T1 leads the world esports investment ranking with US$ 100 million raised
The South Korean organization T1 has taken the top spot on the list of esports teams with the highest volume of publicly recorded investment in the world, surpassing Team Vitality and 100 Thieves. The data was compiled by Minoru Toriyama, a professor of sports management at Osaka Seikei University and founder of the Esports Research Group, based on information from the CB Insights platform.
The numbers that put T1 in first place
The Korean franchise has accumulated around US$ 100 million in publicly disclosed funding – a small difference, but enough to leave behind France’s Team Vitality, which records US$ 98.4 million, and America’s 100 Thieves, with US$ 97.5 million. The battle at the top is tight, but T1’s position carries extra weight when you look at the operational side: the organization earned more than US$ 60 million in revenue during 2025, a mark very few teams in the sector can even project.
Cloud9 appears in fourth place – falling below that mark. The gap between the top three and the following pack reveals a concentration of investor confidence in just a few brands.
What this ranking measures – and what it doesn’t guarantee
Toriyama’s proposal is precisely to offer a different angle on the sector. Instead of ranking teams by titles won, audience or competitive prestige, the ranking assesses the ability to attract external capital. That says a lot about the long-term value perception each brand projects in the market.
Even so, investment volume is not synonymous with solidity. A good portion of esports organizations still operate in the red, testing business models that prove hard to scale. What the survey reveals is investor confidence – not necessarily consistent financial results.
Three continents on the podium, a signal about the global market
The geographic distribution of the top 3 is no detail. T1 represents South Korea and the Asian market. Team Vitality carries the European flag, with a strong French presence. 100 Thieves, meanwhile, is a typical product of the North American scene: the organization was backed early on by names like Drake and Scooter Braun, drawing visibility beyond the traditional gaming circuits.
Having Asia, Europe and North America sharing the podium indicates that capital in esports has stopped orbiting a single hub. European funds, Asian technology conglomerates and American sports investors are betting on distinct paths – and, for now, all still believe in the industry’s potential.
