Seattle-based Esports betting startup Unikrn today announced that it will look to sell $100 million in cryptocurrency “tokens” as part of an initial coin offering, or ICO. On Sept. 22, the company will sell virtual tokens called UnikoinGold that can be used on its platform to bet on Esports matches. Those tokens can be exchanged for other major cryptocurrencies, such as ethereum and bitcoin, which can then be exchanged for U.S. dollars. Unikrn is partnering with CoinCircle for the ICO and will use the proceeds to help fund the growth of its business. The company previously raised $10 million in venture funding from… Read More
At 25 years old, Oliver Brossmann is pretty young when it comes to being an entrepreneur. He’s also young to have already suffered from tendonitis in both knees. But without the latter he might not have become the former. Brossmann grew up in Seattle and dreamed as a kid of of becoming a professional soccer player. But his body defied his passion early on, and in high school he required surgery on both knees. He was sidelined for a year and despite playing again eventually, he was never going to go pro. During the time he was recovering, Brossmann started… Read More
The sports media landscape seems to be changing everyday, but some investors like the potential they see in HERO Sports. The Seattle-area startup just reeled in a $1.3 million investment round led by PN Cellular Inc. and Alliance of Angels. HERO Sports originally launched in 2014 as BennettRank, which ranked college sports teams across the U.S. The company later rebranded as HERO Sports and expanded beyond just numbers; today it provides more holistic online coverage of more than 20,000 NCAA teams. The site has a similar feel to sports media giant Bleacher Report — Bleacher Report CEO Dave Finocchio just… Read More
Tech investor Brad Feld remembers his first call with Fitbit CEO James Park. It was in 2010, during a major snowstorm at his home in the Colorado mountains, and he was too distracted by intermittent power outages to give serious attention to an investment pitch from a fitness tracking startup. “Pretty much my entire goal during that call was to get off the phone,” Feld recalls. “I wasn’t in any sort of headset or mindset about investing. I was interested in the idea of human-computer interaction, but I hadn’t really processed this notion of what a Fitbit was, or why I would want… Read More
LAS VEGAS — Athletic socks used to be something you’d pick up last minute at the sporting goods store, kind of an afterthought. But that’s no longer the case. Now, everything is measured. Today, Sensoria — a Redmond-based startup that describes itself as a leader in artificial intelligence sportswear — unveiled what it is dubbing “Sock 2.0.” This high-tech sock — made of antibacterial, anti-blistering and sweat wicking material — is designed to measure core metrics such as cadence, foot landing and the impact forces exerted by runners. It also tracks how far and fast you’ve run, pretty cool features… Read More
