NFL star Russell Wilson launches new Seattle startup to connect superfans with celebs, raises $9M from Amazon, Alibaba, YouTube founders
As Russell Wilson describes the ethos of his new startup, it feels like youre inside his Seahawks huddle, driving down the field in the fourth quarter. His words become sharp; the focus increases. You can hear the passion in his voice as the NFL star quarterback pumps you up and locks you in.
We all have our heroes, Wilson told GeekWire in an interview last week. No matter how successful or aspirational you want to be, we all have them, someone that we look up to. Those people can inspire us and make an impact and we want TraceMe to have that impact.
Wilson on Friday unveiled TraceMe, a new Seattle-based startup that announced $9 million in funding from a whos-who list of backers putting their money behind the company.
TraceMe is an app that aims to connect superfans with celebrities, offering daily exclusive behind-the-scenes content from your favorite athlete, artist, actor, or other influential person. The idea is to bridge the gap between celebrities and their most passionate followers with a mobile platform that will need to differentiate itself from the bevy of other social media services, but is one that offers more control over content distribution and customer data.
You may know Wilson for his accolades on the football field: A Super Bowl champ who is one of Seattles greatest athletes of all time. But hes also a respected entrepreneur one thats garnering attention from elite investors for his idea to connect celebrities with their superfans.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos; YouTube founder Chad Hurley; Alibaba co-founder Joe Tsai; Dick Clark Productions President Mike Mahan; and Wheels Up founder Kenny Dichter all invested in TraceMe. Seattle-based venture capital firm Madrona Venture Group led the round.