Will Smith is no stranger to the tech world. Last year, Smith — along with Jay-Z and Kevin Durant — invested in Ethos, a modern life insurance start up. But recently, Smith turned his eyes onto a new investment opportunity.
Smith’s Dreamers Fund is investing in esports organization Gen.G, which raised $46 million in its most recent round of funding. The Dreamers Fund is a partnership between Smith and Japanese professional soccer player, Keisuke Honda.
In a statement, Honda shared that although esports is not yet popular in Japan, it is seeing tremendous growth there and globally. He added, “We decided to invest in Gen.G because of their incredible team and grand vision to became a leader in the space. We truly look forward to working with Gen.G to boost the esports industry around the world.”
Other investors include Los Angeles Clippers minority owner Dennis Wong, Conductive Ventures, Battery Ventures and a list of other professional athletes and entertainers.
“This is an incredible step for Gen.G and the vision we have for the organization,” said Gen.G. COO, Arnold Hur. “There is a lot of work to be done and we are very proud to have these investors on our team.”
Gen.G plans to use its funding to build out its Los Angeles headquarters, expand to China, and continue evolving its player development programs. In addition, funding will also be used to host events and develop its partnerships with Silicon Valley Bank.
