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Sorare raises a €40m Series A from Benchmark and Accel Partners to help fans own their football passion online

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Sorare, the digital collectible football platform, announces that it has received €40 million in Series A financing, led by Benchmark, with additional funding from Accel and new business angels. The angels include Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, Vaynermedia CEO Gary Vaynerchuk, football players Antoine Griezmann and Rio Ferdinand. The financing brings Sorare’s total funding to €48 million. The capital will be used to fuel the growth of the community, accelerate the hiring of a world-class team and launch a mobile application.

Fantastically real collectibles

Football is a common denominator for more than 4 billion people globally but today, fans feel further away from the game they love than ever before. As we spend more time online, the need for connection has significantly shifted to digital experiences. Sports card collectibles have long helped fans celebrate their love of the game, and now they can experience a whole new world online. Sorare is leading the new era of online football fandom, where fans can live football moments and true connections like never before.

The company’s mission is to build “the game within the game” and to give fans the platform to celebrate, share and own their football passion. Through tradable digital cards, Sorare is designing a collective fantasy football experience where you can manage your favorite players and hone your passion to earn prizes. Anyone, anywhere, can connect with the beautiful game on Sorare.

Growing across the globe

The company, which is already profitable, has experienced an explosive 52% month-on-month growth over the past 12 months, going from €50K worth of cards traded on the platform in January 2020 to €3.5M in January 2021 across 120 countries.

More than 120 football clubs have launched their digital cards on Sorare, with all European Champions actively participating in the growth of the game. Partnerships with Liverpool, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Juventus make Sorare the first digital collectible platform to offer cards from Europe’s top five league champions. The company’s ambition is to onboard the top 20 football leagues globally. This next-generation gaming experience allows leagues and clubs to expand their international brand by reaching an untapped audience of fans. Sorare is effectively opening up a new traceable and sustainable revenue stream for them.

Crypto’s next consumer application

Sorare collectibles are backed by blockchain technology to provide transparency and portability into other games. More importantly, the blockchain Ethereum enables the act of collecting in the digital space by creating digital scarcity through “non-fungible tokens” (NFT). It secures the passion of fans and creates a new level of trust and freedom for gamers who can freely trade their assets over the internet.

Sorare joins the ranks of culturally impactful companies and innovative brands in the Benchmark and Accel portfolio, including Twitter, Snap, Instagram and Spotify.

Nicolas Julia, CEO at Sorare explained: “Sorare was born from our love for football. We’re building a gaming experience fueled by passion where fans can connect with football and a global community. On Sorare, they can truly own the game. Today is a watershed moment – both for Sorare as a company and for our community – that will enable us to touch new markets and radically improve our product to become the game within the beautiful game.”

Peter Fenton, General Partner at Benchmark commented: “We’re thrilled to partner with Sorare as their lead Series A investor. The company combines the global passion for football collectibles with the excitement of real-world play in fantasy league tournaments. The founders early work in blockchain technology gave them the unique insight into a killer application for a new NFT – real players in real games creating enduring value for a digital artifact. Their explosive growth codifies the utility of these technologies in everyday life.”

Andrei Brasoveanu, Partner at Accel added: “Sitting at the intersection of fantasy football and sports collectibles, Sorare is revolutionizing the way fans across the world engage with and enjoy sports. In just a year, Sorare has built an incredible viral community and secured partnerships with more than 130 football clubs, including five European Champions. This impressive growth is a testament to the ambition and determination of Nicolas, Adrien and the entire Sorare team. We’re excited to join Sorare on the next stage of their journey and help build the leading digital sports collectibles platform worldwide!”

Christian Miele, Partner at e.ventures, commented: “We have been impressed by Nicolas’ and Adrien’s vision from day one. For the first time in human history a digital collectible holds a utility and can be used in a wide field of applications to attract soccer fanatics, collectors, and investors alike. This is why Sorare is best positioned to create one of the largest next-generation entertainment companies in the world.”

Gerard Piqué, Strategic Advisor at Sorare, explained: “As world football has shifted from local supporters to global fanbases, football fans are looking for new ways to be connected to the game, the players and other fans. Nicolas and the team have a unique gaming experience with real-world impact, bringing fantasy to reality. I’m looking forward to helping the team and the Sorare community connect with more football clubs and leagues.”

Sia Houchangnia, Partner at Seedcamp, concluded: “Sorare is a truly category-defining company and has the potential to become one of the biggest consumer tech success stories out of Europe. In less than 2 years since our pre-seed investment, the Sorare team has built from scratch a complex economy within an incredibly compelling game. Most importantly, Sorare can count on one of the most vibrant communities of early adopters we’ve ever seen. The growth has been astonishing and there’s an entire ecosystem of games and content being built around Sorare’s football cards. This is one of the most exciting businesses we’ve had the chance to work with and we are incredibly excited to have Benchmark and Accel joining the journey.”

