In Brief:
- Autograph raised $170 million in a series B funding round co-led by a16z and Kleiner Perkins.
- The fund will be used in the expansion of NFT operations to achieve the mainstream adoption goal.
- Arianna Simpson and Kleiner Perkins partner Ilya Fushman will join the board of directors.
Tom Brady’s NFT marketplace, Autograph, raised $170 million in a Series B funding round, which was co-led by a16z and Kleiner Perkins.
As per the reliable source, the funding round also got a contribution from crypto investors, including Katie Haun’s firm, Nicole Quinn of Lightspeed Venture Partners, and 01A. The round follows last year’s Series A funding round jointly led by 01A and Velvet Sea Ventures.
Autograph will utilize this fund to improve NFT technology with the iconic sports and entertainment partners to expand the user base.
Moreover, along with this funding round, Haun, a16z general partner Arianna Simpson, and Kleiner Perkins partner Ilya Fushman will take positions on the board of directors. Also, a16z general partner Chris Dixon will join firms as the board of advisors. Last Year, The Weeknd and Sam Bankman were appointed as a board of directors of Autograph.
Autograph came in a highlight after last year’s partnership with popular names from the sports and entertainment world. In December, Tom Brady revealed a series of digital collectibles on the platform, which was reflecting his football career. The marketplace has also placed NFTs from Naomi Osaka, skateboarder Tony Hawk, and others.
Andreessen Horwitz has also been supporting the leading funding rounds for crypto and blockchain projects to scale up crypto offerings across the globe.
