Nordensa, the platform for supporters who financially back young footballers, secures 1.65 million euros in new investment round

Romanian startup Nordensa – the world’s first platform that allows fans to financially support the careers of young football talents – has secured a total investment of 1.65 million euros in its latest funding round. The new funds come from several investors, including Vertical Seven Group, Cabrio Investment, DMA Development, David Lumby, Lasse Vibe, Emiliano Marcondes and Mads Davidsen.

Launched in 2022 by entrepreneur Adrian Docea, Nordensa aims to reach unicorn status in less than 3 years, offering fans around the world the first real way to get involved in their favorite sport. The next investement round is anticipated for the end of this year, when Nordensa will offer investors a 20% stake in the company’s assets.

In addition to the iOS app, Nordensa recently launched applications for Android and Web, allowing fans from all over the world to get involved in the success story of young football talents.

After installing the app and creating a free account, football fans can browse the platform for a list of young footballers selected by Nordensa’s scouting team, then support them by purchasing as many shares as they want, at a price of 30 euros per share. The number of shares available depends on the estimated costs for a “trial,” i.e., the testing and recruitment period by clubs, which will cover visa acquisition, transport, accommodation, and expenses, as well as counseling and assistance provided by world-class experts.

Subsequently, the platform may open new financial supporting rounds for the same athlete, for example, for the development of his tactical, technical, psychological, or physical skills. If a player signs a contract with a football club, his supporters will receive 8% of the footballer’s salary over the next 5 years, the sum being divided among the supportersaccording to the number of shares. The gain for supporters is not only financial but also an emotional reward, becoming part of the story of discovering and supporting the career of a professional footballer.

A period of intense activity and growth

So far, of the 5000 users who have downloaded the app, more than 10% have already supported one or more athletes, with amounts ranging from 30 to over 300 euros. As the number of athletes registered on the platform increases, Nordensa anticipates a growth of several thousand supporters in the coming months.

To date, Nordensa has partnered with over 20 football clubs and academies in Europe, North America, and Japan, including notable names such as Real Zaragoza, Standard Liege, Flyeralarm Admira, Dinamo Bucharest, Dinamo Tbilisi, ETO Gyor, DAC, and Kawasaki Frontale. In the near future, the Nordensa team will invite a large number of talented athletes to Europe for the recruitment process, some of whom will sign contracts with partner clubs at the end of the period.

“We are in a period of maximum activity and growth. I sincerely believe that at this moment we are the most attractive startup for investments in the sports tech sector in Europe. Our mission is twofold: on the one hand, we help talented young athletes to be discovered and grow, regardless of their origin, and on the other hand, we offer fans a real possibility to make decisions in the football world, directly supporting players,” says Adrian Docea, founder and CEO of Nordensa.

According to him, one of the major problems in football – discovering talents – cannot be solved by football clubs alone but only through the involvement of the 5 billion supporters worldwide. “Their power can change football! There are many talented and hardworking young athletes who lack the chance to be seen by recruiters because they come from regions that do not facilitate this. This is Nordensa’s purpose: to offer supporters from all over the world a concrete way to support good athletes from developing countries, giving them the chance to be noticed by innovative football clubs focused on young talents,” adds Adrian Docea.

Currently, Nordensa is exploring the possibility of opening the platform to small and medium-sized companies or large companies, through their CSR departments, willing to support young talents from a specific country, region, or city.

So far, Nordensa has completed four support campaigns. The first athlete listed on the platform – Cameroonian midfielder Joseph Iyendjock – became last year the first footballer in the world supported by fans to sign with a European football club, being transferred through Nordensa to Dinamo Tbilisi.

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About Nordensa

Nordensa is the world’s first fan-powered platform for football talent, giving fans the opportunity to support young players from underexplored countries to go on trials and get signed to European clubs. It is a Romanian startup headquartered in Cluj-Napoca, Transylvania, with operations across Europe and partnerships with clubs including Standard de Liege, Real Zaragoza, Kawasaki Frontale, Flyeralarm Admira, Dinamo Bucuresti, ETO Gyor and DAC 1904, as well as a number of football academies around the world.

The company was founded in 2022 by Adrian Docea, a specialist in brand strategy and communication and co-founder of Heraldist.com, one of the most effective brand strategy and design companies for tech companies in Silicon Valley and Europe.