Charter Communications has made an investment in Blade, a company that has developed a high-performance cloud-based platform for online gamers.
Financial terms were not disclosed.
Blade’s Shadow platform delivers high speed, low latency, data security and 4K resolution for game players, without the cost of buying a gaming computer.
The investment will enable Blade to expand in the U.S. and deliver to Charter customers a powerful new entertainment platform.
“Blade’s leading Cloud PC technology is at the forefront of enabling the next wave of immersive experiences for the consumer,” said Andrew Ip, senior VP of emerging technology and innovation for Charter.
“The Shadow experience is an example of the service set that can be enhanced by Charter’s state-of-the-art, fiber powered network,” Ip said. “This combination will bring a superior experience to Shadow users on Charter’s network and further differentiate Charter from its competitors by extending powerful computing needs to our customers whether they be the most avid gamer or are simply looking for enhanced personal computing experiences.”
The deal lets Blade deliver its technology on an advanced fiber network for as many as 28 million customers.
“Working with this major technology leader is not just exciting for us as a company but it validates Blade’s technological achievements in the field,” said Asher Kagan, co-founder and CEO of Blade. “Our new partner shares the same vision, values and goals when it comes to the future application of cloud computing and how to scale the ecosystem. Charter is the missing communications link in our service delivery cycle and it is inspiring to be working with them.”
With Charter’s investment, Blade, launched in 2018, will continue to hire new talent in Europe and the U.S.
Blade recently announced the company is partnering with top gaming studios to give Shadow users unique content from their titles. The first partnership with Ubisoft Nadeo Studio gives Blade platform users the TrackMania Stadium game for free.
Blade also made a deal with Team Envy to give players access to an esports-level system.
