Quick take:
- Bitkraft Ventures has hired Jin Oh and Jonathan Huang for its Asia expansion.
- Oh was president of Riot Games and managing director of Blizzard Entertainment in a previous role.
- Huang was a principal at Sea Capital and an Associate Director at the Singaporean state fund Temasek in another role.
Bitkraft Ventures is widening its presence in Asia with two key hires. The gaming-focused venture fund has tapped experienced Asia-based directors to spearhead its expansion in the region.
Bitkraft has hired Jin Oh as a partner and Jonathan Huang as principal for its Asia-focused unit. Oh adds exceptional gaming experience to the team, having been the president of Riot Games and managing director of Blizzard Entertainment in a previous role.
On the other hand, Huang was a principal at Sea Capital and an Associate Director at the Singaporean state fund Temasek in another role.
Bitkraft already boasts a good track record investing in Asia, including South East Asia’s leading gaming talent agency. The company also invested in Line Games’ web3 unit Nerdystar in a $10.8 million round in August 2022 after co-leading multi-chain MMORPG metaverse game Tatsumeeko’s $7.6 million round in June.
The two hires bring Bitkraft’s global expansion campaign to a full circle, establishing leadership in Europe, North America, and Africa.
Oh and Huang will lead a team of experts that will help Bitkraft identify and invest in promising gaming and interactive entertainment startups in the region across both Web2 and Web3 gaming, the company said on Wednesday.
Oh is based in Seoul, South Korea. His gaming experience over the past ten years has seen him play key roles in launching some of the biggest entertainment titles including Legends, Valorant, Team Fight Tactics, Free Fire, World of Warcraft, and Starcraft. His new role as president will see him spearhead Bitkraft’s investment arm in Asia, and support the firm’s global initiatives.
Commenting on a statement via Bitkraft Ventures, Oh said: “Asia-Pacific is the largest gaming market in the world, accounting for 48% of the global gaming revenue in 2022. The companies founded here have long led innovation and trend-setting in the video games and interactive entertainment industry, and continue to do so today.”
“I strongly believe that Bitkraft is best positioned to become Asia’s leading gaming venture capital firm,” he added.
On the other hand, Singapore-based Huang is a seasoned early-stage and growth equity investor in interactive entertainment. His role at Bitkraft Ventures entails overseeing the entire investment process from origination to evaluation, structuring, and closing.
Joining Oh and Huang in leadership roles are Jasper Brand, who has been promoted to partner and Justin Swart, who is now a principal.
Commenting on their promotions, Jens Hilgers, founding general partner at Bitkraft Ventures said in a statement: “Nothing fills me with more energy and excitement than witnessing our team graduate and grow, and seeing outstanding people choose Bitkraft as the place to which they commit their professional careers. With Jasper’s promotion, Jin joining us, and Carlos as our partner leading the Web3 side, we have rounded out our management team. Jonathan and Justin complement Bitkraft in two key markets, and we all look forward to their contributions and continued growth.”
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