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NFT platform Autograph Raises $170M in Series B funding

Autograph, an NFT platform focused on investing in sports, entertainment, and culture founded by Super Bowl champion Tom Brady, has raised $170 million in Series B funding co-led by a16z and Kleiner Perkins.

Per the announcement on Wednesday, Autograph said the financing will use the funds to expand the power of Web3 creation and bring NFT technology and continue to expand partners. The financing also adds three new members to the board, including Horne, Arianna Simpson of a16z and Ilya Fushman of Kleiner Perkins.

Additional investors include investments from Lightspeed partners Nicole Quinn and Katie Haun and a follow-on infusion from San Francisco-based venture capital firm 01A. According to TechCrunch data, the first round of funding, co-led by 01A and Velvet Sea Ventures, closed in July.

Autograph brings together the most iconic brands and legendary sports, entertainment and culture to create unique digital collections and experiences.

Arianna Simpson, the general partner at a16z, said it was an honour to join the board, saying that:

“Autograph has truly shown itself to be a rocketship in the past six months. Their NFT platform is delivering digital experiences that excite mainstream consumers, not just the crypto community.”

Rather than opting for the Ethereum blockchain, Autograph chose to offer its NFTs on the Polygon blockchain, taking into account the impact on the environment, as it uses significantly less energy per transaction.

Last July, Autograph Series announced a partnership with DraftKings, and last December, Brady co-released digital collectables from the NFL representing moments of his football career, including cleats and jerseys.

ESPN and Autograph Sign First Multi-year NFT Deal

Multinational multimedia sports entertainment brand ESPN Inc. and Tom Brady-founded Web3 brand Autograph signed their first multi-year NFT agreement on Wednesday.

The 10-episode ESPN+ documentary series titled “Man in the Arena: Tom Brady”,

The Co-Founder and CEO at Autograph, Dillon Rosenblatt said that:

“This unique collection around Tom’s ‘Man in the Arena’ docuseries marks the beginning of our relationship with ESPN, As the first NFT partner for ESPN, the possibilities across sports and technology are endless, and we couldn’t be more excited to get this content out to the world in a massive way.”

The series consists of three ESPN Magazine covers featuring three stages of Brady’s career, victories, and achievements. 14 stories in total. Brady will sign fifty versions of these NFT covers.

The series would be produced by the media company Religion of Sports.

As reported by Blockchain.News on January 20, Autograph, an Sports and entertainment-driven NFT platform, has raised $170 million in Series B funding co-led by a16z and Kleiner Perkins.

PGA Tour Partners With Autograph to Create Digital Collectibles Platform

PGA Tour, the organizer of the main professional golf tours played by men in the United States and North America, has partnered with Autograph, a non-fungible token (NFT) platform, to create a new digital collectables platform that will focus exclusively on the world of Golf.

According to the announcement from the PGA Tour, Autograph will help in creating NFTs from videos, pictures, and moments that are exclusive to the competitions being organized by the tour.

“The PGA TOUR is excited to work with Autograph to offer digital collectables that highlight the most talented golfers in the world and their role in the sport’s history,” said Len Brown, PGA TOUR Chief Legal Officer and EVP, Licensing. “The TOUR is continuously looking for innovative ways to engage fans to bring them closer to the game and their favourite players, so we’re thrilled to start building the future of golf fandom with the Autograph team.”

The prospective users of the platform will be able to mint the NFTs, giving them access to exclusive benefits, including access to exclusive digital, in-person and onsite experiences, along with other program benefits.

Autograph came into the limelight in 2021 as an outfit to promote key events and historical moments in the world of sports. Co-founded by the legendary quarterback Tom Brady, the platform has the likes of Tiger Woods on its Board.

The startup received a massive head started in January when it raised $170 million in a Series B funding round. Besides its existing investors, Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) and Kleiner Perkins participated in the round at the time.

In April of this year, Autograph signed its first multi-year deal with ESPN to immortalize some of the best moments of Tom Brady’s sporting career. With the current partnership with PGA Tour, Autograph now stands as one of the most versatile Web3.0 platforms in terms of collaborations.