lez.sh
LEZ.SH is a non-profit state e-sport and digitalization center in Kiel, Germany — Germany's first official E-Sport Landeszentrum — offering training facility rentals, events, mobile gaming kits, and media literacy programs to clubs, companies, institutions, and individuals across Schleswig-Holstein.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersKiel, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What lez.sh does
LEZ.SH (Landeszentrum für E-Sport und Digitalisierung Schleswig-Holstein) is a non-profit gGmbH e-sport and digitalization center headquartered in Kiel, Germany, operating as Germany's first official state-sponsored E-Sport Landeszentrum. Founded in 2020 with initial funding from the state of Schleswig-Holstein and the city of Kiel, the organization functions as a community hub and networking platform bridging e-sport clubs, companies, institutions, private individuals, and public authorities. It operates under the sponsorship of the E-Sport-Verband Schleswig-Holstein (EVSH), which itself follows the federal eSport-Bund Deutschland.
The organization's core offering is built around four functional departments: Leistungszentrum (Performance Center, covering talent identification, coaching, and competitive structure), Medienbildung (Media Education, covering media literacy and responsible digital behavior), Digitalisierung (Digitalization, covering VR, AR, streaming, and innovative digital learning spaces), and Veranstaltungen (Events, covering tournaments, community formats, and workshops). Physical product assets include current-standard E-Sport training rooms available for rental, a Streaming Studio, a Sports Room for physical conditioning of e-sport athletes, and a deployable Mobile Kit (12 gaming laptops with peripherals plus mobile network infrastructure) that requires only power and internet access. The technology stack is described in terms of facility infrastructure rather than software platforms, and no AI/ML, proprietary algorithms, or API products are referenced.
The revenue model combines non-commercial public funding (state Anschubfinanzierung, municipal support) with commercial service revenues from room rentals, event infrastructure services, consulting, and small donations processed through a dedicated Förde Sparkasse account. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, supplemented by direct outreach for media competence programs to schools and institutions across Schleswig-Holstein, with active engagement on Discord, Instagram, X, Facebook, Twitch, and YouTube. The organization currently operates in a test operation (Testbetrieb) phase.
lez.sh firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- lez.sh
- Legal name
- LEZ.SH gGmbH
- Website
- https://lez.sh
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- LEZ.SH is a non-profit state e-sport and digitalization center in Kiel, Germany — Germany's first official E-Sport Landeszentrum — offering training facility rentals, events, mobile gaming kits, and media literacy programs to clubs, companies, institutions, and individuals across Schleswig-Holstein.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
lez.sh industry classification
Industry- Product category
- E-Sport Training and Event Services
- NAICS
- Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Spectator Sports (71121)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Team Training Facilities & Bootcamps (Pro/Am Team Houses, Practice Centers) (MPAFALAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Sports Compliance, Governance & Integrity Services (Safeguarding, Anti-Doping, Match Integrity) (MPAKAKAM), Sports & Recreation Lessons (Surfing, Skiing, Golf, Tennis) (THAJAKAN)
Keywords
Where lez.sh is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kiel
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
lez.sh business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Room Rental: E-sport training rooms available for rent to clubs, companies, institutions, and private individuals during test operation phase.
- Event Infrastructure Services: Technical equipment and infrastructure for competitions and events focused on e-sport/gaming and digitalization.
- Consulting Services: From basic education about e-sport to specialized consulting for private individuals, clubs, institutions, and companies.
- Donations: Small donations and anonymous donations accepted; bank account maintained at Förde Sparkasse for LEZ.SH gGmbH.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Room rental rates not publicly disclosed |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
lez.sh product offering
Product offeringCore offering
LEZ.SH operates Germany's first official state-level E-Sport and Digitalization Center, providing hardware-equipped training spaces, event infrastructure, consulting services, and media literacy education programs to e-sport clubs, companies, institutions, and private individuals in Schleswig-Holstein. The center also offers a mobile e-sport kit with 12 gaming laptops and a streaming studio for portable and content-creation use cases.
Product overview
LEZ.SH operates as a state-level E-Sport and Digitalization Center for Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, offering a unified portfolio of physical facilities and advisory services. The core offering consists of rental E-Sport training spaces and event venues equipped with current-standard hardware, complemented by consulting services, media literacy programs, and an E-Sport Mobile Kit for portable event solutions. The organization also houses specialized departments for Performance Training (Leistungszentrum), Media Competence (Medienkompetenz), Digitalization (featuring VR/AR/streaming technologies), and Events.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- E-Sport Training Rooms (E-Sport Trainingsräume) Rental of hardware-equipped training facilities following current standards, available to clubs, companies, institutions, and private individuals for e-sport teams and events.
- Event Infrastructure (Event-Infrastruktur) Technical equipment and infrastructure services for competitions and events focused on e-sport, gaming, and digitalization, including space rental for event organizers.
- E-Sport Consulting (Beratung) Advisory services ranging from basic education about e-sport to specialized consulting for private individuals, clubs, institutions, and companies.
- Media Competence Education (Medienkompetenz) Educational programs promoting digital media literacy and responsible use of digital games and social media platforms, delivered through workshops, school projects, and youth protection initiatives.
- E-Sport Mobile Kit Mobile e-sport solution consisting of 12 gaming laptops with peripherals and mobile network infrastructure that requires only power and internet connection for deployment at event locations.
- Performance Center (Leistungszentrum) Training and promotion structures in e-sport including talent identification, coaching, and competitive organization with unified professional standards for sustainable performance development.
