The NFL, through its 32 Equity arm, has invested in Bay Area virtual reality outfit Strivr. The league participated in a $5M Series A investment round announced last December led by early-stage fund Signia Venture Partners, but the NFL’s involvement was not previously disclosed. The exact amount of the NFL’s investment was not detailed, but Strivr CEO & Founder Derek Belch called the NFL’s participation “significant.” Strivr currently works with seven NFL teams including the Patriots and Cowboys, and more than two dozen sports teams overall on VR-based training simulations. The company also has a growing fan experience component as well.
"The NFL has been watching closely what we’ve been doing with the various teams for more than a year, and this is one of their first true early-stage investments," said Belch, part of this year’s SBJ/SBD Forty Under 40 class. Strivr is working with the NFL on several VR-related projects, including on-field training for game officials, and aiding GMs and other player personnel execs hone interviewing techniques with prospects at the NFL Combine and elsewhere. “We looking to see if we can help scouts and other player personnel staff identify certain biases in their interviews,” Belch said.
