Exclusive: JKR Investment Group backs Betegy financially amid US pivot

Venture capital fund JKR Investment Group has agreed a significant investment in sports data company Betegy, EGR can exclusively reveal. Financial terms of the investment have not been disclosed, however EGR understands it will be used as part of a strategic pivot of the Betegy brand into the US market as well as funding further investment in the firm’s technological portfolio. “We want to boost our client portfolio across the US and move away from an exclusively European focus to a more international outlook,” Betegy CEO Alex Kornilov told EGR. “It’s not been that easy to switch so this investment will enable us to further that strategy,” he added. Betegy is a data analysis and sports data visualisation company which uses APIs and data sources to generate content for sports betting companies and media operators. This personalised sports-based content includes banners, branded pages, social media and promotional campaigns via a single interface. Sports on which content is available include 29 international football leagues, including the English Premier League, Germany’s Bundesliga and Spain’s La Liga. The service also generates content for several other sports including cricket and NFL. Betegy operates contracts with two US-facing firms, sports broadcaster ESPN and esports betting firm Win.gg, but also works with international operators including Tipico, 22bet, Sportsbet.io and Favourite Sport. As part of this investment, and to facilitate the expansion plan, EGR has learned US sports betting and gambling industry veteran Bill Pascrell III will join the Betegy board of directors as a strategic adviser. In his new role, Pascrell will advise Betegy on client acquisition, legal issues and strategic investments designed to increase its overall US footprint, working extensively with the Betegy CEO. “We’ve been working on this strategy for over a year now. We want to sign more top-level players in the US market and generate the right sort of client pipeline, both things which Bill can help us achieve,” Kornilov explained. “His experience has already proven to be very valuable to me and to the business,” he added. Pascrell is no stranger to US expansion plans, having joined Danish marketing start-up A Game Above as president in June, with a focus on recruiting US clients. He also serves on the board of the GVC Foundation US, which advances responsible gambling-led initiatives across the US. “I am honoured to become a  Supervisory Board member for Betegy. Alex Kornilov, CEO and founder of Betegy is an extraordinary, innovative and creative genius. Alex is a true and inspirational leader who has assembled a powerhouse team that has global reach,” Pascrell told EGR. JKR Investment Group aims to invest in start-ups and companies based in the technology, igaming and entertainment industry, typically with a long-term financial outlook of more than five years. Since 2017, the group has invested in 10 companies which now operate with a total combined value of $130m (GBP). The group targets young companies which have products in need of commercial and technical expertise and looks to boost existing revenue through the acquisition of new customers or by widening its geographical reach. “We hope that our investment will help Betegy to continue setting up a strong sales system,” JKR CEO Alexander Gusev said. “As much as we like B2B solutions, we also like companies that help a business solve the time-consuming routine they have to deal with. Betegy is an excellent example of how a service can help clients amplify their specialists’ resources, releasing them from routine production,” Gusev added.