Starting 11, a Minneapolis-based fantasy soccer platform, has received backing in the form of a $5 million investment from Brand Capital, strategic investment arm of Bennet, Coleman and Company Limited (BCCL).
“This deal brings Starting 11 into Asia in a big way, and Brand Capital and The Times Group are the best possible partners to help Starting 11 scale quickly and globally.We’ve been insanely cash-efficient to date, and now we’re thrilled to have Brand Capital’s support – both in terms of marketing dollars and support from their expert marketing teams — to dramatically expand our user base. Starting 11’s partnership with Brand Capital represents an enormous vote of confidence in our team and our product and sets us up beautifully for future growth and profitability,” said Starting 11 co-founder and CEO Teague Orgeman.
Starting 11 is the world’s first live-action daily fantasy soccer app. The app allows players to make substitutions to their fantasy squads in real time – just like a real-life soccer manager. Starting 11 is currently offering free and real-money contests for players in the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Germany. Free contests are now launched on iOS and Android platforms in India.
“Any active one on one communication especially in the sports category will always be a winner especially when available on the mobile handset and more so in India which has a significant smartphone usage. Starting 11 is a company with a committed responsible eSports platform with a passionate co-founder in Teague Orgeman that we believe will energize the category in India and bring a world class fantasy gaming experience,” said Neville Taraporewalla, President, Brand Capital International based in San Francisco.
Starting 11 will leverage the Brand Capital investment to expand into India and to drive user acquisition through The Times Group’s 360-degree media assets in India, which include the country’s most popular print, television, radio, and digital channels. India, with a population of 1.4 billion people, is the fastest-growing emerging fantasy sports market in the world and has already produced a unicorn in the fantasy cricket space.