- Digitalization Programs (Digitalisierung) Development and testing of innovative digital learning and experience spaces including VR, AR, and streaming technologies, as well as educational formats such as hackathons and maker projects.
Companies that use lez.sh
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
lez.sh technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
lez.sh partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Land Schleswig-HolsteincoreState government of Schleswig-Holstein providing initial funding and institutional support for the establishment of Germany's first official e-sport state center.
- Landeshauptstadt KielcoreCity of Kiel providing initial funding and support, co-founding the state center initiative.
- E-Sport-Verband Schleswig-Holstein (EVSH)coreEVSH functions as the carrier/trustee of LEZ.SH and represents the state association for e-sport in Schleswig-Holstein. It follows the federal association eSport-Bund Deutschland. EVSH engages in societal education, regional networking and promotion, building sustainable e-sport structures, political work, connection to traditional sports, and supporting scientific work.
- eSport-Bund DeutschlandmajorFederal e-sport association that EVSH follows as carrier; provides national framework and guidelines including the Ethics and Code of Conduct that LEZ.SH follows.
- Local Youth Welfare and Media Literacy OrganizationsminorCooperation with local actors in youth welfare, youth protection, and media literacy education to promote media competence and responsible use of digital games and platforms.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
lez.sh competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- mousesports / MOUZ: Long-established German esports club with competitive rosters and training infrastructure. Comparable as a German-based esports organization that develops talent and hosts competitive events, contrasting with LEZ.SH's regional public-sector approach.
- GamerzEvent: German event services provider specializing in gaming and esports tournaments with mobile equipment deployments. Comparable to LEZ.SH in delivering event infrastructure, mobile gaming setups, and tournament hosting services across Germany.
- Berlin International Gaming (BIG): Premier German esports organization fielding competitive teams across multiple titles. Comparable to LEZ.SH in the German esports ecosystem, with overlapping audiences (clubs, institutions, talent) but a private commercial orientation versus LEZ.SH's state-sponsored community model.
- eSport-Bund Deutschland (ESBD): Federal German e-sport association that LEZ.SH's sponsor EVSH follows. Comparable as the national governance and ethics body for esports in Germany, providing LEZ.SH with national legitimacy and the Code of Conduct framework.
- Landessportbund Schleswig-Holstein: State sports confederation for Schleswig-Holstein representing traditional sports clubs. Comparable to LEZ.SH as a state-level institutional body that bridges sport with politics and education in the same German federal state, although operating in the traditional rather than e-sport domain.
- E-Sport-Verband Schleswig-Holstein (EVSH): LEZ.SH's parent sponsoring entity and the state e-sport association for Schleswig-Holstein. Directly comparable as the regional governance counterpart that enables LEZ.SH's role and shares its mission of societal education, regional networking, and political advocacy for esports.
Broad incumbents
- Freaks 4U Gaming: German gaming media company operating major esports properties including the ESL Pro Series and content brands. Comparable as a German-based esports infrastructure operator running leagues, content, and event services that overlap with LEZ.SH's mission areas.
- ESL Gaming: Global esports tournament organizer and ecosystem operator that runs leagues, events, and content production. Comparable to LEZ.SH as a major force in the German and European esports infrastructure landscape, though operating at vastly larger commercial scale and as a private esports business rather than a public-sector hub.
- Deutsche Sporthilfe: National foundation supporting elite German athletes across disciplines. Comparable to LEZ.SH in bridging sport with policy and institutional support, though operating at federal scale and across traditional sports rather than focusing on e-sport.
Regional players
- StadtSportBund Kiel: Local sports confederation for Kiel, one of LEZ.SH's municipal co-founders. Comparable as a regional sports organizing body in the same geography, sharing audiences (clubs, institutions, citizens) and overlapping political/institutional relationships.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
lez.sh social profiles
Digital presencelez.sh financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
lez.sh leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
lez.sh funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
lez.sh 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 lez.sh
What does lez.sh do?
LEZ.SH operates Germany's first official state-level E-Sport and Digitalization Center, providing hardware-equipped training spaces, event infrastructure, consulting services, and media literacy education programs to e-sport clubs, companies, institutions, and private individuals in Schleswig-Holstein. The center also offers a mobile e-sport kit with 12 gaming laptops and a streaming studio for portable and content-creation use cases.
Is lez.sh a public or private company?
lez.sh is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was lez.sh founded?
lez.sh was founded in 2020. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is lez.sh based?
lez.sh is headquartered in Kiel, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does lez.sh make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Room Rental is the primary driver. The others are event Infrastructure Services, consulting Services and donations.
Who are lez.sh's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are mousesports / MOUZ, GamerzEvent, Berlin International Gaming (BIG), eSport-Bund Deutschland (ESBD), Landessportbund Schleswig-Holstein and E-Sport-Verband Schleswig-Holstein (EVSH). Broad incumbents are Freaks 4U Gaming, ESL Gaming and Deutsche Sporthilfe. StadtSportBund Kiel is listed as a regional player.
Does lez.sh have an API?
No public API is recorded for lez.sh.
What industry is lez.sh in?
lez.sh's product category is E-Sport Training and Event Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAFALAG, Team Training Facilities & Bootcamps (Pro/Am Team Houses, Practice Centers), with a secondary code of MPAKAKAM, Sports Compliance, Governance & Integrity Services (Safeguarding, Anti-Doping, Match Integrity). Its NAICS code is 713940 and its SIC code is 7997.