Global competitive entertainment company BLAST has announced the appointment of Charlie Cowdrey as Chief Executive Officer of JioBLAST, the recently announced joint venture between BLAST and RISE, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited.

As part of the appointment, Cowdrey will relocate from London to Mumbai this September to lead the joint venture’s Indian operations, marking a major milestone in the company’s global expansion into India.

Cowdrey has been a pivotal figure within BLAST over the last four years, holding multiple senior leadership roles across the business ranging from Chief of Staff to most recently, Programme Director for Epic Games, where he played a key role in managing one of BLAST’s most high-profile publisher relationships and competitive titles in Rocket League esports (RLCS) and Fortnite Competitive (FNCS).

Robbie Douek, CEO of BLAST, said: “Charlie has been a key figure behind BLAST’s growth  and publisher operations over the past few years. He is a trusted leader who understands our culture, our partners and our ambitions. India represents an enormous opportunity for BLAST, and we believe Charlie is the perfect person to take this vision forward. We’re proud to have someone of his calibre opening this important new chapter for us alongside our partners at Reliance and RISE.”

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Charlie Cowdrey, CEO of JioBLAST, said: “I’m incredibly honoured and excited to take this role in spearheading JioBLAST. We will be focussed on bringing together Jio’s unrivalled reach, RISE’s commercial prowess and BLAST’s esports expertise and global publisher relationships. Bringing this all together, there is no doubt that JioBLAST will supercharge the Indian esports industry. India is one of the most vibrant and promising gaming markets in the world, and working alongside Jio offers us a unique opportunity to build something extraordinary. We can’t wait to get started and bring BLAST’s unique approach to creating next level entertainment to India.”

The announcement follows the formation of the JioBLAST, a joint venture between BLAST and RISE, a wholly owned subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited, aimed at supercharging the Indian esports market. With India now home to over 600 million gamers, accounting for 18% of the global gaming audience, JioBLAST will focus on creating new esports IP, establishing a state-of-the-art production studio, and delivering tournament experiences built for India’s dynamic gaming community.

The joint venture will bring BLAST’s award-winning production expertise and international tournament IPs to India while building localized formats, mobile esports offerings, and digital-first fan engagement initiatives through JioGames. Under Cowdrey’s leadership, the Joint Venture will deliver end-to-end tournament management, publisher services, and broadcast-ready content – ensuring India becomes a central pillar in BLAST’s global footprint.

As the joint venture ramps up its operations, last month JioBLAST opened recruitment for its first six foundational roles, all based in Mumbai. The new hires will join Cowdrey in building the future of esports and competitive entertainment in India. These roles represent the first wave of local leadership and talent being brought in to shape a new chapter in Indian esports.

Award-winning crash game Aviatrix is now available to even more players in Africa, following a partnership with leading brand Spotika.

The deal will see Aviatrix integrate with Spotika, which already has a strong following in Kenya, Zambia and Tanzania.

Anastasia Rimskaya, Chief Account Officer at Aviatrix, said: “We’re thrilled to partner with Spotika and bring Aviatrix to even more players across Africa. The region is full of energy, passion and a growing appetite for next-generation casino gaming. Spotika is an ideal partner as we continue to expand across the continent.”

Derick Shango, Project Management at Spotika said: “Aviatrix is one of the most exciting crash games on the market today, and we’re proud to be among the first operators to offer it in Africa. This partnership aligns perfectly with our mission to deliver innovative, engaging content to our players in Kenya, Zambia and Tanzania.”

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Last November, Aviatrix launched in South Africa for the first time, and is continuing to focus on growth opportunities across the continent.

Falling into cash flow problems can feel like it came out of nowhere but this is rarely the case. Spotting trends in cash flow from previous years can help identify the high and low periods.

Stable Capital helps trainers identify these lows and provide short/medium term funding that can be accessed quickly to iron out the lows and keep business running smoothly.

Every stable is different so packages are built based on the needs of the client. Crucially, interest is only paid for time period the funds are borrowed and there are no additional fees.

Having a line of credit running alongside any business also helps speedy access to allow for essential purchases like new equipment or facilities, which often are best done at a time of slow cash flow. For example, a jumps trainer in, say, August may not be reeling in the training fees at that time but needs to upgrade facilities in the yard during this slower period.

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Stable Capital, the brainchild of Ben Newton & Philip Jackson who are both long-term owners and, therefore, fully understand the mental and financial pressure of running what is, in essence, an entirely results focused business.

Racing Consultant, Harry Dunlop explains the concept: “Even the biggest optimist can see that UK horseracing is not in good health. We are open to all of the industry in treacherous times for a sport that needs support and advice…right now. I have had been through exactly this issue and so we are here for anybody in the industry that needs some short-term help.”

Philip adds: “Seasonal businesses like training need to be handled completely differently from a normal cashflow management scheme. Stable Capital are, essentially, racing fans who understand the industry. We have been open for business for about a year now and initially we kept the business under wraps but demand is now at such a point that we need to let racing industry folk know that we are here. We 100% in the mindful business and first & foremost racing fans…this is a tough industry and we are a lot more than a band aid when cash flow becomes an issue.”