonfire Studios co-founders Min Kim and Rob Pardo
- Jam City co-founder Josh Yguado
- Eldridge Industries founder and LA Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly
- United Talent Agency
- San Francisco 49ers Hall of Famer Joe Montana
- NBA center Andrew Bogut
- Golden State Warriors co-owner Chamath Palihapitiya
“Growing up, I wanted to own an NFL team. Now, the obvious move is to invest in an esports franchise and I’m thrilled it’s Cloud9,” said Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit in the press release. “Jack Etienne has done an impressive job building a world-class organization. He’s thinking long-term, regularly engaging with his fanbase, and continuing to lead Cloud9 toward a bright future.”
The NFL Hall of Famer, Joe Montana, had this to say about Cloud9: “Cloud9 is a fantastic organization that has shown throughout the years that it has what it takes to continuously contend for championships in multiple esports titles.”
“The players of Cloud9 work hard to always compete at the highest level and the organization’s leadership strives to provide a positive atmosphere that allows its players the opportunity to be in a position to do their best.”