Serena Williams appointed as board advisor for NFT platform Sorare

Serena Williams is joining Sorare as an advisor to its board of directors, according to a statement from the company.

Sorare is a community-owned fantasy sports game leveraging NFTs. Williams will provide guidance to the board of directors on topics including women’s sports, and diversity and inclusion on Web3. Williams will also help Sorare develop relationships with athletes around the world, according to Thursday’s announcement.

“Serena Williams is among the most important figures in sports and culture, who has redefined the modern athlete and entrepreneur, including her unprecedented early stage investing successes,” said Nicolas Julia, CEO at Sorare, in a statement. “The strategic counsel that Serena will bring in building one of the most iconic sports entertainment brands is invaluable. I’m thrilled to have her join the team. Together, we’ll forge new ways for fans to engage with their favorite athletes.”

Sorare acts as a discovery platform, wherein players discover new teams and players that they had not previously engaged with, presenting an opportunity for underrepresented athletes and sports to reach new audiences. Since its founding in 2018, the company said it has reached more than 1 million users around the world with 230 partnering sports organizations. In December 2021, the game had 260,000 monthly active users across 180 countries.

Based in Paris, Sorare is backed by Benchmark, Accel Partners, Softbank, and footballers Gerard Piqué, Antoine Griezmann and Rio Ferdinand. In September 2021, the company raised $680 million led by Softbank, as The Block previously covered. A month later, The Block reported that the UK Gambling Commission had cautioned consumers that the platform isn’t licensed by the gambling regulator, but the company said it had been assured by lawyers that it does not offer any forms of regulated gambling.

In 2022, the company plans to expand into women’s sports and new sports categories. “Sorare and Williams aim to build the future of sports entertainment on Web3 allowing everyone to own a piece of the games they love,” the firm said.

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