Travis Mason and Jonathan Gargoshian each spent several years in competitive esports. Amid their individual successes, they realized a common difficulty in the industry: the discovery of new, talented gamers.
Mason and Gargoshian cofounded Gamrly, a soon-to-launch platform that enables people in the esports industry to create portfolios showcasing strengths, interests, and capabilities.
Gamrly was designed by esports players, for esports players to help them grow their careers. Through the platform, players can post about their gaming availability, game of choice, ranks, skills and accolades, all of which can then be viewed by other players, coaches, talent scouts and teams. This in turn leads to fruitful connections and helps players work their way into careers in esports.
“A core driving goal is people don’t realize there’s money to be made for themselves,” Mason said. “They’re just in it for the love. But the love is what got esports to become a paying career.”
Beyond the core feature of portfolio creation, Gamrly will also allow people to browse players, events, coaches and teams in their area, helping them organize local teams or tournaments. Gamrly users can also buy and sell gaming gear directly within the platform.
Tailoring career growth to esports players
Esports gamers frequently have profiles on various social media apps—from X and Instagram to Reddit—where they might display highlights of their best gaming moments or post about gaming activities. However, none of these platforms are designed specifically with esports players in mind.
Gamrly’s portfolios function similar to LinkedIn profiles; the platform is designed for career pursuit but specifically tailored to esports professionals. This is something the co-founders say no other social media app or gaming platform is doing.
For example, a gamer creating a profile on LinkedIn cannot easily showcase their rank or gaming highlights, but on Gamrly they can.
“Everybody has a profile somewhere, somehow, whether it’s simple or complex,” Mason said. “Our goal and our vision is to create a portfolio, and that way you can have a true resume to share.”
The portfolios can also solve a general visibility issue talented gamers face as compared to, say, athletes hoping to be recruited. Players in sports such as football or basketball have the advantage of being able to impress in-person scouts at high school games or recruiting combines. With many esports competitions playing out entirely online (especially in amateur leagues), it is more difficult for early-career players to impress potential teams. But Gamrly’s platform can provide more widespread exposure.
Gargoshian said his own successful esports career highlighted to him the issues that players face when trying to secure a career in the industry.
“I realized how fortunate I was to be in that position, whereas people that were just as skilled as me, even putting more hours than me or more time into it, didn’t get that opportunity,” Gargoshian said. “And it wasn’t because they weren’t at that same level. More than anything else, they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. And I didn’t want that to be the case for everyone.”
Preparing for launch
Gamrly is preparing for a public launch in the first quarter of 2026. The platform will be free to access while also offering a paid subscription, Gamrly Plus, for enhanced features.
Gamrly Plus will grant users access to a customizable algorithm to emphasize portfolio factors such as age or rank. Gamrly may cap the number of awards, accolades or other highlights one could show on their profile while using the app for free, but Gamrly Plus would allow them to showcase all of them without that maximum number.
“It’s not pay to win, it’s not pay to play,” Mason said. “It’s pay if you’re serious about your career.”
Anyone using Gamrly can also earn Gamrly Points by helping the platform, such as by making referrals, reporting bugs or suggesting new features. Users can then redeem those points for a Gamrly Plus subscription, meaning that full paid features will still ultimately be available even to those using the platform completely free.
QUICK BITS
Startup: Gamrly (aka The Gamrly Company)
Co-Founders: Travis Mason (CEO) and Jonathan Gargoshian
Founded: 2023
Team size: 2
Location: Charlotte
Website: gamrly.com
Funding: Bootstrapped
Gamrly recently received a $10,000 MICRO grant from the NC IDEA Foundation. The team plans to use the funds to support their 2026 launch.
Ahead of its public release, Gamrly will provide early access to its ambassadors, who can make a one-time payment of $5 to gain early access, discounts on future Gamrly Plus subscriptions, and Gamrly points.
Gamrly is currently looking for partners to invest and help shape the future of the platform, and gaming enthusiasts can email partners@gamrly.com to get involved. The startup is also looking for testers ahead of its public release. Those interested can email testers@gamrly.com.
