Astralis Group ($PRIVATE:ASTRALIS), an eSports team and media organization, is filing for an IPO. It's a little unheard of, considering eSports hasn't been around for that long, and they usually don't operate like startups. 

But this could be the first domino to fall that gets the rest going. eSports is a billion-dollar industry, and while Astralis is only looking to raise roughly $20 million in Denmark, expectations are that competitive gaming will double in value over the next few years.

Operating three brands in total (Astralis, Origen and Future FC), Astralis is expected to raise quite a lot of money. According to Astralis, they "have a proven business model with solid sponsorships, growing merchandise sale and increasing media revenue from the tournaments."

Haven't heard of Astralis before? Have no idea what eSports even are? Are you confused when you watch commercials on ESPN or TBS for competitive gaming? You're not alone.

Over the last two years, Astralis Gaming saw its Twitter following shoot up 64%. This is thanks to its strong lineup of players (@dev1ce, @Xyp9x, @dupreeh, @gla1ve_csgo, @MagiskCS, and @zonic) and stellar Counter-Strike play.

Over at Facebook, the unhip place for youngsters to gab, Astralis saw its likes go up by 20% since 2017 when they started getting hot.

If you're still scratching your head over the concept that colleges sign kids to eSports scholarships, let's do a quick rundown of some stats to show why more teams could file for IPOs in the future. This is all from the Astralis website:

  • In only 3 years Astralis has managed to capitalize on brand-building capabilities, bringing the brand to break even since August 2019.
  • In 2019, the number of eSports viewers around the globe is estimated to reach 443 million. In 2022 the number of eSports viewers is expected to reach 595 million.
  • Astralis Group’s team brands and media channels have a 100% borderless viewer base with endless opportunities reaching a global, growing audience.
  • The eSports market is a billion-dollar market expected to grow +20% p.a.
  • The eSports industry is progressing fast towards the lucrative maturity phase, and Astralis Group has the proven foundation to drive and monetize on this potential!

Straight from the horse's mouth; we couldn't have said it better ourselves.

About the Data:

Thinknum tracks companies using the information they post online - jobs, social and web traffic, product sales and app ratings - and creates data sets that measure factors like hiring, revenue and foot traffic. Data sets may not be fully comprehensive (they only account for what is available on the web), but they can be used to gauge performance factors like staffing and sales. 

Further Reading: 

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