reddit co-founder alexis ohanian bets on argentine soccer scouting app gloria
Contxto – Soccer recruitment in Argentina could be approaching a turning-point with a burgeoning platform—Gloria. As part of his Initialized Capital VC (venture capital) fund, Reddit co-founder and husband of Serena Williams, Alexis Ohanian, will soon become a board member for this young tech venture.
Just in terms of global influence alone, Ohanian sees immense potential for innovation and disruption. This seems to be especially true when it comes to democratizing access to scouting opportunities and potential stardom.
“Over half of the world’s population is a fan of football, so the market is obviously massive,” said Ohanian. “The promise this app offers isn’t just to entertain football fans but to surface the next generation of talent as well—male or female, no matter their connections or economic conditions.”
Futbol soccer recruitment in Argentina
While there are undoubtedly thousands of aspiring Lionel Messis across Latin America, there’s no doubt that the country that lays at the epicenter is Argentina (although our lawyers insist we say “and Brazil” to avoid damages). Youngsters from far and wide flock to the nearest soccer club in hopes of signing the soonest contract.
Needless to say, competition is fierce. Many inevitably go home disappointed, especially those coming from tougher, rural backgrounds. Both geographic and financial barriers make this process more complex for some than others.
Identifying this issue, Victoire Cogevina and Matias Castello recently founded Gloria to streamline the recruitment process. Although these two entrepreneurs are currently developing the app in Silicon Valley, their primary target is Argentina where soccer pride abounds.
“We’re launching in Argentina because the best soccer in the world is here and there’s a huge market,” said Cogevina, who also intends to eventually debut in Spain and Germany.
In the beta stage, the app is currently free and functions as a social network, but for athletes. Later on, there will also reportedly be a community section for non-players, in addition to professional tools for coaches.
Regarding monetization, the app also plans to charge account holders for premium features, in addition to advertising sports-related material. This way, users will increase the odds of potential sponsorship.
Being surrounded by VC funds in California, the duo also intends to soon begin the search for funding. With a reported value of US$10 million already, a seed round and Series A should be in Gloria’s near future.
-JA
