Karate Combat
Karate Combat is a DAO-governed, full-contact karate league that streams CGI-augmented events via Unreal Engine to 100+ countries. It serves combat-sports fans and Web3 token holders through voting, Up Only Gaming predictions, and $KARATE-governed league decisions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Karate Combat does
Karate Combat, operating through Sensei Ltd. (Seychelles) under the Sensei Foundation (Cayman Islands), is a full-contact karate league that has run live events since its Genesis broadcast on February 3, 2018. The company combines live-action karate matches among elite black belt fighters across eight weight divisions with immersive CGI arena environments produced using Epic Games' Unreal Engine, and distributes content to over 100 countries via UFC Fight Pass, ESPN Deportes, DAZN, Bally Sports Plus, CBS Sports, and regional networks. Headquarters are in New York with primary event production based at KC Apex in the Telemundo Center, Miami, and headcount of 251-500 employees.
Karate Combat firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Karate Combat
- Legal name
- Sensei Ltd.
- Website
- https://karate.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Karate Combat is a DAO-governed, full-contact karate league that streams CGI-augmented events via Unreal Engine to 100+ countries. It serves combat-sports fans and Web3 token holders through voting, Up Only Gaming predictions, and $KARATE-governed league decisions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Karate Combat industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Combat Sports Entertainment
- NAICS
- Spectator Sports (71121), Sports Teams and Clubs (711211)
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Combat Sports Leagues (MMA, Boxing, Wrestling) (MPAKAAAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Combat Sports Event Series & Tournament Operators (Grand Prix, leagues) (MPAKAHAI)
Keywords
Where Karate Combat is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Karate Combat business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Streaming Rights & Broadcast: International broadcast deals with sports networks including ESPN, DAZN, UFC Fight Pass, and regional partners across 100+ countries
- $KARATE Token: Utility token used for voting, governance, and Up Only Gaming. Token generates value through utility and speculation
- Sponsorships & Partnerships: Corporate sponsorships including DeLorean Motor Company partnership and Origin (Hedera launchpad) sponsorship of prize pools
- App Downloads & Token Sales: Free app with token economy; revenue from token appreciation and potential future app features
- Event Tickets & Merchandise: Live event tickets and branded merchandise through the Karate Combat store
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free-to-play with token-based economy |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels8 records
Marketing channels8 records
Karate Combat product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Karate Combat operates a full-contact karate sports league that streams live events to over 100 countries, combining real fights with immersive CGI environments powered by Epic Games' Unreal Engine. The league is structured as a DAO owned by the Sensei Foundation, with fans using the $KARATE utility token (issued on Hedera and Ethereum) to vote on matchups, predict fight outcomes, and govern league decisions through a mobile and web app.
Product overview
Karate Combat is a full contact karate league structured as a DAO (decentralized autonomous organization) that combines live-action full-contact Karate with immersive CGI environments powered by Epic Games Unreal Engine. The core product offering includes a mobile app and web app where fans can participate in league governance through $KARATE token voting, engage in Up Only Gaming prediction contests, and access token-gated experiences. The $KARATE utility token (issued on Hedera and Ethereum) enables fan governance of fight matchups and contracts, while the UP Layer 2 blockchain powers the gaming mechanics. The league streams to over 100 countries using mixed reality technology with CGI environments.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- UP: Karate Combat's Layer 2 Blockchain platform for Web3 fan engagement
- Up Only Gaming
Products and services
- Karate Combat Mobile App Free mobile application enabling fans to vote on fighters before each event, earn $KARATE tokens when their predictions are correct, climb leaderboards, and participate in league governance. Available on iOS and Android.
- $KARATE Utility Token Utility token issued on Hedera (HTS) and Ethereum (ERC-20) networks with 110 billion total supply. Enables fan governance voting, Up Only Gaming rewards, and access to token-gated experiences.
- UP Layer 2 Blockchain Karate Combat's Layer 2 blockchain built on Hedera that powers Up Only Gaming mechanics and enables next-generation fan engagement features.
- Up Only Gaming Fantasy-style prediction game where fans make fight picks before each Karate Combat event to grow their $KARATE token stash and climb leaderboards. Characterized as 'Up Only' because there is no penalty for incorrect predictions.
- Karate Combat Web App Web-based platform accessible at app.karate.com enabling users to access voting, governance, and Up Only Gaming features from desktop browsers.
- Karate Combat Events League Full-contact karate sports league streaming globally to over 100 countries, featuring elite black belt fighters competing in eight weight divisions within immersive CGI environments powered by Epic Games' Unreal Engine.
- Karate Combat Merchandise Store Branded merchandise store selling Karate Combat apparel and collectibles, including token-gated merchandise available exclusively to $KARATE token holders.
Quantifiable outcome
- 4.5M+ global audience followers
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Karate Combat
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Karate Combat technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Karate Combat partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and notable.
- Origin (Hedera Launchpad)majorHedera's premier launchpad sponsoring the main prize pool for KC54 Dubai event at TOKEN2049. Also raffling off 15M $KARATE tokens to celebrate partnership.
- Epic GamescoreTechnology partner providing Unreal gaming engine and virtual production technology for immersive CGI fight environments and broadcasts.
