ZujuGP—cofounded by billionaire Peter Lim and his son Kiat Lim—has launched its digital platform for football with the endorsement of Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo.
In an Instagram post last week, the Portuguese football star informed his 356 million followers of the “good news coming soon,” urging fans to sign up to @zujugp. “I am so glad to be connected with this amazing partnership especially with my friend, Peter Lim,” Ronaldo said in a statement released Monday by ZujuGP. “I have known him for many, many years and to be involved in this project with him make me so happy; and that the east and west can be finally connected, which makes me even happier.”
ZujuGP said it aims to digitize the live game experience for fans by providing entertainment, networking and e-commerce options. It will also build an ecosystem of services for teams to recruit players, club personnel, train and mentor aspiring players powered by its open source, AI-driven platform.
The Singapore-based company sees Asia as the next frontier of football after Europe and the U.S., considering that the region is home to 60% of the world’s population and its growing fan base presents a huge opportunity for Premier League games and merchandise.
“The future of football is here and it is digital,” Kiat Lim, 28, said. “ZujuGP will be a tech-driven community that will engage fans in a cohesive, compelling manner, while driving efficiencies for the business side of football.”
Kiat’s father, Peter Lim, 68, is the owner of Valencia CF. With a net worth of $2.6 billion, the elder Lim ranked No. 15 on the list of Singapore’s 50 Richest that was published in August.
After cashing out of palm oil giant Wilmar a decade ago, Lim, a former stockbroker, focused on property, healthcare and sports. He owns hospital operator Thomson Medical Group and a boutique luxury hotel in the heritage building of the Northern Stock Exchange in Manchester.
