The Web3 Brand Appoints Katie Haun, Arianna Simpson, Ilya Fushman and Chris Dixon to Autograph Board with the Mission of Bringing NFT Technology to the Mainstream

Autograph, the Web3 brand pioneering a new era of digital experiences, today announces the closing of a series B funding totaling $170M co-led by a16z and Kleiner Perkins.  This comes on the heels of Series A financing in July 2021 co-led by 01A and Velvet Sea Ventures.

The Series B round announced today also includes investments from Lightspeed Partner Nicole Quinn and Katie Haun’s firm, and a follow up infusion from 01A.  With this latest round of capital, Autograph will continue to scale its NFT technology with the world’s most iconic sports and entertainment partners, bringing the power and possibilities created by Web3 to the mainstream.

As a key part of this next chapter, Autograph has added significant expertise to the brand by appointing prominent new board members: Katie Haun (who leads her own firm), Arianna Simpson (General Partner at a16z), Ilya Fushman (Partner at Kleiner Perkins). Chris Dixon (General Partner at a16z) will join the board of advisors alongside current members 01A partner Dick Costolo and Velvet Sea Ventures’ partner Michael Lazerow. They join an active and experienced board that includes co-founders and co-chairmen Richard Rosenblatt and Tom Brady, CEO Dillon Rosenblatt, as well as Eddy Cue, Sam Bankman-Fried, Adam Bain, Abel Tesfaye aka The Weeknd, Peter Mattoon, and Michael Meldman.

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Since its launch in July 2021, Autograph has already seen significant success with NFT collection drops featuring Tom Brady, Tiger Woods, Naomi Osaka, The Weeknd, Simone Biles, Tony Hawk, and Derek Jeter, as well as offerings from entertainment partners such as Lionsgate and Slam Magazine.

“Autograph has truly shown itself to be a rocketship in the past six months. Their NFT platform is delivering digital experiences that excite mainstream consumers, not just the crypto community,” said Arianna Simpson, general partner at a16z. “The company is becoming a magnet for top talent, and I’m delighted to join the Board to help Autograph bring exciting new NFT experiences to the mainstream.”

“We’re in the midst of an exciting moment in the evolution of the next generation of the internet. The benefits of being an early adopter of web3 products and services as a creator or a consumer are real but there have historically been significant barriers to entry for most people,” said Katie Haun. “Autograph has assembled a world class team that understands how to build trusted, delightful product experiences that will accelerate the mainstreaming of crypto.”

“The team at Autograph is committed to innovation, and partnering with new exciting entities to create collectibles and experiences that allow fans to grow closer to icons across verticals,” said Ilya Fushman, Partner at Kleiner Perkins. “I’m excited to join the board of directors and partner with this team at the forefront of the NFT space with a long-term vision that will broaden access to the decentralized technology ecosystem for creators and consumers.”

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