Sports and entertainment startup Vaunt—which partners with athletes and artists to stream content, sell merchandise and offer NFTs—has raised $5 million in new funding, the company’s co-founder and CEO, former NBA player Roger Mason Jr., told dot.LA.
Vaunt’s Series A round saw participation from Elysian Park Ventures, the investment arm of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ ownership group. Other investors included metaverse firm InfiniteWorld and True Culture Fund, as well as former New York Giants star Justin Tuck and Michele Roberts, the former executive director of the NBA Players Association.
Based in Miami, Vaunt produces “alternative sports competitions” and content such as a FIBA three-on-three basketball tournament and a beer-less pong league pitting rapper Post Malone against other celebrities. The company streams these competitions online, often incorporating sports betting elements into the presentation.
Vaunt is currently considering deals to air its content on traditional linear TV, Mason told dot.LA. It’s also planning to take its intellectual property into the realm of NFTs, via non-fungible tokens that fans could buy to get front row seats or face-time with professional athletes.
“We're excited about the fact that we can really create some unique experiences around the NFTs, as well, with superstar athletes,” he said.
Mason played 11 years in the NBA and served as deputy executive director of the NBA Players Association, the league’s labor union. While negotiating collective bargaining agreements between players and team owners, he got a crash course in licensing rights for things like video games or trading cards.
“It was during that process that I realized there's a huge opportunity to monetize the rights of the players off the court,” Mason noted.
He co-founded Vaunt in 2015 alongside Omari Ware, a startup and tech executive. The company, which has now raised $11 million to date, plans to use the new funds to grow its six-person team and stage upcoming sports competitions.
“We want to be the leader in alternative sports competitions in the world,” Mason said.