Fanstake Ushers in Fan-Driven NIL Market with Courtside's Backing
Deal News | Apr 29, 2025 | Courtside Ventures
In this article, Courtside Ventures discusses their strategic investment in Fanstake, a pioneering fan-powered NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) marketplace. Since the NCAA's decision to permit athletes to monetize their NIL in 2021, the market has burgeoned, particularly within college football, where $2.4 billion of funding has been recorded. Fanstake aims to empower fans by enabling them to pledge financial support for athletes, enhancing transparency and fan engagement in athlete recruitment processes. The platform promises to democratize athlete compensation, offering a stark contrast to traditional methods driven by donors and brands. The founders, including Greg Glass, Donnie Flood, and Alex Boisvert, bring vast consumer software experience, having previously led successful ventures like Bizo. Fanstake is set to redefine fan participation in college sports, aligning with evolving NIL monetization phases.
Sectors
- Sports Technology
- Venture Capital
Geography
- United States – The NIL ecosystem, Fanstake's target market, and Courtside Ventures' operations are heavily concentrated in the U.S., where the regulatory environment has recently allowed NIL monetization in college sports.
Industry
- Sports Technology – Fanstake is positioned within the sports technology industry by offering an innovative platform that leverages technology to enable fan participation in the sports NIL ecosystem.
- Venture Capital – The article discusses a significant investment made by Courtside Ventures, highlighting the involvement of venture capital in supporting emerging companies within growth markets.
Financials
- $6.25M – The total amount raised by Fanstake in its seed funding round led by Courtside Ventures.
Participants
| Name | Role | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fanstake | Target Company | Company | A platform allowing college sports fans to pledge money to support athletes, creating a transparent NIL marketplace. |
| Courtside Ventures | Lead Investor | Company | A venture capital firm leading the investment round for Fanstake. |
| Greg Glass | Co-Founder of Fanstake | Person | One of the co-founders leading Fanstake, with a background in consumer software. |
| Donnie Flood | Co-Founder of Fanstake | Person | Co-founder of Fanstake, involved in establishing the NIL platform. |
| Alex Boisvert | Co-Founder of Fanstake | Person | Co-founder of Fanstake, bringing significant experience in software company leadership. |
| Susa Ventures | Investor | Company | A venture capital firm participating in Fanstake's seed round. |
| Will Ventures | Investor | Company | Participating investor in Fanstake's seed funding. |
| Scrum Ventures | Investor | Company | Participating investor in Fanstake's seed funding. |
| Myriad Ventures | Investor | Company | Participating investor in Fanstake's seed funding. |
| Alumni Ventures | Investor | Company | Participating investor in Fanstake's seed funding. |