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The power of sweepstakes: how Infingame brings strategic value to the iGaming market

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Infingame is strengthening its position in one of the fastest-growing segments of the iGaming industry, leveraging deep expertise in sweepstakes to help operators and game developers unlock new growth opportunities.

Over the past year, sweepstakes have moved from a niche concept to a major focus area, particularly in North America, where the model has gained significant traction across the US, with growing interest in markets such as Canada and Australia. This momentum is being driven by a fundamental shift in how players engage with gaming products.

“Sweepstakes introduce a different kind of experience,” said Dmytro Kryvorchuk, COO at Infingame. “By using token-based systems, the focus moves away from immediate financial outcomes and towards entertainment, progression, and longer player sessions.”

Infingame has positioned itself as a bridge between traditional iGaming and the sweepstakes ecosystem. While its aggregation platform connects operators to over 150 game providers, only a limited number currently offer sweepstakes-adapted content. To address this gap, Infingame works closely with studios to support the transition.

“Developing for sweepstakes is not a simple port of existing games,” Dmytro Kryvorchuk noted. “Studios must rethink everything, from language and UX to mechanics and compliance. Terms like ‘bet’ or ‘cash’ often need to be replaced entirely, and dual-currency logic must be built into the core experience.”

Infingame supports this process through technical integration, regulatory guidance, and a streamlined API that allows developers to adapt and scale content efficiently. The company has also played an active role in mentoring providers through the adaptation process, accelerating their entry into the sweepstakes market and expanding the available content pool for operators.

This collaborative approach has enabled Infingame to build a strong foothold in North America, working alongside some of the region’s largest sweepstakes operators. As a result, new clients can be onboarded quickly, with access to relevant content and practical expertise from day one.

A key differentiator lies in Infingame’s role beyond aggregation. The company acts as a strategic partner, helping operators navigate the complex and often fragmented regulatory landscape. In North America, where requirements vary significantly between states, compliance remains a central challenge.

“We don’t just provide content, we help operators understand how to structure their platforms correctly,” Kryvorchuk said. “That includes everything from choosing the right mechanics and terminology to connecting them with legal advisors, payment providers, and financial partners who specialise in sweepstakes.”

As the market matures, Infingame continues to invest in expanding its sweepstakes offering. The company is actively onboarding new providers, sharing market insights, and supporting studios in navigating regulatory nuances.

At the same time, Infingame is enhancing its engagement toolkit. Early results have shown measurable increases in player activity and retention, particularly in reactivating dormant users. Building on this momentum, new features such as Challenges are being rolled out to give operators additional ways to drive engagement and differentiate their offering in an increasingly competitive space.

By combining content, technology, and hands-on expertise, Infingame is helping shape the future of sweepstakes, transforming it from an emerging trend into a sustainable, high-value segment of the global iGaming industry.

About Infingame  

Infingame is a leading game aggregator built to help operators move faster and scale smarter. Through a single API integration, the platform gives access to a portfolio of over 16,000 games from more than 150 providers, allowing partners to launch quickly without dealing with multiple integrations.

Delivered via a single API, Infingame offers unparalleled technical excellence, the industry’s fastest spin times, exclusive tournaments and strategic partnerships with top-tier operators in North America, LatAm and beyond. Spanning a portfolio of slots, crash games, sweepstakes and live casino, book a demo via the LinkedIn page, website or at [email protected].

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Boomerang Partners: Peak sports season creates key opportunities in the Golden Boomerang Awards Kickoff stage

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From April 3 to June 9, Boomerang Partners is holding the first stage (Kickoff) of its annual affiliate traffic tournament, the Golden Boomerang Awards. Hundreds of affiliate teams from around the world are competing for unique sports-related experiences. The main prize for the first stage is a trip to the Wimbledon Championships from June 29 to July 12.

Strategic Importance of May

May is the most intense phase of the Kickoff stage in the Golden Boomerang Awards 2026. The concentration of major sporting events during this period creates the highest volume of opportunities to generate traffic and accumulate points.

The tournament is structured around key moments in the sports calendar, allowing participants to align their campaigns with peak audience interest. In practice, this means that late April and May – and May in particular – offer significantly more potential compared to quieter periods.

This is where consistency becomes critical. With multiple high-profile events running in parallel, teams need to maintain a steady pace and work across several sports to stay competitive.

