xDesign, the owner-operated digital development partner based in Scotland and across the UK, has signed a multi-year partnership with FanDuel, the premier sports gaming platform in North America, to support new entrants to the technology industry and create high-value jobs.
The new partnership will see xDesign and FanDuel invest £250,000 annually to jointly build programmes to encourage new talent into the market who can cultivate and extend their tech skills with the two firms.
As part of the agreement, both organisations will commit to creating a total of 400 new jobs by the end of 2022. This will include:
- Increasing FanDuel’s engineering headcount by 250 people with the ability to work in its Scotland and U.S. offices (located in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Atlanta).
- xDesign will increase the team working on the FanDuel account by an additional 40 people taking xDesign support for the sports gaming organisation to 120 people based in Leeds and Edinburgh
- As a result of this agreement xDesign will accelerate its growth plans and increasing the consultancy’s headcount by an additional 150 people to more than 350 by the end of 2022, with expectations that this will jump to over 500 people during 2024.
The agreement follows a successful 18-month commercial relationship between the two companies, where xDesign provides product and engineering support for the FanDuel Group, part of Flutter Entertainment Group, the global sports betting, gaming, and entertainment provider, which operates some of the world’s most innovative brands including Paddy Power and BetFair. FanDuel is the number one mobile sportsbook operator in the US gaming industry and is the fastest growing brand within the Flutter Group.
Euan Andrews, CEO of xDesign said: “Investing in people and creating a platform for future tech talent is a must to tackle the ever-widening tech skills gap. While job creation and growth form a huge part of this partnership, engagement, and support for those at the early stages of their career in technology is vital. Extending our relationship with an organisation as successful as FanDuel will significantly contribute to identifying and cultivating the next generation of talent in the UK which both companies are fanatical about.”
Andy Giancamilli, Chief Operating Officer at FanDuel Group said: “We have been continually impressed with xDesign throughout our relationship to date; its people-first approach, technical pedigree, and superb track record of delivery to rapidly scaling companies provides FanDuel with a relationship to be envied by others in the sector. The boom of the UK and Scottish tech sector is undeniable, and we believe this partnership with xDesign provides fantastic support and supplements the work our FanDuel world-class engineering teams do.”
xDesign works with clients including Heineken, NHS 24 and MoneySuperMarket. FanDuel Group is headquartered in New York but was founded in Edinburgh. It has become one of the fastest growing sports-tech entertainment companies globally and has become a world leading platform changing how consumers engage with their favourite sports, teams, and leagues. In 2020, Flutter Entertainment Group took a majority shared in FanDuel for a reported $4.2bn.