NFL Hall of Famer Joe Montana, San Francisco 49ers outfielder Hunter Pence and Golden State Warriors owner Chamath Palihapitiya headline a group of heavyweights investing in North American esports organization Cloud9.

Cloud9 completed a Series A financing round that also included Los Angeles Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly and Cleveland Cavaliers centre Andrew Bogut.

"We've formed a fantastic group of investors to help push Cloud9 to the next level," co-founder and CEO of Cloud9 Jack Etienne said in a news release. "With this investment you can expect Cloud9 to continue our expansion into the esports market while maintaining an exceptional experience for our players."

Cloud9 is one of the most recognizable names in esports and features teams and players in League of Legends, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Dota 2, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, Overwatch, Hearthstone, Call of Duty and Vainglory.

The organization said in the press release that it plans to use its latest investment round as a way to build new partnerships and attain new sponsorships.

"Cloud9 is a fantastic organization that has shown throughout the years that it has what it takes to continuously contend for championships in multiple esports titles," Montana said. "The players of Cloud9 work hard to always compete at the highest level and the organization's leadership strives to provide a positive atmosphere that allows its players the opportunity to be in a position to do their best."