Autograph, the NFT enterprise co-founded by Tom Brady, is merging with the digital fitness platform, Future. As a result of this merger, Brady will become a member of Future’s board of directors and will serve as co-chair.
Brady established Autograph in 2021 with the aim of bridging the gap between athletes, artists, and their fans. The company launched an NFT marketplace and successfully raised over $200 million, achieving a valuation of $3.1 billion, based on data from PitchBook. Late last year, Autograph rebranded itself as a platform to monitor fan interactions and reward engagement, moving away from its NFT focus. The company’s advisory board featured notable figures such as Naomi Osaka and Tony Hawk, with financial backing from prominent firms like Andreessen Horowitz and Lightspeed Venture Partners.
On the other hand, Future connects individuals to digital fitness trainers and crafts tailored fitness plans for users.
Autograph encountered various obstacles, particularly due to the downturn in the cryptocurrency sector and the subsequent cooling of the NFT market. In 2023, the company underwent layoffs, decreasing to a staff of 30 at one point, as reported by Fast Company.
Rishi Mandal, co-founder and CEO of Future, announced the merger on LinkedIn. Mandal noted that he and Brady were introduced by Richard Rosenblatt, the co-founder of Autograph, where they initially explored partnership opportunities but concluded that merging into a single entity would be more beneficial. Although described as a merger rather than an acquisition, the organisation will retain the Future name. Mandal mentioned that it is premature to reveal new products, but Future intends to integrate Autograph’s celebrity relations with its focus on athletics. The overarching aim is to enable individuals to train alongside elite athletes and access expert coaching.
Future has secured over $100 million in funding and was recently valued publicly at $275 million, according to PitchBook.