A highly creative individual with over a decade of video production experience, James Hood - CEO of Esports Scotland, saw a business opportunity in his computer gaming hobby and quickly pivoted his entrepreneurial aspirations.
James was already connecting with other gamers via a Facebook group he had created, where users could chat, arrange gaming tournaments and discuss their passion for technology. It was not until he discovered lots of other similar groups around the country that he thought connecting these communities could be an exciting business proposition.
The explosion of esports across Eastern Asia had also demonstrated the potential of the format and he quickly realised there was an opportunity in the Scottish market.
Commenting on the beginnings of his business, he said: ‘One idea leads to another and before you know it it’s grown into something big. A lot of the people I met online are now part of the team here at Esports Scotland and, like me, they share a dream of growing esports in Scotland from the grassroots up.’
In order to unlock the potential of his idea, James joined Elevator’s 12-week Famous Grouse Ideas Centre Creative Accelerator to get advice on the areas of business he was inexperienced in and further expand his entrepreneurial network.
Since completing the programme, James has grown the business rapidly and gained significant partnerships with several major organisations in technology, broadcasting and sports. Most notably, Esports Scotland became the first gaming league to be broadcast live on the BBC Sport website.
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