A groundbreaking milestone has been achieved by a sports technology company backed by prominent athletes. Co-founded by former athletes Andrew "Hawk" Hawkins and Troy Jones, StatusPRO secured strategic investments from LeBron James, Drake, Naomi Osaka, Maverick Carter, and others in 2021. Their goal was to expand the proprietary XR (augmented and virtual reality) technology to benefit athletes and represent Black founders in gaming.

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"Our hope is for StatusPRO to be one of the companies that set the stage for Black founders in tech and in gaming because there’s not a lot of us," Hawkins told reporters in 2021. "Hopefully it will be one of those places where we’ve created opportunities and have shown the benefit of having that in the technology space."

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Now, StatusPRO has garnered new capital to elevate its technology and mission. On Feb. 5, the company announced a $20 million Series A funding round — marking it "one of the largest Series A of any VR gaming company to date," according to a press release.

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The round was led by Google Ventures (GV), with James, Drake, and Carter returning as investors. Additionally, existing investors Main Street Advisors and Haslam Sports Group participated, alongside new investors such as Dream Sports, Wise Ventures, JDS Sports, and Alumni Ventures.

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"No matter if its virtual reality or spatial computing, our vision at StatusPRO is to define first-person sports and deliver experiences that truly embody the emotion, competition, and sense of community that comes with being a professional athlete," Jones stated. "The investment from GV, Dream, and all other syndicates in the round, further validates the opportunity to leverage emerging technology to innovate the way fans interact with their favorite sports and define a new form of engagement that brings current and future fans closer to the game."

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After launching NFL PRO ERA, the first-ever NFL and NFLPA-licensed VR simulation gaming franchise, StatusPRO amassed over one million users and players, creating the fastest-selling sports title in VR-history.

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"StatusPRO is building the next generation of sports and gaming entertainment through cutting-edge virtual reality. The company’s unique technology-driven approach and meaningful partnerships have resulted in strong early growth and product traction," said GV Venture Partner M.G Siegler. "Troy Jones and Andrew Hawkins have built an impressive team and track record of execution in a short time, and we’re thrilled to support StatusPRO as they move the VR gaming industry forward."

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According to the press release, StatusPRO plans to utilize the new funding to expand into new sports titles, enhance its modes and features, and improve its technology.

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