A West Wales start-up firm pioneering AI coaching solutions for competitive gamers has been acquired in a multi-million-pound deal by global gaming and electronic sports (esports ) brand GiantX.
As part of the deal founder of iTero Gaming Jack Joseph Williams, who established his business from his cottage home in Cardigan two years ago, becomes Giantx’s new head of gaming technology.
The acquisition, the exact value of which has not been disclosed represents a significant milestone for the gaming and technology industry, highlighting the growing integration of AI in esports.
Mr Williams, 30, who grew up in Carmarthen, is a former financial analyst at HSBC who channelled his passion for AI into developing predictive models for esports competition outcomes in his spare time from his small cottage. This interest evolved into iTero Gaming which offers decision-making tools for League of Legends player. Its League of Legends coaching app has amassed nearly a quarter million installs in less than two years, harnessing AI to pinpoint player weaknesses and optimise pre-game set-up.
Read More: L ove Island digital game business set up by Welshman Wil Stephens acquired in £21m deal
Read More: Latest equity deals in Wales
By analysing millions of past games, the app suggests the best characters to play and other additional features to gain a competitive edge. During games, iTero also offers real-time tools, helping players secure victory against the enemy team. To support the growth of his company Mr Williams joined Cardiff-based start-up accelerator Tramshed Tech.
On his company’s acquisition, a deal that makes him a millionaire, he said: “I’m excited to be joining the GiantX team. Excel Esports was the first esports team I became a fan of and I’ve followed their journey over the last few years. I believe and have always believed that data and AI have the potential to seriously disrupt the status quo of esports, whether that’s finding undervalued players or identifying strategies outside of the standard meta. I think esports is ready for the future and I’m really looking forward to what comes next working alongside GiantX.”
Most Read
GiantX was formed from the merger of London-based Excel Esports and Malaga-based Giants Esports last year.
Its co-chief executive Tim Reichert said: “We are thrilled to announce our acquisition of iTero Gaming to help elevate player performance to new heights, This marks a pivotal moment in GiantX’s ongoing commitment to innovation and excellence in esports, empowering players worldwide to achieve their competitive best. We are excited to harness this new technology to optimise our team’s training during practice to unlock the full potential of our pro players and the global gaming community.”
Fellow chief executive Jose Diaz added: “We are excited to welcome AI pioneer Jack to the GiantX team. This acquisition represents a significant milestone in advancing AI in the gaming industry. The potential to enhance gameplay and provide tailored insights is enormous, and I can’t wait to see the positive impact it will have on the gaming community.”