What 9z does

9z is a privately held Argentine esports organization founded by Frankkaster on August 8, 2018, and headquartered in Buenos Aires. The organization fields professional competitive teams across eight game titles — Counter-Strike 2, Valorant, PUBG Mobile, Rainbow Six, Sim Racing, Mobile Legends, and Honor of Kings — and also operates a streamer roster that includes the CEO himself. Its stated mission is to become the leading Spanish-speaking esports organization with the largest Latin American fanbase, with publicly stated plans to internationalize the brand into Europe.

The company operates five revenue streams: commercial sponsorships and brand partnerships (the primary driver), tournament prize money, direct-to-consumer merchandise sales through shop.9z.gg, content creation and streaming advertising revenue, and player transfers. Its branded consumer hardware line includes Phantom mousepads (Grande and Chico), the Ghoul wireless keyboard, and the Pro and Spectre mice, each accompanied by companion configuration software (Z-Shade Lite, Z-Shade Pro, Z-Spectre). Sponsorship and partnership pricing is not publicly disclosed, and no financial figures (revenue, funding rounds, headcount) appear in the source material.

9z differentiates itself through a series of historic competitive milestones unique to South American esports: it was the first team from the region to qualify and win at a CS:GO Major (Antwerp 2022 and Rio 2022), the first to reach the ESL Pro League 2023 playoffs, and has held a Top 20 global CS2 ranking since October 2023. Its commercial anchor is Globant, which holds title-sponsorship naming rights on the PUBG Mobile roster (competing as 9z Globant), and it maintains a strategic relationship with the Esports World Cup Foundation. The organization markets through a multi-channel social presence across Twitch, Discord, YouTube, Twitter/X, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn under the "#TodoVioleta" community identity, and participates in physical events such as the FiReCONTER Counter-Strike 2 LAN in Buenos Aires.

Name

9z

Legal name

9Z Team

Website

https://9z.gg

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Short description

9z is an Argentine esports organization founded in 2018 that fields professional competitive teams across eight game titles for the Latin American Spanish-speaking gaming community, monetizing through sponsorships, tournament winnings, branded gaming peripherals, content streaming, and player transfers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Esports Services

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)

akta.pro primary industry

Esports Platforms & Competitive Gaming Networks (BPAMAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Regional & National Esports Championships (MPAKANAF), Esports & Creator Sponsorship/Brand Partnerships (Influencer Marketing for Gaming) (MPAFAEAE)

Keywords

• Professional esports teams
• Esports tournament competition
• Gaming peripherals merchandise
• Esports content streaming
• Sponsorship brand partnerships

Headquarters

HQ city

Buenos Aires

HQ country

Argentina

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Sponsorships & Brand Partnerships: 9z attracts commercial sponsors and brand partnerships through its competitive achievements, large Latin American fanbase, and social media presence across Twitch, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. This is the primary revenue driver for an esports club of this scale.
2. Tournament Winnings & Prize Money: Competitive esports teams across CS2, Valorant, PUBG Mobile, Rainbow Six, Sim Racing, Mobile Legends, and Honor of Kings earn prize money from international and regional tournament victories, such as BLAST Premier Rising Event and PMGC Top 20 finishes.
3. Merchandise Sales: 9z operates an e-commerce storefront (shop.9z.gg) selling branded peripherals including mousepads (Phantom Grande/Chico), keyboards (Ghoul), and mice (Pro, Spectre), generating direct-to-consumer merchandise revenue.
4. Content Creation & Streaming: The organization houses streamers and content creators including Frankkaster (also CEO) and Luchi, who generate viewership revenue through Twitch and other streaming platforms, contributing to the club's overall revenue.
5. Player Transfers: As a talent development club, 9z develops professional players and may generate revenue through player transfers or contracts, aligning with esports industry practices for roster management.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

9z operates professional competitive esports teams across multiple game titles (Counter-Strike 2, Valorant, PUBG Mobile, Rainbow Six, Sim Racing, Mobile Legends, Honor of Kings) representing Latin America in international tournaments. The organization complements competitive operations with content creation, live streaming, branded gaming peripherals sold through its shop.9z.gg e-commerce store, and companion mouse/keyboard configuration software. Revenue is driven primarily by sponsorships and brand partnerships, with tournament winnings, merchandise sales, streaming revenue, and player transfers as additional streams.

