BASILISK
BASILISK is a privately held, New York-based esports organization founded in 2020 that fields professional teams across Chess, StarCraft II, FGC, and Magic: The Gathering, positioning itself as 'Science's Esports Team' through partnerships with The Planetary Society and CalTech's IQIM. It monetizes via sponsorships, tournament winnings, and branded merchandise.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What BASILISK does
BASILISK is a privately held, New York-based esports organization founded in 2020 by Christopher Bothur and Hans Kassier that operates professional competitive teams across Chess, StarCraft II, Fighting Game Community (FGC), and Magic: The Gathering. The organization distinguishes itself through a science-advocacy positioning branded as 'Science's Esports Team,' formalized through strategic partnerships announced in July 2025 with The Planetary Society and CalTech's Institute for Quantum Information and Matter (IQIM). Its roster includes several of the highest-pedigree players in their respective disciplines, notably Serral (three-time StarCraft II World Champion), Vincent Keymer (world No. 4 chess), Anish Giri (chess grandmaster), and Justin 'JWong' Wong (nine-time Evo FGC champion), supported by a Head of Science Education and Outreach (Kyle Hill).
The company's underlying operating model centers on a content and talent flywheel: player performance drives audience reach, which supports sponsorship monetization and merchandise sales. The internal BASILISK Training Program (BTP) is a weekly development course combining cognitive science, applied statistics, and performance psychology to develop players and staff. Direct-to-consumer commerce is conducted through a Fourthwall-powered storefront (shop.basilisk.gg) selling made-to-order branded merchandise with multi-currency global shipping. Content distribution relies on a Twitch team page, YouTube science-gaming videos, event participation (including the Esports World Cup 2025 in Riyadh), and PR/news coverage.
Monetization is driven by three streams: sponsorship and partnership revenue (NetEase Thunder Fire Studio is named as a sponsor for the Kung Fu Cup 2026 Grand Finals, and the Planetary Society/CalTech IQIM relationships are categorized as strategic), tournament prize earnings through pro players, and direct merchandise sales. Go-to-market is community-led, leveraging the combined ~3.5M gamer following of the player roster plus the 7M+ reach of science partners. The customer segments are horizontal: esports enthusiasts across StarCraft II, Chess, FGC, and Magic: The Gathering communities, plus a secondary science-curious audience drawn to the organization's STEM-advocacy content.
BASILISK firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- BASILISK
- Legal name
- BASILISK
- Website
- https://basilisk.gg
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- BASILISK is a privately held, New York-based esports organization founded in 2020 that fields professional teams across Chess, StarCraft II, FGC, and Magic: The Gathering, positioning itself as 'Science's Esports Team' through partnerships with The Planetary Society and CalTech's IQIM. It monetizes via sponsorships, tournament winnings, and branded merchandise.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where BASILISK is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
BASILISK business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Merchandise Sales: E-commerce store selling branded merchandise including the BASILISK Rugby Shirt preorder. Products are made-to-order with global shipping from USA. Accepts multiple currencies (USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD, JPY, etc.).
- Partnerships and Sponsorships: Strategic partnerships with scientific institutions (The Planetary Society, CalTech IQIM) and potentially esports sponsorships with brands like NetEase Thunder Fire Studio.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | BASILISK Rugby Shirt - Base |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
BASILISK product offering
Product offeringCore offering
BASILISK operates a multi-title competitive esports organization, fielding professional teams in Chess, StarCraft II, Fighting Game Community (FGC), and Magic: The Gathering. It sells branded merchandise through a direct-to-consumer e-commerce store (shop.basilisk.gg) powered by Fourthwall, including items such as the $110 USD BASILISK Rugby Shirt. The organization also runs BASILISK Big Brain Bouts, a weekly online StarCraft II showmatch series, and develops players and staff through its internal BASILISK Training Program (BTP).
Product overview
BASILISK is a science-driven esports organization founded in 2020, operating as a multi-title competitive gaming team. The organization fields professional players across Chess, StarCraft II, Fighting Game Community (FGC), and Magic: The Gathering. Complementing its esports operations, BASILISK runs an e-commerce merchandise store selling branded apparel, and offers the BTP (BASILISK Training Program) for internal staff development. The organization leverages data science and performance psychology to train players and creators, positioning itself as 'Science's Esports Team' with a mission to catalyze the next Scientific Revolution.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- BASILISK Big Brain Bouts: A weekly online StarCraft II showmatch series hosted by veteran esports commentator RotterdaM, featuring boxing-style fight cards.
