Kristian Nylén co-founded Kambi Group in 2010 and grew it into a leading name in sportsbook technology worldwide. He left the CEO chair in 2024 after 14 years running the company. He still sits on Kambi’s board today.
Who Is Kristian Nylén?
Swedish-born Kristian Nylén built his career on one idea: let sportsbook operators license proven betting technology instead of building it themselves. He turned that idea into Kambi Group, launched alongside Anders Ström in 2010. Kambi’s sports betting software powers other companies’ sportsbooks. It doesn’t run a betting brand of its own.
Nylén was born in Sweden in 1970. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Karlstad, where his coursework combined business with math and statistics. Nylén led Kambi as CEO from its founding until 2024. He then moved into a board seat, which he still holds today.
Kristian Nylén’s Career Before Kambi
Nylén’s gaming career began in 2000, compiling odds for Unibet, the operator now known as Kindred Group. Three years in, he’d taken charge of the entire sportsbook side of the business and earned a seat on the management team. Unibet picked up multiple “European Sports Betting Operator of the Year” trophies during his time running that division.
A 2009 business plan, drafted with several future Kambi colleagues, proposed carving Unibet’s sportsbook engine into a standalone product that other operators could license. That plan launched as Kambi the following year.
Building Kambi Into a Sportsbook Supplier Giant
Kambi launched in 2010 with Nylén as CEO and Ström as his co-founder. Their pitch to operators was straightforward: license a working sportsbook rather than spend years engineering one internally.
Growth came quickly. Four years after that launch, the company earned a spot on the Nasdaq First North Growth Market in Stockholm.
Kristian Nylén’s Career Timeline
| Year | Milestone |
| 2000 | Starts at Unibet, compiling odds |
| 2003 | Takes charge of Unibet’s Sportsbook Operations |
| 2009 | Drafts the business plan that becomes Kambi |
| 2010 | Co-founds Kambi Group alongside Anders Ström; becomes CEO |
| 2014 | Kambi joins the Nasdaq First North Growth Market |
| 2021 | Enters Argentina, the earliest sportsbook supplier presence in Buenos Aires |
| 2022 | Adds Shape Games to the business in a €38.5m deal |
| 2023 | Wins the Global Gaming Awards’ Online Sports Betting Supplier of the Year |
| 2024 | Leaves the CEO post; joins the Kambi board |
| 2026 | Re-elected to the Kambi board at the AGM |
Nylén also greenlit two acquisitions while running Kambi. Esports specialist Abios joined Kambi for SEK 150 million in 2021, and front-end technology firm Shape Games followed in a €38.5 million deal the next year.
Why DraftKings and Penn Entertainment Left Kambi
Under Kristian Nylén, Kambi’s client roster included two of the biggest U.S. operators. Neither works with Kambi anymore: DraftKings walked away, and so did Penn Entertainment.
A broader industry trend is likely behind both exits. More large operators now prefer to build sportsbook technology in-house rather than license it. DraftKings, co-founded by Jason Robins and Matt Kalish, moved to its own in-house platform. Penn Entertainment made a similar move.
Nylén responded by shifting Kambi’s strategy toward modular services. Instead of selling a full sportsbook, Kambi now sells pieces of its technology, like risk management or trading tools, to operators who already run their own platform.
B2B Sportsbook Supplier vs In-House Platform
The business model Kristian Nylén built at Kambi sits on one side of a bigger industry debate: should an operator buy its sportsbook technology, or build it?
| Feature | B2B Supplier (Kambi Model) | In-House Platform | Typical Example |
| Cost model | License fees or revenue share | Heavy upfront build cost | DraftKings today |
| Speed to market | Fast, plug-and-play setup | Slower, but fully custom | New state launches |
| Product control | Limited to what the supplier builds | Full control over features | Large operators |
| Best fit | Smaller or newer operators | Operators with scale to invest | Tribal and regional brands |
Why Kristian Nylén Stepped Down as CEO in 2024
Nylén told Kambi’s board in January 2024 that he planned to step down once a successor was named. He said the decision was driven mainly by wanting more time with his young family. Kambi’s board nominated him for a board seat right away. Shareholders formally elected him at the 2024 annual meeting in May.
Werner Becher took over as CEO on 25 July 2024. Becher spent four years at Sportradar, working under CEO Carsten Koerl, before joining Kambi.
Kristian Nylén’s Role on the Kambi Board Today
Nylén still holds a board seat at Kambi. Shareholders re-elected him again at the company’s May 2026 annual meeting. As a director, Kristian Nylén focuses on strategy rather than day-to-day operations, working alongside fellow co-founder and board Chair Anders Ström. He leads the board’s strategy work and has a hand in setting executive pay and vetting new director candidates.
Nylén holds 750,000 shares in Kambi, according to the company’s latest corporate governance disclosure. Kambi competes directly with other B2B sportsbook technology suppliers, including EveryMatrix, led by Stian Hornsletten. That competition keeps pushing Kambi’s product roadmap forward.
The Bottom Line On Kristian Nylén
Nylén spent 14 years building Kambi from a startup into the sports betting industry’s top B2B supplier. He handed the CEO role to Werner Becher in 2024, but he still helps shape Kambi’s strategy from the board.
Kambi’s loss of major clients like DraftKings shows how much the sportsbook supplier market has shifted toward in-house platforms. Nylén’s pivot toward modular services is Kambi’s answer to that shift.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Kristian Nylén?
Kristian Nylén is a Swedish businessman who co-founded Kambi Group in 2010. He served as CEO until 2024 and now sits on the company’s board of directors.
Is Kristian Nylén still involved with Kambi?
Yes. Nylén remains on Kambi’s board of directors. Shareholders re-elected him at the company’s annual meeting in May 2026.
Why did Kristian Nylén step down as Kambi CEO?
Nylén said he wanted more time with his young family. He announced the plan in January 2024 and handed the CEO role to Werner Becher that July.
Who replaced Kristian Nylén as Kambi CEO?
Werner Becher became Kambi’s CEO on 25 July 2024. He previously led Sportradar’s EMEA and Latin America business.
What companies has Kristian Nylén worked for?
Nylén worked at Unibet, now Kindred Group, from 2000 to 2010. He then co-founded Kambi Group, where he still serves on the board.
