Esports is a multibillion dollar industry, and everyone should be taking notice. Watched by 100s of millions of people around the world, esports streaming is the ultimate form of fan engagement and the new wave of entertainment. Rahul Sood is the CEO of Unikrn, a global Esports company built on cuttingedge blockchain and gaming technologies. Prior to Unikrn, Rahul created the first incubation fund for startups at Microsoft, and eventually he consolidated their global startup activities. In June 2013, he launched Microsoft Ventures.

A serial entrepreneur, Rahul spent 18 years in multiple startups prior to joining Microsoft. He founded luxury and gaming computer manufacturer VoodooPC, which was acquired by HewlettPackard. Voodoo brought the ENVY and OMEN product lines to HP, contributing advanced technologies such as commercial liquid cooling and an increased focus on design. Rahul is a cofounder of BrightSquid Medical and BullsOnWallStreet, and he is an active angel investor in a number of Startups. Rahul is an early shareholder and advisor to Maingear, Razer, and Vrvana, which was recently acquired by Apple.

Unikrn’s mission is to heighten the experience of watching and participating in esports. Unikrn is venturebacked and raised a total of 10 million dollars with investors such as Ashton Kutcher, Mark Cuban, Liz Murdoch, and Shari Redstone. Unikrn signed an exclusive global partnership with one of the largest wagering companies in the world and has opened their doors to multiple international markets. Unikrn has been featured on Forbes, Fortune, ESPN, CNBC and countless publications around the world.

In his spare time, Rahul enjoys wake surfing & wake boarding, standup paddle boarding, cycling, racing cars and spending time with his family. He is a native of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. You can find him on Twitter @rahulsood. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx