IVAN YEO, 30

Group CEO of ATTN Holdings

When Ivan co-founded EVOS Esports in 2016, the esports company (under ATTN Holdings) barely made US$10,000 in its first year. Five years on, EVOS is winning world championship titles in the gaming industry. To date, it has raised US$16.4 million (S$22.3 million) in Series A and B funding rounds.

Through WHIM, another digital marketing, gaming talent management and training outfit also under ATTN, the company manages 300 players and gaming influencers. Together, they have a following of over 60 million Youtube subscribers and over 62 million Instagram followers, and draw over 350 million monthly views across Southeast Asia. Three teams from EVOS even represented Singapore and Indonesia in SEA Games 2019.

Ivan started his working life in finance and fund management in a family office. He also ran a restaurant business in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in 2015. Having been a gamer since he was 12, Ivan started EVOS with two friends in 2016 as a hobby. Today the company is led by a management team of five that includes Ivan and the other co-founders. Driven by his passion, Ivan has grown EVOS into a leading esports company in Southeast Asia. In 2020, Ivan made it into the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list.

Likening his function at ATTN to playing a game of weiqi, Ivan feels that it is important for him to be able to envision how the future will unfold for EVOS, and to execute the steps necessary for EVOS to get ahead and stay ahead.