Loaded locks in $20 million in new funding

Thanks to a fresh injection of capital, a top talent management firm in the gaming world has its war chest locked and Loaded.

Loaded, which reps popular streamers like Ben ‘DrLupo’ Lupo and Jack ‘CouRage’ Dunlop, has scooped up $20 million in new equity funding. The firm has also announced several new additions to its executive team, including four promotions and two new hires.

L.A.-based Loaded has looked internally to find its new CEO: Josh Swartz (pictured above, left) previously served as the company’s Chief Operating Officer and will transition to a different C-level role. Loaded’s powerful talent management division will now be led by its new President, Riot Games alum Bridget Davidson (pictured above, right). Loaded co-founder Brandon Freytag will take on a new role as Chief Creator Monetization Officer, and one of the company’s long-tenured execs — Niles Heron — will take over as Chief Communications and Culture Officer.

Those four promoted execs will be joined by a few new faces. Loaded operates at the intersection of gaming and sports (it works with MLB star Bryce Harper), so it’s no surprise to see the company poaching talent from another company in that space. Former FaZe Clan CRO Jeff Pabst is the new Chief Commercial Officer at Loaded, and the well-traveled Paul Conroy has been named as the head of the company’s Ventures division.

Though best known for talent management, Loaded has expanded its operation to encompass marketing, branded content, and much more. Its consultancy business, which helps brands navigate the gaming space, will be supported by the new funding.

In a statement, Swartz said that Loaded will expand through a combination of organic growth and mergers and acquisitions. “Since its inception, Loaded has supported the work of an incredible roster of talent who have been responsible for helping shape the future of gaming,” Swartz said. “Now, as non-endemic brands and companies look to engage with the gaming community, we are able to combine our deep subject matter expertise, insights, and relationships to improve and evolve the industry for everyone who wants to be part of it.”

The organic side of that growth will be catalyzed by the star power within Loaded’s talent roster. Shortly after raising a $9 million funding round in 2019, the management company onboarded CouRage and DrLupo. Since then, it’s signed up more big names, including Myth and Storymodebae.

Coral Tree Partners led Loaded’s latest funding round. In conjunction with the investment, Alan Resnikoff of Coral Tree Partners will join Loaded’s board of directors.