Iaroslav Komkov

Startup Advisor & Growth Strategist

Toronto, Canada

About Me

I am a startup advisor and growth strategist with a decade of experience as a founder and CEO in the gaming, esports, and media-tech sectors. My professional journey has been defined by securing venture funding ($3M+ raised), building high-performance teams, and executing successful go-to-market strategies. After the war in Ukraine began, I divested from my businesses in Russia and relocated to Toronto, Canada, where I now advise early-stage startups on product development, market positioning, and sustainable growth.

Advisory Focus

Go-to-Market Strategy

Developing and executing launch plans that drive user acquisition and market penetration.

Fundraising & Pitching

Crafting compelling narratives and financial models to secure venture capital.

Team Building & Scaling

Structuring and scaling cross-functional teams for sustainable, long-term growth.

Founder & Advisor Experience

Co-Founder

Adventory.ca

2023 – Present

Toronto, Canada

Advising early-stage startups in gaming, media, and ed-tech on go-to-market and growth strategies.
Guiding founders on product-market fit, user acquisition, and initial fundraising rounds.

CEO & Co-Founder

Winstrike

2017 – 2021

Cyprus

Raised over $3M in venture funding to build a leading esports organization.
Grew business from $0 to over $5M in yearly revenue.
Acquired exclusive media rights and produced the BLAST Pro Series Moscow tournament.
Managed P&L and led a team of 100+ employees.
Forged strategic partnerships with global brands like Toyota, Samsung, Logitech, and Red Bull.

Co-Founder (Exited)

Extensi.one

2021 – 2022 | Moscow, Russia

Founded and scaled a creative agency, achieving profitability and a successful exit.
Specialized in developing GTM assets for major brand launches in gaming and entertainment.

Head of Esports Section

Tribuna.com

2016 – 2018 | Moscow, Russia

Led product strategy and launch for two key products: the most popular Dota 2 app in the CIS, and the most popular esports website in the region.
Grew audience to millions of users through strategic content and community engagement.

Head of Copywriting

Nectarin Agency

2014 – 2016 | Moscow, Russia

Led go-to-market creative strategy for major film studios including Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox, and Universal.
Developed high-impact launch campaigns for blockbuster films, including The Hobbit, Suicide Squad, Batman v Superman, Interstellar, Edge of Tomorrow, Mad Max: Fury Road, and Fast and Furious.

Core Competencies

Startup Fundraising Go-to-Market Strategy Business Development Product-Market Fit Team Scaling & Leadership Pitch Deck Creation Strategic Partnerships Agile & Lean Methodologies Public Speaking

Key Achievements

Raised $3M+ USD in venture funding (1, 2, 3).
Achieved successful exit with a bootstrapped creative agency.
Recognized by Forbes as a top entrepreneur in the esports industry.

Major Event Production

BLAST Pro Series Moscow

Event Producer & Organizer (2019)

As the local organizer, Winstrike brought the premier BLAST Pro Series tour to Moscow, managing the entire event from securing a 7,000-seat arena to executing a 360° marketing campaign that resulted in a sold-out stadium.

4M+

Online Viewers

40M

Promo Reach

7,000

Live Audience