Jens Hilgers, ESports Veteran and Founding General Partner of BITKRAFT Ventures, Joins Me on Panic with Friends to Discuss the Future of Gaming (EP.144)

I don’t know the first thing about gaming or e-sports.

My podcast guest today takes care of that because Jens Hilgers lives and breathes it. His firm BITKRAFT has an amazing track record of picking winners and I am glad he was able to join me to discuss his work.

You can listen to the episode here on Spotify or Apple.

More details on Jens and the episode are below.

Guest: Jens Hilgers

Profile: Founding General Partner of BITKRAFT Ventures

Where to Find Him: LinkedIn, Twitter

What’s the Panic About:

Jens Hilgers is a Berlin-based serial gaming entrepreneur. He’s been investing at the center of tech, gaming and esports since the late ‘90s – so he has seen esports journeys to the mainstream and sees where it’s going. Over the years, Jens has racked up a laundry list of titles, including co-founder and former CEO of ESL, co-founder and Chairman of G2 Esports and co-founder and former CEO of Bayes. Most notably, he is the founding general partner of the global early- and mid-stage gaming-focused investment company BITKRAFT Ventures. Jens has helped the firm reach impressive and success numbers. He oversaw the firm’s growth to a portfolio of over 50 companies. More recently, he helped BITKRAFT raise a $165M Venture Fund I in 2020. For someone who is widely considered one of esports’ first entrepreneurs, I can firmly say Jens lives up to the hype. In this episode, we talk about how COVID accelerated the esports trend, predictions of the future of esports, gaming ETFs, cloud gaming, virtual reality, digital citizenship, emerging markets and more.

The Takeaway:

Gaming and esports saw a massive boom during COVID. And it is an industry that appears to be continuing this growth coming out of the pandemic. This is a space you want to keep an eye on. And while you can’t be an expert in everything, you can listen and learn from those who have an in-depth knowledge of gaming. As a place to start, and per Jens’ recommendation, check out the “Master the Meta” newsletter.

Favorite Quotre:

“Esports was a reflection of something larger in gaming.”

“The line between the physical and the digital world is starting to blur.”

“Invest in something you understand, and believe in yourself.”.PS – I am now doing one ‘Panic With Friends’ podcast per week. Thanks for listening and make sure you subscribe over on Spotify or Apple.