Leading VC invests in Augmented Reality, NFTs, and Social Gaming Startups
CONSHOHOCKEN, PA (October 18, 2021) - Today, the leading sports industry venture capital company, SeventySix Capital announced three new investments into disruptive sports tech and sports betting companies: Quintar, NFTPro™, and Lucra Sports.
“We are excited to unveil the first three innovative sports focused investments in our new fund,” stated Managing Partner, Wayne Kimmel. “The management teams of these companies exemplify the types of entrepreneurs who are transforming the sports industry.”
Quintar, led by Dr. S. “Jay” Jayaram and Dr. Jeff Jonas, who sold their last company to Intel in 2016, is an augmented reality (AR) based fan technology company enabling content owners, creators, and rights holders to build captivating live action AR experiences and revolutionize fan engagement. “The time is now to enhance sports viewership via AR,” said Quintar CEO Dr. Jayaram. “Having SeventySix Capital as an investor enables us to scale our business in unprecedented ways.”
Cowles Company, Assam Ventures and Pragya Ventures participated in this funding round.
NFTPro™ is the #1 enterprise white label NFT solution for global brands. They provide turnkey solutions – creating, minting, marketing, and selling NFTs from a brand’s website and digital properties making the customer experience seamless and on-brand. Led by Founder and CEO Christian Ferri, NFTPro™ has high-profile clients such as Juventus, Atari and Lamborghini. “NFTPro™ provides the ultimate enterprise-grade, end-to-end, white-label NFT solution,” said Ferri. “We ensure that top brands maintain their identity and give them total control of their NFT and the experience.”
VU Venture Partners also invested in this round.
SeventySix Capital’s third investment of the new fund is Lucra Sports, a social-first sports gaming platform, currently available via the Apple App Store to adults in 37 states led by CEO Dylan Robbins, COO Hannah Farr, and CTO Ed Psyk. Lucra is a peer-to-peer, real money sports gaming platform that allows fans to compete with their friends. “Lucra is for anyone who has ever filled out a bracket, bought a Super Bowl square, or teased a friend about their favorite player or team,” Lucra CEO Robbins stated. “Everything is more fun with friends, and above all, Lucra provides a fun way to engage with friends around sports.”
Lucra’s other investors include Raptor Group, Milwaukee Bucks owner & Avenue Capital founder Marc Lasry, Toy Ventures, and professional athletes including John Isner, top ATP tennis player, Julie Ertz, U.S. women’s national soccer team 2X World Cup Champion, and Zach Ertz, 3X Pro Bowl Tight End and Super Bowl Champion with the Philadelphia Eagles.
About SeventySix Capital
SeventySix Capital is a venture capital company, led by Wayne Kimmel, Jon Powell and Chad Stender, that invests in game-changing sports betting, esports, and sports technology startups. SeventySix Capital’s existing portfolio companies are leaders in their respective industries: C360, Diamond Kinetics, Fortē, Maestro, Nerd Street, Play by Play, ShotTracker, Swish Analytics, and U.S. Integrity. To date in 2021, SeventySix Capital has sold three portfolio companies: VSiN, the sports betting media network (sold to DraftKings - Nasdaq: DKNG), Vigtory, a next generation sportsbook (sold to FuboTV - NYSE: FUBO), and Team Whistle, a sports and entertainment media company (sold to ELEVEN SPORTS).
SeventySix Capital also has a Sports Advisory business and its Athlete Venture Group, which allows players to invest, learn, and work directly with top sports tech startups and entrepreneurs. Managing Partner Wayne Kimmel also hosts the SeventySix Capital Leadership Series, a weekly podcast that features the sports industry’s top entrepreneurs, athletes, and thought leaders. In addition, SeventySix Capital has a strategic partnership with Rubicon Talent, a sports marketing and talent agency, and is a partner with the American Gaming Association to promote its #HaveAGamePlan responsible sports betting campaign.