Quantifiable outcome
- Serral won third StarCraft II World Championship at Esports World Cup 2025
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use BASILISK
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
BASILISK technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
BASILISK partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- The Planetary SocietycoreBASILISK partnered with The Planetary Society, founded by Carl Sagan, to promote science advocacy by connecting the organization with esports audiences. The Planetary Society empowers world citizens to advance space science and exploration, from planetary defense to spacecraft journeys beyond our solar system.
- CalTech's Institute for Quantum Information and Matter (IQIM)coreBASILISK partnered with CalTech's Institute for Quantum Information and Matter, the world's premier research center in physics. IQIM helped shape Marvel's Multiverse, co-designed Quantum Chess, and continuously pushes boundaries of quantum science.
- NetEase Thunder Fire StudiominorSponsor of the Kung Fu Cup 2026 Grand Finals, the premier year-end online StarCraft 2 championship tournament. NetEase Thunder Fire Studio is the distributor of StarCraft 2 in China.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
BASILISK competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Team Liquid: One of the largest and most established global esports organizations, fielding teams across multiple titles including StarCraft II (a flagship discipline for Team Liquid). Directly comparable as a multi-title esports org with significant content, merchandise, and sponsorship operations.
- Cloud9: Major US-headquartered multi-title esports org with teams across multiple competitive games and an active merchandise and content business. Comparable to BASILISK in operating model (multi-title teams, content, sponsorships, DTC merch), though at meaningfully larger scale.
- 100 Thieves: US-based esports and lifestyle apparel organization fielding teams in multiple titles and operating a high-profile merchandise business. Comparable to BASILISK as a multi-title org where apparel/content and competitive performance intersect.
- FaZe Clan: Major US esports and content organization with teams across multiple titles and a strong lifestyle/merchandise brand. Comparable to BASILISK in being a multi-title org with content-driven audience engagement, though at far larger scale.
- TSM (Team SoloMid): Historic US esports organization fielding teams in multiple competitive titles and operating an active merchandise/content business. Comparable to BASILISK in core model of multi-title competitive rosters plus DTC and sponsorship revenue.
- G2 Esports: Major European-headquartered esports organization with multi-title rosters and a strong brand in both competitive and content verticals. Comparable to BASILISK as a multi-title esports org pursuing both competition and content/media business lines.
- Fnatic: Long-running UK-origin esports and gaming hardware/lifestyle brand with rosters in multiple titles. Comparable to BASILISK in operating multi-title esports teams alongside branded merchandise, and in pursuing a content-led audience strategy.
- Sentinels: US-based multi-title esports organization with strong content and brand presence. Comparable to BASILISK in operating a portfolio of competitive teams and building a lifestyle/merch brand around them, though Sentinels skews toward a different title mix (Valorant-led).
- Misfits Gaming: Multi-title esports organization with global operations and content/community focus. Comparable to BASILISK in pursuing a community-and-content-led approach to audience engagement alongside competitive operations.
- OpTic Gaming: Established US esports organization with multi-title rosters, content operations, and merchandise. Comparable to BASILISK in core business model (competitive teams + content + merch), though historically concentrated in FPS titles.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
BASILISK social profiles
Digital presenceBASILISK financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
BASILISK leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
BASILISK funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
BASILISK 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 BASILISK
What does BASILISK do?
BASILISK operates a multi-title competitive esports organization, fielding professional teams in Chess, StarCraft II, Fighting Game Community (FGC), and Magic: The Gathering. It sells branded merchandise through a direct-to-consumer e-commerce store (shop.basilisk.gg) powered by Fourthwall, including items such as the $110 USD BASILISK Rugby Shirt. The organization also runs BASILISK Big Brain Bouts, a weekly online StarCraft II showmatch series, and develops players and staff through its internal BASILISK Training Program (BTP).
Is BASILISK a public or private company?
BASILISK is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was BASILISK founded?
BASILISK was founded in 2020. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is BASILISK based?
BASILISK is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does BASILISK make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Merchandise Sales are the primary driver. The others are partnerships and Sponsorships.
Who are BASILISK's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Team Liquid, Cloud9, 100 Thieves, FaZe Clan, TSM (Team SoloMid), G2 Esports, Fnatic, Sentinels, Misfits Gaming and OpTic Gaming.
Does BASILISK have an API?
No public API is recorded for BASILISK.