MAD Lions E.C. is the eSports club of Madrid. eSports are not just about videogames but entertainment. A lot of content and both online and offline interactions are created to help the audience experience their passion. They are pretty much like a traditional football club that competes in any of the major European leagues, with players and teams that play League of Legends, FIFA or Call of Duty (they are currently Spain champions on these games), Counter Strike or Clash Royale. They also have coaches, analysts, a performance manager (taking care of nutrition and in-game and physical training too), general manager, sport psychologist, image advisor, content producers, videographers, photographers, community managers, etc. and even a mascot. We interview Marcos, a serial entrepreneur, cofounder and CCO of MAD Lions E.C. His role is to help the company monetize the assets of the club (image-rights, infrastructure, interactions and content of the club, among others), in addition to co-lead the strategy and operations of the club.

1. What does South Summit mean for you? What do you expect from this event?

This is the vastest and most diverse community of disruptive innovators in the country and the EU. After having attended the South Summit since the first edition, being able to take an active role in the event, sharing a great and promising project in a blooming industry that is redefining what sports and entertainment means, feels like having a big and exciting responsibility.

2. Why did you decide to participate in the competition?

We certainly believe exposing MAD Lions E.C. to the South Summit tribe is certainly going to make the project grow, as well as the eSports industry being known deeply by a wider audience.

3. Why did you decide to start your business and how did you come up with the idea?

The two initial cofounders met at IE University, Marcos (professor) and Jorge (student), while on a entrepreneurship course. Years later (2017) we had an exploratory discussion on the basis of Jorge’s passion for video games and Marcos’ previous experience as executive in video games studios. We spoke about the eSports scene, how exciting and still underdeveloped it looked and what we could do to have a say in it.

We haven’t stopped working on it since then.

4. Why your company is useful for the user?

MAD Lions E.C. has worked beyond gaming competition right from the beginning, pushing the boundaries of the established practices with healthier and more balanced approaches to physical and mental well being (training, nutrition and psychologic caring), professionalization of management practices, contribution to the eSports gaming techniques with the integration of a Data Scientist that creates open source tools and a business approach to brands, content and marketing experience to attract the mass market and make eSports a general entertainment option.

By doing so, users (call them content consumers or gamers) will enjoy a broader and richer alternative to their favorite hobby and new opportunities to make a living out of their passion. 

5. How did you feel when you knew you were finalist?

Thrilled, excited and compelled to craft a sexy and compelling pitch to make the audience vibe with the power of eSports and MAD Lions E.C.

6. What do you think it will happen in the future of startups?

Startups will become (are becoming now already) the new black. 

7. What advice would you give to those who want to participate in South Summit?

Forget the South Summit. Make your business come true. Then, care and assess whether South Summit is for you and you are for it. 

8. What does being an entrepreneur mean for you?

Life style, excitement, growing as a person and professional but giving up a lot of you and your people.

9. What´s your dream in life?

 Make something someone one day will acknowledge as something that had a profound impact on him or her.