Product overview

9z is an Argentine esports organization offering a product portfolio of gaming peripherals (mice, keyboards, mousepads) under brands including Phantom, Pro, Spectre, and Ghoul, along with companion software for mouse configuration. The products are sold through the 9z shop and are marketed primarily to esports players and gaming enthusiasts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 9z Pro Gaming Mouse Gaming mouse from 9z's Pro product line, sold through 9z's direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront for esports players and gaming enthusiasts.
• 9z Spectre Gaming Mouse Violet-colored gaming mouse from 9z's Spectre product line, sold as part of 9z's branded peripherals catalog.
• 9z Ghoul Wireless Keyboard White wireless gaming keyboard from 9z's Ghoul product line, offered as part of 9z's branded peripherals catalog to gaming enthusiasts.
• 9z Phantom Grande Mousepad Large-sized gaming mousepad from 9z's Phantom product line, sold via 9z's direct-to-consumer storefront.
• 9z Phantom Chico Mousepad Small-sized gaming mousepad from 9z's Phantom product line, sold via 9z's direct-to-consumer storefront.
• Z-Shade Lite Mouse Software Downloadable mouse configuration utility for Z-Shade Lite gaming peripherals.
• Z-Shade Pro Mouse Software Downloadable mouse configuration utility for Z-Shade Pro gaming peripherals.
• Z-Spectre Keyboard Software Downloadable keyboard configuration utility for 9z Spectre wireless keyboard peripherals.

Quantifiable outcome

• Top 20 del Mundo (CS2) — maintained globally in October 2023 and beyond
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Dale Play GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn 2021, 9z partnered with Dale Play Group to improve the company's capabilities and take the club to the next level. This partnership provided strategic support and resources for organizational growth and development, helping 9z expand its operations and competitive reach.
• Esports World Cup FoundationflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner9z competes at Esports World Cup Foundation events and positions itself for participation on the world's biggest stages. The organization has a strategic relationship with the EWC Foundation as a competitive participant representing Latin America.
• GlobantflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerGlobant sponsors the 9z PUBG Mobile team, which competes under the brand '9z Globant' at international tournaments. This sponsorship enables the team to compete at PMGC 2025 and other events, with Globant's brand visible across team representation.
• BA in GamecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBA in Game hosted the FiReCONTER Counter-Strike 2 LAN event in Buenos Aires, the city that will host the country's first Counter-Strike Major in 2027. 9z competed at this event, highlighting the connection between the organization and the host venue.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Globant: IT services company that sponsors 9z's PUBG Mobile team (competing as '9z Globant'). Relevant as the anchor enterprise customer/sponsor demonstrating 9z's appeal to Latam enterprise brands.
• BLAST: Tournament organizer running BLAST Open Rotterdam 2026 (which 9z qualified for) and the BLAST Premier circuit. Ecosystem participant that defines the competitive circuits 9z depends on for global visibility.

Direct peers

• Isurus: Argentine esports organization, like 9z, focused on Latin American competitive representation. Competes in similar regional tournaments and shares the same Argentine/Latam fanbase and sponsor pool.
• paiN Gaming: Brazilian esports organization with competitive rosters across CS2 and other major titles, directly competing with 9z for South American sponsorship dollars, regional tournament slots, and Latin American viewership.
• FURIA Esports: Brazilian esports organization competing at Tier S international tournaments across CS2, Valorant, and other titles. Most direct competitor to 9z in South American CS2, sharing the same sponsor pool, fan demographic, and tournament circuit.
• Leviatán: Latin American esports organization with multi-title rosters including CS2 and Valorant. Competes with 9z for regional sponsorships, tournament qualification slots, and Spanish-speaking fan engagement.
• KRÜ Esports: Latin American (Argentine) esports organization founded by a high-profile creator (s1mple/Agüero depending on org). Competes in the same regional sponsorship market and shares the Latam esports fan demographic.
• Sharks Esports: South American (Brazilian) esports organization that 9z directly competed against and defeated in the BLAST Premier Rising Event final. Operates in the same CS2 competitive tier and regional sponsorship market.

Broad incumbents

• FaZe Clan: Global esports and entertainment brand with major CS2 roster. Competes against 9z in Tier S tournaments and represents the type of well-capitalized global org that 9z must outperform to capture tier-1 sponsors.
• Team Liquid: Global esports incumbent with Tier S rosters across multiple titles including CS2. Sets the upper benchmark for sponsorship pricing, talent acquisition, and international tournament performance that 9z competes against.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/9zteam
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/9zTeam
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/9z-team
• Instagraminstagram.com/9zteam
• TikToktiktok.com/@9zteam?lang=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about 9z