Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports (FIFS)’s Post

The latest episode of The Svagat Show features Bala Kamallakharan who is the founder of Startup Iceland, Iceland Venture Studio, and the Icelandic Cricket Association. P.s: Bala is also my senior from Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani. This was such a fun chat - and I learnt a bunch of things: 🐶 Everyone loves an underdog: Instead of copying Silicon Valley - Bala came up with a vision of Startup Iceland - and got people like Brad Feld, Brad Burnham, Om Malik, Bre Pettis and the then Iceland PM involved - and many of these remain lifelong champions and mentors to Bala and the Iceland startup ecosystem. Since Bala started Startup Iceland - venture investments in Icelandic startups have gone from $30M to $300M+ 💪 Play to your strengths: Icelanders believe in zero waste - and we see that reflected in a lot of unique companies - most notable of which is Keracis - that was Iceland's first unicorn exit - and that uses fish skin for tissue regeneration. 💸 Success begets success: Bala invested in a couple of startups as an hands on angel - it reminds me very much of what Mark Markkula did with Apple. His first 2 investments were acquired by Jive Software and NetApp - which has helped create a NetApp office in Iceland that employs 60 people as well as inspired many others to startup! 🐥 Icelandic Cricket Association's GTM strategy: Bala applied his learning from the startup world to cricket as he became the Chairman of the association. Even though Iceland isn't an associate cricket nation, they started building up an audience through an incredible twitter handle - which today has 130,000 followers! 🏏 Playing with Sachin Tendulkar in his early years: Bala actually bowled to Sachin when both of them were playing at the state level - needless to say Sachin proved to him that his talents lied elsewhere. Link to the full episode in comments

Discounted ticket prices ends tomorrow… this is 100% not a scam! It’s my sons startup which is why I am sharing. Head on over to the website target competition or the instagram page to share, like and win! You won’t find better odds right now as a new venture! #win #winner #competition #lowodds #prize #prizedraw #prizes #target #startup #essex #prizecompetition

This is Big, As I read this article this morning and thanks to Mr. @javedfarooqui. It took me to memory lane when I joined Acadware - Sports App in 2017, I always knew that sports as an industry will be the next big thing and this further validates my conviction to start SpotOnn Sports Pvt. Ltd. and this shows in our numbers and revenue jump to 300% in B2B2C business and close to 150% jump to in our B2B businesses. I think way forward if India wants to touch 1T market cap in the next decade we need to improve our sports infra, run coach to coach programs at scale and incentify grassroot sports programs. I think this is need of hour all this will help in expanding the lowest of the pyramid and there will be huge influx in business of sports. The reason I am writing this is to inform young entrepreneurs that you have to choose your industry wisely try to solve the simplest problem at the baseline. #venturecapitalist #univertitysports #sportsevents #unviersities #IBschools #cbseschools #angleinvestors #seedfunding WeSportUp Accelerator #accelerators India Khelo Football, JECRC University

⭐ This sports startup just raised $250mn and is betting big on live sports experiences. The company COSM stunned the world with videos like the one below. The following are my takeaways: I) Live Sports is king! It will become more valuable in times of AI generated content overflow as it is truly unique II) Sports is culturally unifying: Sports is and will be more than ever a culturally unifying experience in times of social media overload. People want real life things! III) Viewing experiences people deserve: Take the Sphere in Las Vegas, COSM or Abba Voyage in London and many more to follow. It is time now with new technology to create the next level in-person event experiences. IV) To all Entrepreneurs - No overnight success: Last but not least for all entrepreneurs: COSM is being celebrated as overnight success nowadays- the roots of the company go back to the 1950s. 😎 What do you think about watching sports this way? Follow me (Mark A. Hartmann) for more about sports, sportsbusiness & entrepreneurship. #sports #sportsbusiness #cosm #behindtheathletes #sportsmedia Credit: Fanda Media

Rejected 150 Times to Co-founder of Rs. 65,000 Crore Dream11 Company. 1. Harsh Jain's Early Start: Harsh Jain, a big fan of sports and technology, started Dream11 with Bhavit Sheth in 2008. Harsh studied engineering in the US and got an MBA from Columbia Business School. 2. The Idea: While in the US, Harsh joined fantasy sports leagues and saw how popular they were. He thought a similar platform would work great in cricket-crazy India, So he created Dream11, focusing first on cricket 3. The Rejections: From 2012 to 2014, Dream11 faced a tough time. Harsh was rejected by investors 150 times because they didn’t believe in the idea of fantasy sports in India. But Harsh kept pushing forward and improving the business model. 4. The Struggle: Harsh and Bhavit used their own money to keep Dream11 running. They had to explain fantasy sports to people and build trust. They also faced legal challenges in the gaming industry. 5. The Breakthrough: In 2014, Dream11 started to grow. By 2016, it had two million users. The platform offered many sports like cricket, football, basketball, and kabaddi, which helped it become popular. 6. Innovative Marketing: Harsh made smart marketing moves. Dream11 became the title sponsor of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2020, making it very popular among sports fans. 7. Unique Marketing Idea: Dream11 sponsored a reality TV show called "Cricket Ka Mahakumbh" on Star Sports. This show let cricket fans show their knowledge and love for the game, Helping Dream11 connect deeply with its users. 8. Reaching Unicorn Status: In 2019, Dream11 became India's first gaming unicorn (a startup worth over a billion dollars). By 2021, it had over 140 million users 9. Achievements: Dream11 kept growing under Harsh’s leadership. It reached over 100 million users and became one of the top fantasy sports platforms in the world. Dream11 succeeded despite India's gambling ban. Smart or unfair? Tell us what you think. #dream11 #gamingindustry #linkedin #linkedinnewsindia #linkedinnews #india