- DeLorean Motor CompanynotableStrategic partnership announced in July 2024, combining luxury automotive brand with innovative sports entertainment.
- Hedera NetworkcoreBlockchain infrastructure for $KARATE token (HTS token standard). UP Layer 2 blockchain platform built on Hedera for fan engagement and gaming.
- Ethereum NetworkcoreSecondary blockchain for $KARATE token (ERC-20 standard) enabling broader crypto ecosystem access and interoperability.
- UFC Fight PassmajorStreaming distribution partner providing exclusive access to Karate Combat live events and archived content library.
- ESPN/DAZN/Regional Sports NetworksmajorBroadcast distribution partnerships including ESPN Deportes, Bally Sports Plus, CBS Sports in North America; DAZN globally; and regional partners across Europe, Asia, South America, Africa, and Australia.
- Sensei FoundationcoreCayman Islands Foundation Company that owns Karate Combat after the league was sold to enable DAO governance by $KARATE token holders.
- League Ambassadors (Bas Rutten, Georges St-Pierre, Lyoto Machida, Stephen Thompson)notableCombat sports legends serving as league ambassadors to promote Karate Combat and engage their existing fan bases.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Karate Combat competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Sorare: Web3 fantasy sports platform using NFTs and tokens for fan engagement across soccer, NBA, and MLB. Comparable to Karate Combat's $KARATE token and Up Only Gaming as a Web3-native fan engagement layer in sports, though Sorare focuses on fantasy lineups rather than governance.
- Chiliz / Socios.com: Sports fan token platform powering $CHZ-based fan tokens and governance rights for clubs like FC Barcelona, PSG, and Manchester City. Comparable to Karate Combat as a Web3 sports fan token and engagement platform, though Chiliz partners with existing teams rather than operating its own league.
Regional players
- World Karate Federation (WKF): The international governing body for Olympic-style karate runs the Karate Premier League and World Championships across WKF regions. Comparable to Karate Combat as a karate-specific event operator, though WKF operates a non-professional, federation-driven model rather than a paid athlete promotion.
Direct peers
- ONE Championship: Asia-headquartered multi-discipline combat sports promotion (MMA, kickboxing, Muay Thai, grappling) operating an event series model with international broadcast distribution and championship belts — directly comparable to Karate Combat's league-and-events structure.
- Professional Fighters League (PFL): PFL operates a season-based MMA league with regular events and a championship format, similar in structure to Karate Combat's numbered KC events. Both target the global combat sports fan with broadcast-led distribution and tier-1 sponsorship partnerships.
- UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship): The dominant MMA league operates under a similar combat sports league model: signed athlete roster, regular numbered events, premium broadcast deals, and global sponsorship revenue. UFC represents the most directly comparable competitor for combat sports viewership and broadcast dollars.
- Glory Kickboxing: Standalone global kickboxing promotion operating a tournament-and-event series with international broadcast distribution and a signed athlete roster. Comparable in scale, league structure, and combat sports focus to Karate Combat's karate-only operation.
- Premier Boxing Champions (PBC): PBC operates a network-broadcast boxing league model with marquee fighter matchups and tier-1 sponsorship integrations, structurally analogous to Karate Combat's numbered event series and broadcast-led distribution approach.
- Top Rank Boxing: Long-established boxing promotion with a signed fighter roster, ESPN-led broadcast partnership, and premium sponsorship relationships. Comparable as a combat sports league with elite talent and premium distribution, though focused on boxing rather than karate.
- Bellator MMA: Major MMA promotion operating tournament-style events with a signed fighter roster and broadcast distribution. Comparable to Karate Combat as a non-UFC combat sports league competing for fan attention, broadcast slots, and sponsorship share.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Karate Combat social profiles
Digital presenceKarate Combat financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Karate Combat leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Karate Combat funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors8 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Karate Combat M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Karate Combat
What does Karate Combat do?
Karate Combat operates a full-contact karate sports league that streams live events to over 100 countries, combining real fights with immersive CGI environments powered by Epic Games' Unreal Engine. The league is structured as a DAO owned by the Sensei Foundation, with fans using the $KARATE utility token (issued on Hedera and Ethereum) to vote on matchups, predict fight outcomes, and govern league decisions through a mobile and web app.
Is Karate Combat a public or private company?
Karate Combat is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Karate Combat founded?
Karate Combat was founded in 2018. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Karate Combat based?
Karate Combat is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Karate Combat make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Streaming Rights & Broadcast is the primary driver. The others are $KARATE Token, sponsorships & Partnerships, app Downloads & Token Sales and event Tickets & Merchandise.
Who are Karate Combat's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Sorare and Chiliz / Socios.com. World Karate Federation (WKF) is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are ONE Championship, Professional Fighters League (PFL), UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship), Glory Kickboxing, Premier Boxing Champions (PBC), Top Rank Boxing and Bellator MMA.
Does Karate Combat have an API?
No public API is recorded for Karate Combat.
What industry is Karate Combat in?
Karate Combat's product category is Combat Sports Entertainment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAKAAAI, Combat Sports Leagues (MMA, Boxing, Wrestling), with a secondary code of MPAKAHAI, Combat Sports Event Series & Tournament Operators (Grand Prix, leagues). Its NAICS code is 71121 and its SIC code is 7990.