Sports and entertainment NFT platform, Autograph, has just secured $170 million in funding co-led by leading investment firm, Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) and the American venture capital firm, Kleiner Perkins.
The Series B fundraising also witnessed investments from notable investor Nicole Quinn, a partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners, one of the world’s top crypto investors, Katie Haun, a former general partner at Andreessen Horowitz and a follow up capital infusion from venture firm, 01A.
How Will The Funding Help?
Autograph, a non-fungible token (NFT) platform co-founded by National Football League star Tom Brady along with entrepreneur, Richard Rosenblatt, announced that the fresh capital investment will support the platform to boost its presence in the crypto space by collaborating with prominent sports and entertainment stars to create unique digital collections and make Web3 technology much more accessible to the mainstream.
As per reports, Autograph is looking to overhaul the company’s corporate structure and bring in fresh faces to the panel of directors alongside current members. Katie Haun, Arianna Simpson- General Partner at a16z, Ilya Fushman, a Partner at Kleiner Perkins and Chris Dixon a General Partner at a16z will join the board of advisors alongside the current members.
Katie Haun who seemed quite excited said that in the near future, Autograph will be able to build trusted, delightful product experiences that will accelerate the mainstreaming of crypto. She went on to add,
“We’re in the midst of an exciting moment in the evolution of the next generation of the internet. The benefits of being an early adopter of web3 products and services as a creator or a consumer are real but there have historically been significant barriers to entry for most people,”
Autograph- A Brief Primer
Launched in 2021, Autograph is a non-fungible token (NFT) platform that allows celebrities in sports, popular culture, fashion and entertainment to sell their digital artworks. The NFT platform has garnered support from global conglomerates including Apple, Lionsgate, Live Nation and DraftKings. Autograph features digital collectibles of popular figures including Olympic gymnast – Simone Biles, golfer – Tiger Woods, baseball player – Derek Jeter and the musician – The Weeknd among others. Co-founder, Richard Rosenblatt, said that the platform has been created to offer more than just digital artworks. Autograph will also have live auctions, physical product drops, and other in-person experiences for customers. He remarked,
“Autograph will bring together some of the world’s most iconic names and brands with best in class digital artists to ideate, create and launch NFTs and ground-breaking experiences to a community of fans and collectors,”
