A Miami-based startup, transforming the way athletes and coaches prepare for competition, will expand into virtual gaming after closing a $5.2 million seed funding round.
StatusPRO, a sports technology and gaming firm, uses real-time player data to power holographic experiences that give athletes the ability to simulate practice and game scenarios — all without the physical toll that comes from actually playing the game.
Founded by former football players, StatusPRO’s seed round was led by Chicago-based venture capital firm KB Partners, TitletownTech, a partnership with the Green Bay Packers and Microsoft Corp. which builds and funds early-stage, high-growth businesses.
Other notable investors include New York venture capital firm Greycroft, Basking Ridge, New Jersey-based Verizon Ventures, 49ers Enterprises and several celebrities.
“Securing the investment from partners who not only believe in our vision, but have the experience to help us execute at scale…will allow us to bring unique experiences to athletes, coaches, and fans worldwide and truly define the sports market for XR (extended reality),” says co-founder and CEO Troy Jones.
StatusPro also reports it’s proprietary technology is being employed by several NFL teams, including the Baltimore Ravens.
The company also plans to leverage it’s fast-rising platform to expand into the fast-growing XR, virtual reality and augmented reality gaming markets.
Jones and co-founder and Chief Business Officer Andrew “Hawk” Hawkins, stated that StatusPro’s unique platform democratizes the experiences of professional athletes while creating authentic immersive experiences fueled by real-time player data.
Hawkins refined his business acumen and gained the confidence to become an entrepreneur in the virtual sports arena under the tutelage of a few burgeoning titans of multi-media, who also know a thing or too about sports and marketing.
I wouldn’t be in this position without the knowledge and experience I gained at the @thespringhillco and under @MavCarter AND @KingJames leadership, so I can’t thank them enough for their blessing to go chase this dream and everything they’ve put me in position to accomplish. 4/5 pic.twitter.com/FVb5Ey4ea2
— Andrew Hawkins (@Hawk) August 4, 2021
With that in mind, there’s also a partnership with former NFL MVP and Ravens star quarterback Lamar Jackson to create the LaMar Jackson Experience; a series of first-person virtual reality products that include at-home and arcade games.
“As kids, most of us dreamt of being on the field alongside our favorite pro athletes,” said Hawkins.
“Imagine breaking a 20-yard scramble as Lamar or running a fast break alongside your favorite NBA player — we believe that StatusPros games could become among the most sought after experiences in all of sports.”
https://twitter.com/sporttechie/status/1426294996550967296?s=21
StatusPro is headquartered in Miami’s Overtown neighborhood. The startup has nine employees based at the office and 21 nationally.
In keeping with the theme, almost half of it’s employees are former athletes.
StatusPro isn’t looking to just make a dent in the fast-growing virtual reality, sports technology and gaming market.
It’s looking to smash the game, raise the bar and open a pipeline for other Black people in the space, while providing employment opportunities for former players.
