NFL, NBA Stars Invest $6M in ‘LinkedIn for Gamers’

eFuse, a new gaming-focused social media platform, is poised to level up. 

Founded by 23-year-old Matthew Benson, eFuse has secured $6 million in investments from a group of professional athletes, executives, and gamers. The round, led by the Ohio Innovation Fund, drew contributions from athletes like Odell Beckham Jr., Ezekiel Elliot and Seth Curry. 

The new investment will go toward platform improvements and expanding eFuse’s user base with hopes of making the video game industry more diverse. The company raised $3.2 million in a previous round.

“Gaming has a discovery and diversity problem,” said Benson. “Considering the industry’s crazy growth and amazing potential, gamers need a place to connect, share and support each other.”

eFuse provides an avenue for gamers to share their portfolios in a similar fashion to LinkedIn. Users can apply for scholarships, internships and jobs by creating a profile and sharing their talents through a highlight reel.  

“Gaming certainly needs competitors, but it also needs everything from 3D modelers, game designers, business and creative executives, and much more,” added Benson. “That’s what is most exciting about eFuse; we want to help all types of gamers get discovered.”

Seventy-one percent of video game developers globally are men and only 2% of all developers identify as black, according to the International Game Developers Association.

Experts estimate the video game industry will reach $196 billion in revenue by 2022.