Tennis star Naomi Osaka and basketball icon Lebron James have been announced as new investors for sports technology and gaming company, StatusPro.
The pair are just two of multiple high-profile investors, including Canadian rapper Drake and James’ business partner Maverick Carter.
The company was founded in 2020 by former American football players Andrew Hawkins and Troy Jones. SportsPro combines player data and extended reality (XR), to create a suite of training and fan engagement products for enterprises and consumers.
The XR industry is projected to be worth more than £42 million by 2027 and the company plans to leverage its latest funding to expand on its technology and invest in sports aside from American football.
Currently, its list of clients includes the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens, the NFL Players Association as well as some National Collegiate Athletic Association teams.
Jones, the chief executive of StatusPro, said: “Besides the immense credibility our new investors bring to the business, they have proven the value of creating companies and brands that prioritise empowerment, diversity of thought, experience, and culture. These are some of the guiding principles of our business.”
Meanwhile, Hawkins stressed: “It’s incredibly humbling that pioneers of their level believe in us as founders and in our vision for this industry. We always say StatusPro is only as strong as our team, and our team just got a whole lot stronger.”
Osaka praised both Hawkins and Jones and outlined how the company has the potential to make a “lasting impact” on the future of the entertainment industry.
“I look for investment opportunities that can have a lasting impact on culture and society – and StatusPRO is poised to do that,” she said.
“It’s not only going to influence gaming and entertainment (two things I am passionate about), but also the way athletes can train and analyze their performance.”
The Japanese star is a four-time major winner and the richest active sportswoman in the world according to Forbes.
Similarly, James is one of the world’s highest-paid sportspeople and has earned over $1 billion during his basketball playing career so far.