Mumtalakat, TRAIL to explore sports and esports investments

Bahrain’s Mumtalakat Holding Company and TRAIL, a European private equity investment platform, have signed a cooperation agreement to explore joint investments in sports, gaming and esports.

The partners will identify and assess businesses for potential investment, share sector knowledge and consider ways to support the growth of companies they select.

The agreement does not commit either organisation to acquiring a specific company. Potential investments could include an esports tournament organiser, a sports technology startup or a game development studio.

Mumtalakat and TRAIL will also examine ways to connect international sports and gaming companies with Bahrain and the wider Gulf region. Possible cooperation includes commercial partnerships and support for regional expansion.

The agreement builds on an existing relationship between Mumtalakat and TRAIL, including TRAIL’s SLAM investment platform. SLAM focuses on sports, luxury, arts and music.

Mumtalakat is Bahrain’s sovereign wealth fund, a state-owned investment fund that invests on behalf of the country. The agreement adds to investment by Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds in gaming and esports.

Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund has invested in the sector through Savvy Games Group, which acquired MOONTON Games, the developer of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, in a deal valued at about $6 billion. PIF also joined a consortium that completed an approximately $55 billion acquisition of video game publisher Electronic Arts.

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