Kambi CEO Werner Becher boosts ownership with SEK 3.2 million share purchase

(AsiaGameHub) –   Werner Becher, Chief Executive Officer of Kambi Group, has grown his shareholding in the Stockholm-listed firm after purchasing 20,900 shares on May 20.

This purchase, completed through his affiliated company WBCH Invest Ltd, brings the CEO’s total shareholding to 119,260 shares, representing 0.43% of the company’s total share capital. The transaction was carried out at an average price of SEK 156.00, for a total value of SEK 3,260,400 (approximately €310,000). 

On LinkedIn, Becher emphasized the share purchase as: “An investment that reflects my confidence in our long-term trajectory. And, importantly, my trust in the Kambi team to deliver on it.

“We remain fully focused on executing our Vision2030 and strategy, and on generating sustainable value.”

Justifying the investment

Former Sportradar EMEA CEO Becher took up the top role at Kambi in 2024, to lead the transformation of the sportsbook technology supplier and roll out its new “modularisation strategy” following the consecutive acquisitions of esports firm Abios and Shape Games.

During Becher’s first year in the role, Kambi restructured its commercial pipeline after losing two major clients: US-based Penn Entertainment, and founding partner Unibet (Kindred Group), which moved to build its own proprietary sportsbook platform. 

Since that point, the company has rolled out a series of significant changes, including an expansion of its OddsFeed+ product line, a stronger presence across the United States, Europe and Latin America, and fresh investments in artificial intelligence. 

These changes already appear to be delivering returns. In its Q1 results for the current year, the Swedish betting technology group reported a 4.9% rise in revenue to €43.5m, while adjusted EBITA surged 63.5% from a €3.5m loss to a positive €5.7m.

Based on its Q1 performance, Kambi projects full-year 2026 adjusted EBITDA will land between €20m and €25m.

AI-driven growth path

Unlike other publicly listed gambling companies, Kambi has also bucked the industry trend of falling share prices. 

At the time of publication, Kambi’s share price has risen 31.01% over the last month of trading, with the largest single-day gain recorded on April 29, the same date the company released its quarterly trading results.

Becher’s purchase of additional Kambi shares appears to signal the CEO’s strong confidence in the company’s growth trajectory for 2026 and beyond, a path that, based on updates from the first half of the year, will be led by artificial intelligence investments. 

This trend was reflected in its Q1 results, with a record 60% of all network bets both priced and traded autonomously using AI, a substantial increase from the 28% recorded in 2024.

By buying the additional shares ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Becher is demonstrating his faith in Kambi’s ability to scale its AI algorithmic trading engine to drive growth and maintain margins for its operator partners.

However, the upcoming World Cup will come with its own set of challenges. Ahead of the tournament, the sportsbook technology provider has outlined plans to deploy 100% AI-powered sports betting trading for the full duration of the event. 

With 48 national teams competing in 104 matches across multiple time zones, alongside expected extremely high betting volumes, AI algorithmic scaling will be more than just a desirable feature. It will be a critical requirement.

By complementing its existing trading team with AI capabilities, Kambi is ensuring it enters the tournament with the ability to deliver new, wide-ranging sports betting experiences without eroding its partners’ bottom-line margins. 

This new technological milestone may well be the reason Becher decided the additional Kambi shares were a worthwhile personal multimillion-SEK investment.