Jean Mariotte is the kind of person who saw VR not as a gimmick but as a new kind of place to gather. As co-founder and CEO of EVA, he built a VR esports company from scratch – from a 1.5M pre-seed to a 35 million euro raise backed by RAISE Invest.

EVA is now the leader in VR esports in France, with arenas across the country and ambitions that stretch well beyond Europe. Jean understands something most people miss: immersive spaces aren’t just about technology, they’re about what people do when you put them inside it together. He’s built the proof. Now he’s sharing what he learned.