The Gaming Industry in India: A Booming Market and Future Opportunities I recently listened to an insightful podcast episode titled "Ep# 17 | WTF is Gaming in India? | Career, Investment, Entrepreneurship," featuring Nikhil Kamath, Animesh Agarwal, Sean Hyunil Sohn, Joseph King and Nitish Mittersain. The podcast’s deep dive into India's rapidly growing gaming market was truly eye opening. I wanted to share few key learnings I have had watching this 2 and half hour podcast. Key Learnings: 1. One of the most striking points was how kids under 13 are shifting away from TV and sports to video games. This trend seems like a massive opportunity for gaming companies to engage with a young audience. 2. As the first publicly listed gaming company in India, Nazara's journey highlighted the advantages of going public, such as increased visibility and credibility, despite the associated costs. 3. The podcast discussed in-game monetization as a growing trend. This method provides a seamless revenue stream within the gaming environment itself. 4. The conversation about the shift towards faster-paced games resonated with me. quick bursts of entertainment and instant gratification is the key. 5. Kamath and other guests emphasized the importance of investing in young gaming talent and expanding incubator programs to support aspiring developers, which is crucial for the industry's growth. Conclusion: The Indian gaming industry is on the brink of massive growth. This podcast episode offered a glimpse into its potential. Whether you're an investor or just fascinated by gaming, it's a must-listen. The future of play is here, and India is a major player on the global stage. To watch the entire podcast hit the link below 👇 https://lnkd.in/guYmRdvK and make sure to follow me for more entrepreneurship thoughts. #gaming #india #investment #entrepreneurship #futureofplay

From talent acquisition to AI-driven scouting, Headkick is redefining sports management in India. Founded by Digvijay Bhattacharjee this rising startup has already made waves—backed by Vel Tech TBI (TIDE 2.0), named a Top 75 Startup at IISF 2024, and a finalist at IIT Delhi’s Funding Frenzy. 🏅 Join us on Field Flicks as we explore how Headkick is shaping the future of Indian sports. 🎙️ #Headkick #FieldFlicks #SportsRevolution #IndianSports #StartupSpotlight #TalentManagement #SportsAI #FutureOfSports #PodcastSeries

This weekend marked my 𝟯-𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝗿𝘆 as a #solopreneur - and I'm celebrating by 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝟯 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 for game studios. Running my own show has been an exciting ride thus far: ✔️ I've worked with countless studios, accelerators and uni's ✔️ 𝗠𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗣𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗴𝗮𝗹 and joined a tax incentive ✔️ I've become a #digital #nomad and traveled to clients all over Europe ✔️ I've 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗻 at Europe's biggest 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 ✔️ I started 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 as a fun side activity (13 events and counting!) ✔️ Went back to my roots and worked with 𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝘀 😍 ✔️ I run my own 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀 ✔️ Starred as 𝗷𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗿 for award shows & 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝘀 ✔️ Started taking my first steps in 𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 🤩 ️Am now onboarding my very own 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁! I'm usually too focused on what's ahead and bad at looking back, but now, when seeing it all... 𝘞𝘰𝘸. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘺 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵. 𝘐 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘦𝘯𝘫𝘰𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴. 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 To celebrate, I'm giving away a 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 to 3 new game studios. I can help you: - Plot out the 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀 for your projects - Sharpen your 𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵 or 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁 application - Improve your 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗸, 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 or 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 - Plan your 𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵 - Craft an attractive 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗽𝗮𝗴𝗲 - 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 before betas & playtesting Read more on https://lnkd.in/dsG7MU3f To get in on a session, simply 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 or DM and tell me a line about your studio. Feel free to 𝘁𝗮𝗴 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 you think might be interested! Update: All sessions taken! #entrepreneur #solopreneur #linkedin #business #selfemployed #consultant #advice #gamesindustry #gamedevelopment #gamedev

Jordan-River Samuel is learning entrepreneurship at Martin Tuchman School of Management at NJIT while co-leading Tapyoca, a startup transforming fan engagement in the music industry. Tapyoca’s FanCard allows artists to sell NFC cards offering exclusive content to fans, bridging the gap between digital and physical merchandise. With guidance from NJIT’s entrepreneurship programs and the NSF Innovation Corps, Tapyoca has already sold out limited-edition cards and partnered with rapper Money B from Digital Underground. The company is helping independent musicians build sustainable fan bases while connecting directly with their audiences. #NJITmakes https://lnkd.in/eynYFUbZ]

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