Autograph: An NFT Platform Connecting Celebrities with Fans

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Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) contain unique characteristics allowing the icons to monetize these global fan bases innovatively. A McKinsey survey of 2,500 U.S. consumers aged 18-65 in April 2021 states that 0.5% to 1% of U.S. adults purchased a sport NFT. Moreover, Dapper Labs, the official marketplace for NBA and NFL NFTs, has been reported to rake in $100 million.

With these statistics, it can be easily concluded that sports fans are highly interested in collectibles and look forward to investing in a purely digital collectible.

However, a poorly executed NFT can tarnish the reputation of celebrities, especially with the always-present moral question of urging their fans to make high-risk purchases. It's when Autograph comes to the rescue. The company is an integral part of the ever-growing celebrity NFTs.

Read further to learn about Autograph, how it started, how it does the business, its founders, partners, funding, investors, and growth.

Autograph – Company Highlights

Autograph – About
Autograph – Founders and Team
Autograph – Startup Story
Autograph – Mission and Vision
Autograph – Business Model
Autograph – Revenue Model
Autograph – Products and Services
Autograph – Challenges Faced
Autograph – Funding and Investors
Autograph – Growth
Autograph – Social Media Presence
Autograph – Partners
Autograph – Competitors

Autograph – About

Autograph is an NFT platform headquartered in Santa Monica that brings together the most iconic brands and legendary celebrities in the entertainment, sports, and culture field to create unique digital collections and experiences. The company develops non-fungible tokens to connect celebrities with fans and communities in Web3.

Autograph – Founders and Team

Tom Brady, Richard Rosenblatt, Josh Payne, and Dillon Rosenblatt are the co-founders of Autograph.

Tom Brady

He completed a Bachelor of Science from the University of Michigan; Tom Brady has been a professional athlete and Co-founded multiple companies. In addition to Autograph, he co-founded TB12, TB12 Foundation, and BRADY Brand. Moreover, he is the Co-chairman at Autograph and Partner at The Consello Group.

Richard Rosenblatt

Richard Rosenblatt completed BSc in Political Science from UCLA in 1991. With his diverse business experience, he founded iMall, Inc and Demand Media. Moreover, he is the ex-Chairman of Intermix Media.

Currently, Richard is the co-founder of D'Amelio Brands LLC, Adim, Autograph, and Whip Media. In addition, he holds the position of Co-chairman at Autograph and CEO at Whip Media.

Josh Payne

Josh Payne went to Stanford University for B.Sc. with honors, Stanford University Graduate School of Business for an MBA, and Stanford University School of Engineering for an MS in Computer Science (AI).

He worked as an Engineer in the founding team of Marlin and at IBM's Research Department. Payne has co-Founded AccessBell and Autograph.

Dillon Rosenblatt

Dillon Rosenblatt attended USC Iovine & Young Academy. He interned at Bkstg and worked for Apple Music Business Development and Talent & Business Development team. Before co-founding Autograph, Dillon also founded Tutors. Now he is the co-founder and CEO at Autograph.

Currently, Autograph's team involves 70+ legendary technology experts, athletes, entertainers, and artists.

Autograph – Startup Story

23-year-old Dillon Rosenblatt envisioned incorporating an Autograph in his bedroom as he collected football and basketball cards in middle school. His "affinity for collecting" resurged when the pandemic hit the world, and his interest in Web 3.0 encouraged him to go with sports NFTs. He got excited about the potential of digital assets. The sports cards he collected in the physical world are now available in digital form.

Dillon researched and presented the concept to his father, Richard Rosenblatt, CEO of Intermix, which Newcorp and family friend Tom Brady own. He told Tom Brady that this new technology could create a new era of collecting. Both Richard and Tom got excited and signed up as co-founders.

ESPN and Autograph launched the network's first NFT collection in April 2022. A few months later, the company introduced a new interactive program named 'Signature' in September 2022.

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Autograph – Mission and Vision

Autograph's mission is to connect fans with top celebrities, artists, and athletes through Web3. The company aims to develop an onramp to the space for A-listers to dip their toes into crypto influencing in a highly curated environment. It envisions building the future of fandom.

Autograph – Business Model

Autograph is involved in creating unique digital collections for users worldwide. These collections unlock a wide array of utility and rewards, from providing access to content and celebrity-signed merchandise to experiential invites and exclusive events, enabling fans (collectors) to come closer to their idols' passions, from style to cars and shoes.

The unique selling point of Autograph is that its NFTs are individually signed. Dillon's team FedExes iPads loaded with a proprietary app to the company's celebrities called 'icons' or 'partners,' who then use the Apple pencil to scrawl their signature. Therefore, collectors receive a far more personalized trophy instead of a mass-produced signed poster.

Autograph – Revenue Model

Autograph generates revenue by selling celebrities, athletes, and artists' NFTs to their fans. In 2021, the company sold 5,000 Tom Brady NFTs for $12 a pop.

Autograph – Products and Services

The main offerings of Autograph include non-fungible tokens (NFTs). The company's first NFTs consisted of icons' physical and digital collectibles. Its NFTs comprise Preseason Access Collection (Premier and Signed), Mystery Containers, Saw Chapter 1 Collection, and Signature Experiences.

Autograph – Challenges Faced

Autograph laid off 33% of its workforce in May 2023, just after letting go of a handful of employees in December 2022 due to market challenges.

Autograph – Funding and Investors

Autograph has undertaken 3 funding rounds and raised a total amount of $205 million. The company conducted its latest funding round - Series B Round, on June 19, 2022, and secured $170 million. 9 investors fund Autograph, including Kathryn Haun, Andreessen Horowitz, Nicole Quinn, Balius Partners, and Kleiner Perkins.

Autograph – Growth

In 2022, the estimated annual revenue of Autograph was $16 million ($136,667 revenue per employee). Moreover, its current valuation is $700 million. (January 2022)

Autograph's workforce ballooned from 4 in 2021 to 60 people in 2022 and 107 in 2023, with 38% growth. In the first quarter of 2023, the company had 71 employees, resulting in -33% employee count growth. With 4,448 monthly web visits, the company's web visits growth is -37.61%.

Autograph – Social Media Presence

Autograph is gaining much traction on multiple social media channels by selling unique digital memorabilia from celebrities and sports icons.

Autograph – Partners

Autograph has partnered with a handful of sports, culture, and entertainment industry partners. Some of these are as follows:

• DraftKings
• Tiger Woods
• Simone Biles
• Wayne Gretzky
• Naomi Osaka
• Tony Hawk
• Derek Jeter
• Rob Gronkowski
• The Weekend
• Slam
• SAW

Autograph – Competitors

Autograph's main competitors may include:

• Candy Digital
• Sotheby's
• Medium Rare
• Dapper Labs
• Sorare

FAQs

What does Autograph do?

Autograph is an NFT platform headquartered in Santa Monica that brings together the most iconic brands and legendary celebrities in the entertainment, sports, and culture field to create unique digital collections and experiences. The company develops non-fungible tokens to connect celebrities with fans and communities in Web3.

Who are the founders of Autograph?

Tom Brady, Richard Rosenblatt, Josh Payne, and Dillon Rosenblatt are the co-founders of Autograph.

How does Autograph generate revenue?

Autograph generates revenue by selling celebrities, athletes, and artists' NFTs to their fans. In 2021, the company sold 5,000 Tom Brady NFTs for $12 a pop.

Who are the main competitors of Autograph?

Autograph's main competitors include:

• Candy Digital
• Sotheby's
• Medium Rare
• Dapper Labs
• Sorare