Zoom birthday parties. Virtual happy hours. Quiplash.
As people have been sheltering in place due to COVID-19, they have been turning to the internet to find creative ways to stay in touch. According to data from SimilarWeb and Apptopia, video chat apps like Google Duo and Houseparty saw 12 percent and 79 percent traffic growth, respectively, from January 21 to March 24, 2020.
But before a global pandemic was keeping people indoors, Brett Phillips wanted to organize an online FIFA tournament with his law school pals. After finding limited options, each of them more effort than reward, Phillips and his co-founders launched Tournaments Kings in 2019. Today, the Arvada-based company’s Discord bot allows hosts to organize their own FIFA (and just about every other type of esport and gaming) tournaments on a decentralized server with secure Paypal integration.
Below, learn more about how this month’s featured company brings communities together, its growth plans for 2021 as well as unique employee perks.
What they do: Tournament Kings allows communities to connect and compete in online tournaments. Its flagship product, the Discord Tournament Bot, allows hosts to intuitively chat, manage brackets, report results and pay out prizes.
Perks and benefits: Along with unlimited time off and competitive health insurance, Tournament Kings employees also receive a discount on auto care.
Since the TK office shares building space with an auto mechanic company, employees get a 15 percent discount on auto repairs.
Plans for 2021: In a December 2020 interview with Built In, Phillips said the company is working on making a name for itself in the gaming industry — and the startup industry at large. Plans for the future include creating a strategy playbook for growth, increasing market share and working on B2B monetization.
“We’re finalizing a partnership with Challonge and we will probably start a Series A funding raise in 2021 as well,” Phillips said.
Employee Reviews: “I was hooked the minute I had my first interview. I loved the spirit and the values behind Tournament Kings before even getting my purple jersey. Being part of the team has been a rewarding experience through and through, ” Director of Marketing Deborah W. said.
