Fungiball, a fantasy tennis platform, introduced a €2.2 million pre-seed funding spherical, by a mixture of personal enterprise angels together with Adrien Dassault and Stephan Altmuller, with further help from Cliff Capital and BPI France. The funds will likely be used to develop the tech crew to scale the platform and improve consumer expertise, develop new options, together with free-to-play modes and fiat cost choices, and kick off Fungiball’s worldwide growth, beginning with a give attention to North America.
“We’re simply getting began,” stated Fungiball Co-Founder and CEO Jean Matias. “Our imaginative and prescient is to turn into the main digital tennis platform, providing every part from gameplay and fan engagement to content material consumption, and a brand new income stream for skilled tennis gamers. Immediately’s spherical will assist us maintain our progress, speed up our geographic growth, and construct out the crew.”
Leveraging cutting-edge know-how, licensing partnerships with prime athletes and sports activities organizations, and an modern gameplay mannequin, Fungiball is remodeling the way in which followers have interaction with tennis, and offering new income streams for gamers. Since its official launch in January 2024, Fungiball has attracted over 5,000 registered customers. The platform has quickly constructed a devoted neighborhood of tennis followers and fantasy sports activities lovers and is poised to seize an excellent broader viewers within the coming months. The worldwide tennis trade is valued at over $6bn, and the tennis tools market is ready to succeed in $7.5 billion by 2025.
Fungiball’s income mannequin is constructed across the sale of participant playing cards through auctions, and a secondary buying and selling market the place customers can alternate playing cards. This mannequin not solely creates further income streams for the corporate but additionally offers a novel approach for tennis gamers to profit financially from their involvement within the platform. Fungiball’s distinctive method to mixing know-how with the world of tennis, alongside their formidable imaginative and prescient for revolutionizing the game, positions them on the forefront of Sportstech.
In a significant coup, Fungiball can also be thrilled to welcome two tennis superstars, Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev, as official ambassadors. Their involvement will play a pivotal position in elevating the platform’s international profile and legitimacy throughout the sports activities world, making certain Fungiball’s continued progress and success. Their choice to associate with the platform underscores Fungiball’s dedication to revolutionizing tennis and supporting gamers in any respect ranges.
“I’m actually excited to endorse Fungiball”, shared skilled tennis participant Daniil Medvedev. “I really like the idea behind the platform, which brings a recent power and innovation to tennis and likewise gives younger tennis gamers a possibility to earn further revenues with this mannequin.”
Each Medvedev and Zverev had been drawn to Fungiball’s mission to modernize tennis and create further income streams for gamers. They may play a key position in driving consciousness and progress for the platform.
“Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev deliver large worth to Fungiball,” commented Fungiball’s CEO Matias. “They’re not simply lending their names—they’re deeply concerned in serving to us form the way forward for the game. Their endorsement provides us unparalleled credibility within the tennis world and helps us construct essential relationships with tournaments and types.”
Fungiball has large plans for the longer term, led by Fungiball’s CTO Romain Boudré. The platform is in superior discussions with main tennis organizations. On the product aspect, Fungiball is gearing as much as launch new competitions with bigger prize swimming pools to reward its rising neighborhood. Free-to-play modes and Stripe funds may even make it simpler for brand new customers to hitch and take part, no matter their geographic location. Additional down the road, Fungiball desires to create an genuine expertise for followers, from in particular person conferences with their tennis idols, to VIP seats at tennis tournaments, finally mixing the digital and actual world expertise.
The platform not too long ago entered a groundbreaking multi-year partnership with Winners Alliance, the business affiliate of the Skilled Tennis Gamers Affiliation (PTPA), securing the rights to characteristic the names, photos and likenesses of over 300 prime tennis gamers. In alternate for his or her rights, featured gamers profit from incremental revenue-generating alternatives and elevated visibility and fan engagement. Fungiball additionally closed a partnership with France’s iconic Le Coq Sportif sports activities retailer in Might of this yr.