Esports One, the data and analytics company that which seeks to change the way fans watch and engage with esports, has today announced the close of $3m (£2.15m) seed round co-led by XSeed Capital & Eniac Ventures. The round also saw participation from Crest Capital.

Esports One utilises ‘proprietary computer vision technology, machine learning and custom datasets to provide real-time, live modules to inform and engage any esports fan’. The financing will allow the company to continue to scale operations and hire more talent as it continues to expand.

Matthew Gunnin, Co-founder and CEO, Esports One said of the news: “2018 has already been a shaping up to be a big year. The close of our $3MM seed round is just the beginning. We’re continuing to make key hires, expanding operations and offices along with the upcoming launch of our esports podcast.

“We couldn’t be more excited to have the backing of our investors. Their support will be pivotal as we get ready to expand games and execute on our biggest launches yet.”

Right now the majority of esports data companies rely on third-party game publisher APIs. This is something of an issue as these can be restricted, unreliable or even non-existent. Esports One’s method utilises computer vision technology to determine what’s happening in a live broadcast in real-time, and incorporates machine learning technology to understand this, and then generates real-time information to display to the viewer.

Users of Esports One will have complete control of what information they want to see during each game. This can be anything from head to head results, player positional tracking, objective tracking, prediction models and more.

Mark “Garvey” Candella, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Twitch said of the product:, and the company’s CEO: “Having been friends with and worked alongside Matt for more than six years, there are very few that not only have the vision but also the drive and dedication to bring innovation to the forefront of the esports industry than he does. Esports One is no exception with its ability to provide a valuable service that no one else in the market is capable of yet. The data-driven analysis coupled with the customizable approach significantly improves our broadcast quality and, in turn, increases viewership and engagement.

“Paired with Twitch Extensions, the capabilities for both the broadcaster and viewer are endless. Needless to say, we are super excited to be working with the Esports One team and can’t wait to see it in action on Twitch!”

“Esports One is able to provide a service to esports fans around the world that no one else is yet capable of,” commented Ray Panahon, Technical Lead of Esports at Riot Games.

“Their technology and game expertise allows them to capture and present a layer of data that completely changes the way you watch and interact with an esports broadcast. We are constantly keeping an eye out for new companies with the goal of improving the industry and after an exclusive look at their platform, it’s safe to say that Esports One is going to do just that.”

Damon Cronkey, Partner at XSeed Capital added: “Esports One is using cutting edge technology to focus on what, we believe, is the most important aspect of the market, the spectator experiences,

“The Esports One team’s skills and category authenticity are undeniable and critical to their ability to understand the needs of the expanding esports community.”

Esports One is currently hiring for a number of roles and they’re also ‘adding new positions regularly’. Anyone interested in joining the company can look through the roles here.

Interested parties can also sign up for the Esports One Beta right here.

Esports Insider says: We’ve been monitoring the growth of Esports One for some time and it’s fantastic to see their hard work rewarded with a sizable seed round. With commendations from notable team members at both Twitch and Riot Games, we expect them to go from strength to strength as they continue to build both the team and product.