Push Admin

PH youth-founded gaming startup listed in Forbes Asia's 30 Under 30

Article (news)

Angela Coloma, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt=" Photo courtesy of AcadArena" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/business/06/03/acadarena.jpg"/><figcaption>Photo courtesy of AcadArena</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA - Philippine startup AcadArena made it to this year&#x27;s Forbes 30 under 30 list in Asia for helping student gamers compete in international esports tournaments.AcadArena has partnered with more than 600 schools, covering some 100,000 students in Southeast Asia, to create and support gaming clubs and communities, Forbes said.Founded in 2019 by Justin Banusing, Kevin Hoang and Ariane Lim, the campus gaming organization described the Forbes recognition as a &quot;first in local gaming and esports.&quot;The achievement means the startup&#x27;s goal &quot;grows strong&quot; as it expands resources &quot;to help student gamers play in regional &amp; international esports tournaments, connect with different schools to establish student organizations in their own campus, and to earn scholarships to fund their education,&quot; AcadArena said in a blog post. Banusing at 16 founded an events and media agency, before eventually building AcadArena with Lim and Hoang. &quot;Running a startup in a pandemic (especially as a student) was tough, but we knew we had to do something for the campus gaming scene... And as we gave back to the community, success followed,&quot; Banusing said in a series of tweets. Hoang said he felt &quot;humbled&quot; to be recognized in the list.&quot;I&#x27;ve worked on almost every major esports program with the sole mission to build what I wish I had in school,&quot; he said. &quot;That is the reason AcadArena exists - to champion gaming culture to students across the world.&quot; In December last year, AcadArena raised $3.5 million in seed funding. Its backers include Iterative Capital, Infinity Ventures Crypto and Kevin Lin, cofounder of video game streaming platform Twitch, said Forbes. The seed funding was used to fund scholarships. <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/03/10/22/acadarena-relaunching-scholarship-for-gaming">AcadArena says relaunching scholarship program for gamers</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/ancx/culture/spotlight/01/29/22/startups-p176m-to-go-to-scholarships-for-aspiring-gamers">These under-30 esports execs raised P176M to give scholarships to aspiring pro gamers</a></li></ul>The annual “30 Under 30 Asia” list features young entrepreneurs, leaders and trailblazers across the Asia-Pacific region, all under the age of 30, &quot;who are inspiring change and driving innovation in their respective fields amid the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic,&quot; Forbes said in a news release. This year&#x27;s list features 30 honorees for each of the 10 categories, including the arts; entertainment and sports; finance and venture capital; media, marketing and advertising; retail &amp; e-commerce; enterprise technology; industry, manufacturing &amp; energy; healthcare and science; social impact, and consumer technology.

PH youth-founded gaming startup listed in Forbes Asia's 30 Under 30

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Traffic

Manila

Horoscope

Business

PH youth-founded gaming startup listed in Forbes Asia's 30 Under 30

Angela Coloma,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jun 03, 2022 02:42 PM PHT

|

Updated Jun 03, 2022 02:54 PM PHT

Read More:

AcadArena

campus gaming

gaming

scholarships

startup

esports

Forbes 30 under 30

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.