Gamurs

Throughout eras, technology advancements and shifting consumer preferences transformed gaming from a niche pastime to a cornerstone of mainstream entertainment. From the introduction of personal computers and gaming consoles (1980s), proliferation of internet connectivity (late 1990s and 2000s), mobile gaming revolution (late 2000s), to cloud gaming services and streaming platforms (2010s), gaming and esports has today reached the global stage.

Riad Chikhani, at the age of 14, experienced these undercurrents when he launched an online portal for a MMORPG game, RuneScape. Following this successful early venture, Riad asked himself, “where can casual fans and enthusiast go to enrich their gaming experience?”.  From there, Gamurs was conceived as a social network for gamers. The concept never achieved product-market fit but as Riad held conviction on his key question he came to realise that gamers worldwide were desperate to consume gaming and esports news. The company would go on to scale its media publishing network through acquisitions and organic growth before establishing itself as a dominant force in the gaming and esports landscape with over 65 million monthly active readers across its network of 17 mastheads.

Aura partnered with Gamurs in 2017 and have been involved when it mattered most. In 2020, Aura helped Gamurs finance the acquisition of ProGameGuides, which would go on to redefine Gamurs’ growth and earnings trajectory. In 2021, Aura introduced Gamurs to strategic investors Elysian Park Ventures, who would eventually co-lead Gamurs’ US$12 million Series A raise.