PandaScore, a startup based in Paris, has secured funding to expand its team in France and Malta while enhancing its product offerings for bookmakers by adding more esports titles. The funding round was led by V13 Invest, a subsidiary of FDJ, managed by the tech-focused investment fund Serena. Other participants included existing investor Alven, sports-tech investor KB Partners, and esports owner aXiomatic Gaming.
Olivier Martret, a principal at Serena, highlighted the challenges traditional bookmakers faced during the Covid-19 pandemic, emphasizing the need for greater flexibility. He believes that PandaScore’s technology can be instrumental for bookmakers seeking to expand their market share and improve their services. "The Covid-19 pandemic highlighted a significant lack of resilience among traditional bookmakers, who really need to increase their agility. This is where PandaScore can help," Martret stated.
PandaScore specializes in providing real-time AI-driven odds and has recently formed partnerships with BetCris, Pixelbet, and Sleeper. Flavien Guillocheau, founder and CEO of PandaScore, commented, "Providing game-changing data for bookmakers is our way to fuel the growth of esports. When bookmakers can offer great esports betting, it also helps in raising sponsorships for teams and tournaments."
Stéphane Pallez, CEO of FDJ, launched V13 Invest in July 2019 to support emerging startups with a fund amounting to €30 million aimed at improving business processes in the industry. In its announcement regarding the fund, FDJ stated that the strategy is intended to drive the company’s digital transformation and enhance its presence within the innovation ecosystem.
Founded in 2015 by Guillocheau and Jonathan Retterer, PandaScore previously raised $2.8 million in a seed round in 2017, led by Alven, which acquired a 23.5% stake in the company.
