Indian esports startup MPL to up hiring in Indonesia by 50%, enters US market

Mobile Premier League (MPL), an India-based online gaming and esports platform, will be expanding its presence in Indonesia, aiming to increase its staff in the country by 50%, to about 95 employees. It plans to make these hires by the third quarter of this year.

MPL will be hiring people across functions such as digital marketing, branding, strategy, and product. It plans to expand further in the market by bringing more developers and users on board.

Photo credit: Mobile Premier League

Between March 2020 and March 2021, MPL Indonesia tripled its headcount to the 63 employees it currently has.

Since its launch in Indonesia in mid-2019, the company has racked up 5 million registered users. It has also hinted at strengthening its presence in the archipelago in the past.

“We are seeing sustained growth in Indonesia and are partnering with Indonesian game developers to onboard more games on our platform. We recently hit 5 million users and are looking at taking our platform to more people with new brand marketing campaigns,” an MPL spokesperson told Tech in Asia.

The company also plans to bring on a brand ambassador for the Indonesian market soon. This year, it became the first company to run a TV campaign on fantasy sports in the country.

“In Q1 this year, we acquired 174% more new users compared to the same period last year,” the spokesperson added. The number of games played on the MPL platform in Indonesia grew by 133% between January and April this year.

The news of MPL’s expansion plans in Indonesia comes after the company’s announcement of its entry into the US market earlier today. MPL said it will tap into the US market by offering a “super app,” according to an Economic Times report.

The firm has also set up an office in New York to oversee operations in the country. At the moment, the US team has five people.

Sai Srinivas, co-founder and CEO of MPL, told the Economic Times that the company foresees revenues from India and the US being at the same level, while revenues from its Indonesia operations will be about 60% to 70% in comparison.

New funding to fuel international expansion

MPL’s international expansion plans comes amid talks of a new round of funding that would see the startup achieve unicorn status. In April, it was reported that the company was looking to raise about US$150 million in funding.

A source told Tech in Asia that the firm’s valuation could be near US$2 billion after the round is closed, which will be soon. The source added that the latest funding is aimed at facilitating MPL’s international ambitions.