As a result, May is set to determine the direction of the leaderboard. Teams that stay active can move into top positions, while any slowdown during this period can quickly push teams behind, at a stage when competition is at its most intense.

Key sporting events in late April and May

Late April and May bring a high concentration of major sporting events across different disciplines. The period includes the NHL and NBA playoffs, as well as the decisive stages of European football competitions – with the UEFA Champions League final on May 30, the UEFA Europa League final on May 20, and the UEFA Conference League final on May 27.

At the same time, domestic football seasons are coming to an end across Italy, England, Germany, France, and Spain, while the KHL playoffs and the IIHF World Championship (May 15–31) keep audience attention high throughout the month.

Other key events during this period include the World Team Table Tennis Championships in London (April 28–May 10) and Roland Garros in Paris (May 18–June 7).

The Solution: Tools for the Marathon

Late April and May are not the time to spread traffic evenly. Most of the value comes from key match days and decisive stages of major tournaments, when attention and online betting activity spike.

With the volume of events during this period, the calendar becomes harder to navigate. Teams that are newer to the vertical often miss important moments or don’t fully use the calendar, simply because it’s not always clear where the real peaks are.

To address this, earlier this year Boomerang Partners introduced the Sports Marketing & Betting Calendar 2026 – a practical guide based on internal data. It helps affiliate teams navigate the season, identify key events, and plan campaigns around periods that actually drive results.

In practice, this comes down to timing. Teams that align their activity with these peaks can get more out of the same traffic, while those who treat the period as a regular month often fall behind.

Liliia Sudachenko, Affiliate Team Lead at Boomerang Partners, commented: “2026 is a major year for sports, and May stands out as one of the busiest months in the calendar. Affiliate teams participating in the third season of the Golden Boomerang Awards can benefit from analyzing both current and upcoming tournaments to build a more precise strategy. Each peak in the sports calendar is not just additional traffic, but a real opportunity to strengthen positions in the leaderboard”.

Why May matters for the stage outcome

Affiliate teams that haven’t yet joined the third season of the Golden Boomerang Awards 2026 should not waste any time. The first stage of the tournament continues through June 9, and every point earned in May will count toward the stage result. All interested affiliates can register and start competing for valuable prizes and unique experiences on the GBA website.

About Boomerang

Boomerang Partners is a rapidly growing global marketing agency offering a wide range of services. Boomerang Partners is an Official Regional Partner of AC Milan. In 2024, it launched the inaugural Golden Boomerang Awards – a global tournament for affiliate teams. More than 400 affiliate teams participated in the second season of the tournament in 2025. Partners of the Agency launched six new products in 2024-2025, contributing to a nearly 1.5-fold increase in product users.

The Agency’s clients’ portfolio contains 10+ brands offering affiliate and entertainment services across 40+ markets in compliance with local regulations. These products provide incentive programs and 24/7 multilingual support.

Disclaimer:

This promotion is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by The Wimbledon Championships, UEFA. All trademarks and event names are the property of their respective owners. Any prizes described (including trips or event attendance) are independently organized by Boomerang Partners and do not imply any official partnership.

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TAG Media and Gamblitude launch affiliate tool affie.ai

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TAG Media and Gamblitude have launched affie.ai, a guided decision-making engine designed for iGaming affiliate managers. The companies said the product will make its debut at SBC Summit Malta, running 28–30 April.

At the event, affie.ai’s Elaine Gardiner, Alana Weldon and Wojtek Sznapka will demonstrate the platform to operators interested in becoming one of five launch partners. The companies said they are offering a “No Strings Attached” six-week trial to five operators.

affie.ai is positioned as a decision layer rather than an affiliate tracking platform or dashboard. TAG Media said the product is built on strategic frameworks the company has used across “50+ programme launches” over the past decade, while Gamblitude provides the data and analytics layer. Gamblitude was founded by former STS chief technology officer Wojtek Sznapka and former STS chief sportsbook officer Piotr Cerlak.

The companies said affie.ai provides data-informed recommendations covering deal structures, partner performance, programme optimisation and commercial risk insights, with the goal of reducing time spent on reporting and spreadsheet-based analysis.

Elaine Gardiner, Co-Founder of affie.ai says: “After 17 years managing affiliate programmes for operators including Cherry Casino, Ninja Casino and Rizk, I know what good decision-making looks like in this role and I know how rarely it’s supported by the right tools. affie.ai takes the strategic thinking our team applies every day and makes it available on demand and at pace: specific to your programme, specific to your data and ready when the affiliate manager needs it.”

The post TAG Media and Gamblitude launch affiliate tool affie.ai appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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