PlayBrain is a full-service esports tournament and media company in Japan that helps brands and game publishers to reach gamers and fans through large-scale esports event production and marketing. PlayBrain has now announced a USD 6 million Series A financing round to create content and manage tournaments for esports competitions in Japan.
Japan got a late start compared to the rest of the world, but PlayBrain believes the market is poised to grow quickly, even as most of the events happening now are entirely online.
Japan’s esports revenue topped USD 56 million in 2019 and is expected to grow to USD 141 million by 2023. Last year alone, PlayBrain’s events grew 2.5 times when measured by audiences reached, the company said.
PlayBrain’s vision is to help establish the nascent Japanese esports ecosystem and support the growth and adoption of Japanese esports culture. The investment will be used to grow the company’s presence, expand into additional esports and entertainment properties, and double down on its support for League of Legends Japan League.
