Mentioned in this article
- Eric Tveter, former Central Europe CEO of Liberty Global, has become a major investor and the first Chairman of Veloce Esports.
- Tveter will use his background in media to help “accelerate” the racing esports organization’s expansion into international territories.
- Veloce closed its Angel funding round with an undisclosed amount and will proceed to Series A funding.
London-based racing esports organization Veloce Esports announced the appointment of its first chairman—Eric Tveter, former Central Europe CEO of Liberty Global, also in London. Tveter was also a “major” investor in the organization’s recently closed Angel funding round with an undisclosed contribution amount.
Veloce fields teams in racing games such as Gran Turismo as well as Rocket League, FIFA, and real-life drone motorsport through the Drone Champions League (DCL). Launched in 2018, Veloce Esports also serves as a management and consultation firm that runs esports operations for F1’s Alfa Romeo Racing and Fernando Alonso’s FA Racing team. Brand partners include Logitech G, Playseat, and BenQ.
Veloce Esports’ digital media network of racing esports content attracts an average monthly audience of over 35M, according to the organization. Tveter’s appointment as a non-executive chairman comes at a time when the organization turns its focus to international expansion.
A veteran of the telecommunications and media industry, Tveter most recently served as the chairman of UPC Switzerland, CEO for the Liberty Global businesses in Central Europe, and a member of the Liberty Global executive leadership team. He continues to serve as an advisor to Liberty Global following his departure in June.
“Whilst we’re racers at heart and love to win competitions, the real value in esports is in the viewership; that is where Veloce sits in a very strong position compared to anybody else in the industry,” Veloce Esports Business Director Rupert Svendsen-Cook said in a release. “We could not ask for a more strategic and aligned investor in the media sector than Eric [Tveter] to take us towards our global expansion.”
Tveter’s investment raises the valuation of Veloce, which describes itself as a “multi-million-pound” company as it proceeds to Series A funding. Tveter credited his investment to Veloce’s ability to forge an “enviable and focused market position for growth and value creation.”
Although not mentioned in his statement, Tveter also has a personal connection to the racing industry through his son, Ryan Tveter—a professional driver on the ladder to Formula 1.
The Esports Observer requested additional information from Veloce Esports but did not receive a response by publication time.
