SponsorUnited, a marketing and partnership analytics platform, has secured a $35 million Series A funding round from Spectrum Equity. Other investors, including Milwaukee Bucks owner Marc Lasry and San Diego Padres co-owner Ron Fowler, also participated in the round.
2,900 brands and properties (IP rights holders) use the global sports and entertainment intelligence platform to identify, evaluate, and execute marketing partnerships successfully. Currently, the company is tracking 1.1 million sponsorship and media partnerships across 250,000 brands and properties.
“With the rapid expansion, diversification and increasing complexity of marketing partnerships, the need for a centralized platform that organizes all of the world’s sponsorship and media partnerships are in high demand,” said Bob Lynch, Founder and CEO of SponsorUnited.
To fulfill the growing demand for more intelligence in marketing relationships, the investment will be utilized to continue accelerating innovation and enhancing the company’s category-leading insights and technology.
SponsorUnited has expanded its tracking capabilities to entertainment and music, particularly a crucial sponsorship vertical for companies and marketers. Initially founded in sports, it now works with every major league and all but five major professional clubs in the United States.
“Moreover, as the industry is challenged with budget, talent and resource constraints, we’re uniquely positioned to fill a critical need to drive better decisions and more successful partnerships,” said Bob Lynch.
SponsorUnited enables brands, properties and agencies to partner more effectively
The company, founded in 2018, collects real-time sponsorship and media data across sports and entertainment using a unique combination of artificial intelligence and a vast scouting network.
The comprehensive SaaS platform that offers a complete end-to-end solution for discovery, imagination, activation, and measurement is then accessible to brands and assets.
“SponsorUnited delivers what brands and marketers need today – a smarter way to partner and strike deals,” said Chris Mitchell, Managing Director of Spectrum Equity.
The SaaS platform, used by all but five of the country’s leading professional teams, uses machine learning and a global scouting network to track marketing alliances in all significant sports leagues.
Global demand for sponsorship data is driving SponsorUnited to connect the entire sponsorship ecosystem through complete data available, enabling better partnerships.
“They are capturing a comprehensive, real-time picture of the sponsorship ecosystem for brands and stakeholders – information that has been historically fragmented and inaccessible. We’re impressed by their strategic approach to the market and are eager to leverage our experience with data and information services companies to help them continue to scale,” said Chris Mitchell.
