Players’ Lounge is a social gaming platform that allows gamers from anywhere in the world to play video games online. Originally based in New York City, the startup recently made a move down South to New Orleans.
Co-founder Zach Dixon is from New Orleans and met his business partner, Austin Woolridge, playing soccer at Wesleyan University in Connecticut.
The partners spent plenty of time playing video games when off the field, which led them to come up with the idea for Players’ Lounge in 2009. Fast forward five years and two diplomas later, Dixon and Woolridge launched the startup in 2014 to host video game tournaments in bars, signing EA Sports as a sponsor one month later.
One year into the business, the co-founders realized they needed to pivot to a digital product after failing to scale the business as a pop-up arcade company.
Players’ Lounge launched the new site in February 2016 and now hosts tournaments in free and cash prize competitions. “We quickly realized that we had a scalable and investable business,” shared Dixon.
Dixon was in touch with friends in New Orleans who had positive things to say about its startup community. He subleased his Brooklyn apartment to test run living and working in Louisiana. “I loved what I saw when I came home and decided that we should strongly consider raising Louisiana money and bringing quality jobs to the state.”
The company is currently hiring, looking for a full-stack developer who can produce quality development in a quick and agile coding environment.
Dixon says he is excited to have moved the company from the Big Apple to the Big Easy. “The startup climate in New Orleans and Louisiana is prime for building a business and poaching quality talent from big markets.” While they technically can run the business from anywhere, he is glad to be home, “hustling on the dream.”