Aaron Rodgers is allowing fans to invest in Online Sports Database, a startup he co-founded alongside actor Ryan Rottman.
The company has raised $4 million thus far and hopes to raise an additional $1.5 million through a crowdsourcing campaign. Rodgers, 39, will make $50 million in his NFL salary this upcoming NFL season as quarterback of the New York Jets.
“What we are building is the IMDb (Internet Movie Database) of the sports market,” Rottman told Bloomberg. “We want to aggregate all the sites and consolidate them and make a one-stop shop for all things sports.”
The crowdfunding tactic from Rodgers’ startup is similar to the ownership model of his previous franchise, the Green Bay Packers. The Packers are the only publicly-owned sports franchise in the U.S., with over 530,000 shareholders.
Online Sports Database lists athlete stats and information on their endorsements, business ventures, personal interests, and charities.
Rodgers also co-founded RX3 Growth Partners, which has invested in companies such as Hydrow, Therabody, Full Swing, and Manscaped. RX3 raised a $150 million fund in May that included investments from NFL quarterbacks Josh Allen and Jared Golf and Olympic swimming great Michael Phelps.
