Photo Creds: NIL FanBox.
If Fanatics & Instacart had a baby: NIL FanBox
In 1998, Netflix started renting out DVDs by mail. In 2012, Instacart began delivering groceries to doorsteps in San Francisco. Over a decade later, we finally are able to get the third most important item (after movies & food) delivered directly to our front door: college-athlete signed memorabilia.
NIL FanBox is a unique company bringing subscription boxes filled with rare NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) memorabilia directly to collegiate sports fans. KB partners recently led the $2.25M seed round to fuel the startup that currently partners with university athletic departments to provide autographed collectibles of current & former athletes.
Supposedly, the only University-approved memorabilia program, ensures direct from player authenticity
$199 The All-American FanBox & $299 Living Legends FanBox - with different rarity levels of signed memorabilia per box
Exclusive partnership with the BrandR Group, which processes player payments and authenticates each signed item
30% of Revenues from FanBox purchases go back to players & athletics departments
$500K already paid out to UNC and Texas student-athletes
This Should Become a Supply-Chain Company
With the exclusive partnership with the BrandR Group, NIL FanBox is *supposedly* the only company licensed with universities to sell athlete-signed collectibles. While FanBox is the convenient front-end user experience for fans, the BrandR Group back-end logistics of 1) securing group rights with schools 2) authenticating autographed pieces, and 3) paying players/athletic departments is where the alpha lies.
If FanBox can navigate the evolving NIL landscape, it has a shot at owning the end-to-end supply chain for licensed, college-athlete signed collectibles—think Fanatics, but specifically for NIL & college sports. With a fresh valuation of ~$7M, an acquisition of a player like BrandR Group isn’t in the cards just yet, but vertical integration should be high on the priority list.
Sports-Tech Market Activity: Investors & Deals
Venture Capital
Favorited, a livestream social media app resembling TikTok, raised $1.3M in Pre-seed funding (Jan. 22nd)
Boasting 1.3M users, a competitive 70/30 revenue split for creators, and reportedly generating over $4M in monthly revenue
Funds allocated to product development, doubling team to 20 employees, and eyeing global expansion
Investment backed by HF0 and Soma Ventures among others [TechCrunch]
Men in Blazers, a soccer media platform, raised $15M in Series A funding ahead of 2026 World Cup (Jan. 21st)
Funding to support programming expansion, live event platforms, and new content initiatives including "Vamos," a Hispanic-focused platform
Investment led by Avenue Sports Fund; other investors include Bolt Ventures and The Chernin Group among others [SportsPro]
Tilted, a new Web3 social app that combines TikTok's content model with an integrated marketplace, raised $1.3M to Launch Gamer-Focused Social App (Jan. 17th)
Launched in response to the potential U.S. TikTok ban; now being challenged
Developing community to connect gamers to buy, sell and trade game assets
Investment led by Lingfeng Innovation Fund; other investors include AZA Ventures, and Wise3 Ventures among others [VentureBeat]
Music AI, a music-audio software company that provides AI-powered tools for artists, producers, and music enthusiasts, raised $40M in Series A funding (Jan. 22nd)
Flagship app, Moises.ai, has successfully garnered over 50M users globally
Investment led by Connect Ventures and monashees; other investors include Samsung Next, Kickstart, and Toba Capital among others [FinSMEs]
CSM Ventures, the investment arm of Commercial Sports Media, invests in performance analytics and fan engagement company, Sportable (Jan. 22nd)
Sportable’s tech integrates embedded sensors, machine learning, and patented solutions, supporting leagues like AFL, Six Nations Rugby, and MLR
Partnership adds to CSM’s portfolio of sports tech innovators, including Sportway Media Group and Golf GameBook [CSM Ventures]
M&A and Investments
Sixth Street launches Bay Collective, a multi-club women’s soccer organization, to invest in top women’s clubs globally (Jan. 20th)
First club under ‘Bay Collective’ will be the NWSL's Bay FC
Kay Cossington, former FA women’s technical director, to serve as CEO of Bay Collective and head of global women’s football at Sixth Street
Sixth Street’s portfolio includes stakes in Real Madrid, Barcelona, and the San Antonio Spurs [SportsPro]
Major League Volleyball, a new women’s $100M, ten-team league set to debut in 2026 (Jan. 17th)
MLV to be the fourth professional women’s volleyball league in the US, joining Pro Volleyball Federation (PVF) and League One Volleyball (LOVB)
‘The Omaha Supernovas’, currently in the Pro Volleyball Federation, confirmed as the founding franchise of the league [SportsPro]
Next League, a digital sports consultant purchased Edge3.ai, an AI-driven analytics firm, to establish a dedicated college sports vertical (Jan. 17th)
Edge3 leverages IBM’s WatsonX AI for data-driven insights for player recruitment and decision-making, addressing NIL deals and roster management
Marking Next League's second major expansion in 2025, following the launch of its international practice in October [NextLeague]
PGA Tour invests in CONECTD Golf for smart putter technology (Jan. 22nd)
Names CONECTD Golf the ‘official putting technology of the PGA Tour’.
CONECTD’s sensors gather 26K data points per swing, offering advanced analytics typically limited to instructional facilities and planning to expand into partnerships with original equipment manufacturers [SBJ]
Tom Brady’s Autograph merges with Future, a virtual personal training app, to combine coaching, wearable tech, and elite athlete partnerships (Jan. 23rd)
Integrating Autograph’s extensive athlete network and partnerships with Future’s personalized coaching expertise, aiming to expand global access
Dillon and Richard Rosenblatt to continue spearheading Autograph’s Web3 and digital fandom initiatives while leveraging Future’s strategic growth opportunities [Athletech]
Infinite Reality finalized an agreement to acquire Obsess, a virtual shopping platform to expand capabilities in AI, XR, and spatial computing (Jan. 23rd)
Obsess founder Neha Singh to join Infinite Reality as Chief Innovation Officer
Obsess’ has powered 400+ immersive 3D digital storefronts for big-name clients including Ralph Lauren, L'Oréal, J. Crew, and Disney Music Group [VentureBeat]
Strategic Ventures
Ultrahuman, a health-monitoring company, teams up with health dashboard InsideTracker to launch Blood Vision, for cardiovascular health insights (Jan. 17th)
Expansion plans include biomarker panels for metabolic health, hormonal balance, and immunity, with tailored packages to debut soon [Ultrahuman]
Svexa, a human performance intelligence company, announces Golf Training App Practice Coach for recommended algorithm-based training (Jan. 21st)
Combining motor learning science and user performance data to adapt training routines to the player’s skill level, practice time, and environment
Following Svexa’s BallersApp for soccer, Practice Coach continues the company’s expansion into skill acquisition tech [Svexa]
Fitness brand Centr partners with MNLY, a diagnostics company specializing in blood analysis, to create a holistic men’s health platform (Jan. 22nd)
Combining Centr’s fitness and nutrition programs, strength training, HIIT, and mindfulness, with MNLY’s supplement and lifestyle recommendations [Athletech]
Tactix AI, a computer vision company, partners with Pro Quick Draw, a digital playbook platform, to co-market products for football coaches and players (Jan. 23rd)
Aiming to merge Tactix AI's 3D digital twin tech and advanced analytics with Pro Quick Draw's playbook tools for seamless platform [TactixAI]