RightBridge Ventures AB (“RBV”) and Non-Violence Project Foundation (“NVPF”) join forces to make esport and gaming a safer place through the KNOT OK initiative.
Stockholm, 25 February 2021– Sixty-eight percent of players have experienced severe harassment while playing games online, which includes physical threats, stalking and sustained harassment, while 81 percent of online multiplayer gamers have experienced some form of harassment, according to a survey released by ADL’s (the Anti-Defamation League) Centre for Technology and Society.
NVPF has worked for more than 27 years, in 30 countries, inspiring, motivating and engaging youth to understand how to solve conflicts peacefully. NVPF has educated and training more than 9 million young people, students, teachers and sports coaches in topics such as conflict management, harassment, racism and bullying, often involving sports such as football or basket. Its famous Knotted Gun Symbol, placed outside the UN headquarters in New York and at 30 other strategic places around the world, is the most well-known symbol for Non-Violence.
“Gaming and Esport is the next frontier! Some of the toxic behaviours that NVPF has encountered during the past 27 years groom under the anonymity that digital tools offer. NVPF sees the KNOT OK initiative against toxicity in esport and gaming as a natural progression to our work to empower young people. Leveraging RBV network and company assets in the esport and gaming industry, RBV is a key partner to develop KNOT OK and make it available to young people worldwide” says Claes Kalborg, head and global responsible for the initiative.
KNOT OK initiative intends to provide young people with references, tools and discussion spaces that empower them against toxic behaviours. The goal of the partnership is to empower young people, with special focus on female gamers and esport fans, to manage toxic behaviour in esport and gaming platforms.
“It is with great confidence that NVPF welcomes RightBridge Ventures to this important collaboration. Esport is a fantastic opportunity and platform for young people to meet online and with this partnership we can hopefully curb the increase in harassment, bullying and discrimination that today is seen in esports”. Jan Hellman, President and Co-founder NVPF
KNOT OK turns RBV into a company with a mission! We are proud to have KNOT OK as part of RBV investment portfolio. With KNOT OK, we invest in eliminating barriers to unlocking gamer’s full potential to go from ZERO to HERO.” Says Magnus Leppäniemi, RBV board member and seasoned esport executive.
“We are thrilled to contribute with our network, competence and portfolio companies to build, develop and distribute the work of NVPF and KNOT OK. Our portfolio companies (e.g. ESPL Nordics) should act as hosts, distribution channel and ambassadors to the KNOT OK initiative. In addition, KNOT OK opens up to new exciting investments opportunities such as AI toxicity analytics technologies to identify and ban toxic behaviours. RBV is the first esport impact investment company, and we hope that others follow” Says Carlos Barrios, RBV CEO.
The partnership between RBV and NVPF is part of RBV wider initiative oriented to serve as catalyst of the esport and gaming grassroot and start-up community. For that purpose, RBV invests in assets that act as catalyst, data generator and testbed for gamers and entrepreneurs to interact, show their gaming and business skills under the values of fair-play, innovation and non – toxicity.
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About RightBridge Ventures
RightBridge Ventures is an investment company based in Stockholm (Sweden) dedicated to investing in companies that shape the future of esports and gaming as part of the digital entertainment industry. The intention of RBV board of directors is to present a motion for public listing of RBV during 2021. For more information visit www.rightbridge.se or get updates by following us on LinkedIn. Contact: jointhejourney@rightbridge.se
About Non – violence Project Foundation
NVPF, founded in 1993, is a swiss based non-profit foundation promoting social change through education. The organisation has received more than 100 international awards for best practice and was 2014 referred to as having one of the best youth education programs in the world by President Obama. We believe that no one is born violent – and if young people can learn to be violent, they can also learn to be non-violent. KNOT OK and NON – VIOLENCE and their trademarks are owned by the Non – Violence Project Foundation.
