Like at many schools, freshmen on the University of Nebraska football team need a certain GPA to get out of study hall hours. While it took the majority of the team a little while to achieve the mark, Prince Amukamara remembers a pair of teammates who escaped the hours requirement with ease.
“If you got over a 3.0 or something, you got out of study hall,” explained Amukamara, the Chicago Bears cornerback. “So Blake [Lawrence] and Adi [Kunalic] were like the first people to get out and me and other guys were still in there. Those guys took school serious and are definitely serious about the business.”
The business Amukamara mentions is called opendorse, the fast-growing social media management platform for athletes and brands. It was co-founded back in 2013 by Amukamara’s aforementioned ex-teammates — Lawrence and Kunalic.
Now opendorse is announcing the close of its $3.5mm Series A financing round. More than one-third of the investment is coming from Amukamara and a group of former Cornhuskers football players.
“When investing in a company, I feel like you’re actually investing in the CEO,” Amukamara said when asked why he decided to invest. “That’s number one; and then actually just being an athlete and knowing that there’s such a need for a company like opendorse. It was a no-brainer.”
The platform is built around the idea — moreso a fact — that athletes are the No. 1 social media influencers in the world of sports. “They create culture, they create moments, they create memories that last forever,” said Lawrence, who serves as CEO. “There’s a special place in the consumer’s mind for athletes, and what athletes say matters.”
The top 5 most followed NBA players reach millions of fans.
They have more marketing power than their team, league & sponsors—combined.
pic.twitter.com/1T8nj0M3L7
— opendorse (@opendorse) October 3, 2017
With a network of more than 2,400 athletes and 1,500 brands, opendorse is a bridge connecting the two parties. Brands make use of a greater social reach by having direct access to the athletes’ personal social media channels. At the same time, athletes leverage building their personal brand through the networks. It helps athletes save time that can be precious given their busy schedules.
Opendorse packages unique content with video, photos and text for athletes’ social platforms. It eliminates any need for them to spend time doing it themselves.
“The last thing you want to be worried about is trying to get a video or a picture to post and opendorse is right there in your back pocket and can send it to you before you even ask,” Amukamara said. “So if you’re trying to take the most out of the social media following and expanding your brand then opendorse is the company for you.”
The investment comes as opendorse nears the one billion in total audience mark among athletes using the service.