A team of 20 people make up the company that is Epics Digital Collectibles Inc.Esports, the Blockchain & Collectibles specialists. Epics GG was founded in January 2017; held up in Bath by Gavin Weeks and in LA by Mark Donovan. The company closed its first $2m seed round just one year later.
Answering 10 questions about Epics is co-founder Gavin Weeks.
1. In your own words – what do you do?
We are a digital collectibles product, providing collectors with a way to own a piece of their favourite esports stars and influencers. We have brought the world of collectible trading cards to the modern era.
2. What’s the most exciting thing about what you’re doing?
There are too many to list them all but top of that list would be working directly with teams, players and influencers to create unique collectibles such as signed cards, video cards & special messages to our collectors. Each item has its own identifier ‘mint’ number and unique history starting at the day it was minted which can affect its value greatly.
3. What are you most proud of so far?
Our product stats over 12 months:
– Just under 250,000 users
– 3 seasons worth of content
– Over 4000 unique collectibles
– Over 5.35 million packs opened
– 30+ million cards distributed to collectors
– Featured over 25 teams
– 120 players
– 2 large esports events
Since we launched in June 2018.
4. What have you found most difficult about being a startup?
Building the team, getting together a group of talented, and crucially, obsessed with esports is a difficult task.
5. What would you do differently if you started now?
Not a thing, it’s been one hell of a ride and I wouldn’t change it.
6. Where do you think you’ll be in 12 months?
I would love to see ourselves opening up in more content categories such as movies, TV, comics, books, etc.
7. What tools/people/services/organisations from the cluster have helped you most?
Honestly, there are no companies in the cluster that have had an impact on our business directly or indirectly, we also had no interest from local VCs for our funding rounds. Support for Epics has come from VC’s & partners already established in esports and traditional sports who know the collectibles space well and are based out of LA, New York & Berlin.
On a personal level James at NetworkN in Bath has always been a great supporter of what we are doing.
8. What’s the best thing about the Bristol & Bath tech cluster?
The best thing about the cluster is the talent, finding new individuals and businesses that display an exceptional level of ability is a joy.
9. Who will you be nominating for a SPARKie next year?
We are going head to head with Fourth Floor Creative this year, these guys are superb so they would get my vote next year without a doubt.
10. Where can we find out more about you?
You can get all the info about us over at Epics GG or you can reach out to me directly on my LinkedIn page.
Thanks to Gavin for taking the time to talk to us about Epics.
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