Will.i.am is immersing himself further in the media landscape. According to a press release, he has joined Jarret Myer and Rich Antoniello in forming Uproxx Studios. It is described as a brand solutions studio led by influential leaders in media and music who will consider culture and push it forward. The new entity has been established following the acquisition of Uproxx, HipHopDX, Dime Magazine, and other major media assets from Warner Music Group (WMG), such as the exclusive license to represent its YouTube content. Looking ahead, Uproxx Studios and WMG will remain in collaboration to guarantee seamless execution for their partners. Antoniello, partner and executive chairman of Uproxx Studios as well as founder and ex-CEO of Complex Network, commented, “This is a game-changer. We’re merging the agility and freedom of an independent entity with the reach and resources of a major music label. This is the recipe for groundbreaking content and unparalleled brand experiences.” Uproxx...

Mr Eazi is taking greater control in the gaming sector. Music In Africa reports the Nigerian musician, born Oluwatosin Ajibade, has launched Choplife.ci, a venture that will offer casino games as well as cater to the sports betting industry. Responsible gaming practices and reinvestment in African creativity and sports development are also benchmarks for the company, the outlet notes. The launch of Choplife.ci will piggy-back off the strength of Mr Eazi’s knowledge since he first supported betting company betPawa as a brand ambassador in 2017. The company has involvement in countries such as Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia, per Graphic Online. Mr Eazi’s role with the company eventually scaled to ownership through its parent company, with roles such as investor, shareholder, and licensed operating partner. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Choplife Côte d’Ivoire (@choplife.ci) Now, Mr Eazi is set to further...

Serena Williams’ legacy extends far beyond her greatness on the tennis court. Following her retirement in September 2022, Williams focused more of her attention on the investment arena. With over a decade of investment experience, she took a pivotal step in 2014 by establishing Serena Ventures, a venture capital fund specifically designed to champion women and underrepresented founders, according to its LinkedIn profile. “I invest in a lot of companies, early companies, and I’ve always done this. I’ve actually been investing for over 14 years and just been an entrepreneur while I was playing tennis. It’s super important for me to make a plan B while I was doing my plan A,” Williams explained in a TikTok video. The VC endeavor resulted from Williams discovering the evident absence of venture capital directed toward certain demographics, which prompted her to become a vessel for change. As noted on its website, the company’s portfolio comprises 79% underrepresented founders, 54% women...

The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, has become something of a household name thanks to his 2019 season with the team when he led them to their first Super Bowl appearance in 50 years. Even though he has only been at the pro level for a short time, other opportunities like endorsements with Subway and Adidas, as well as other high profile investments in the sports industry , have helped to propel his visibility beyond the sports world. With a career that seems to only be getting brighter with time, a common question many people ask is exactly how much is Patrick Mahomes worth these days? Patrick Mahomes’ Early Life Patrick Mahomes is a native Texan from the town of Tyler where he was born in 1995. He is the son of Pat Mahomes, who is a former MLB pitcher for several teams in the U.S. and who also played a few seasons in the Nippon Professional League in Japan. From a young age, Patrick always showed an interest in sports, having played basketball, baseball and...

Gone are the days of compliance assessments that go on for hours thanks to ByteChek, a technology startup that just announced a $3 million seed round. According to a press release, ByteChek is a Miami-based cybersecurity compliance startup that has announced plans to enhance their all-in-one compliance automation solution for Service Organization Control (SOC 2), HIPAA, and International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 27001 compliance assessments. “Over the years, we’ve seen an increasing demand for automated solutions to solve compliance problems,” said ByteChek CEO and Founder, AJ Yawn, in an official press release. “We’re going to continue to lead the charge to simplify compliance and bring a solution to the market that doesn’t involve multiple providers and complex processes. ByteChek’s automated platform is ushering a new era of compliance automation.”

This fraternity is putting brotherhood to the test with a new initiative to help startups and their respective communities build wealth. According to Watch The Yard, 18 members of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. from all over the nation have partnered with 12 Black and brown executives to form an Equity Crowdfunding Portal. Seed At The Table is FINRA approved and a win-win situation as that it will provide access to capital for diverse founders and allow investors to place their stake in private businesses at lower minimums. “[Seed At The Table] is committed to spurring economic advancement and firmly believes both a founder’s ability to access capital and an individuals’ ability to invest in the business and products they consume are paramount to the viability of Black and Brown commerce,” said founding member and brother of Kappa Alpha Psi, Pierre Le Veaux, in an interview with Watch The Yard. Generally to invest in an early-stage startup, one must have an accredited investor...

Global online sports retailer Fanatics has reached a whopping valuation of $18 billion thanks to some big time investors. CNBC reports that the sports e-commerce merchandise company has secured an additional $325 million in its latest round of funding to help expand its online offerings. Some of its many investors include Jay-Z and the rapper’s entertainment company, Roc Nation. Other major investments in the platform come from companies like MLB, SoftBank, Silver Lake, Eldridge, TWG Sports Media & Entertainment, and Insight Partners. According to The Wall Street Journal, Fanatics says that it expects to rake in $3.4 billion in revenue this year — a major increase from $2.6 billion in 2020 — and with its new valuation it may just reach that goal. For everyone involved, including Jay-Z, an investment in Michael Rubin’s Fanatics could mean supporting the future of sports merch as we know it beyond apparel and memorabilia. The company’s next move is to transform itself into a digital...

An all-star lineup of pro-athletes and celebrity investors have joined the latest funding round for investment platform Titan. According to a press release, Kevin Durant, Odell Beckham Jr., Will Smith and others have participated in fundraising for a $58 million Series B on behalf of Titan — a firm that brings premier investment management to the everyday investor. The round was led by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), with participation from existing investors such as General Catalyst, BoxGroup, and Ashton Kutcher’s Sound Ventures. Titan reports that its new funds will be used to make substantial strides in building out its platform and suite of investment products, as well as scaling its core functional teams. Amidst the new wave of building wealth in our society, Titan acts as a modern-day catalyst jumpstarting a new generation of investors looking to easily manage their investments. With help from its star-studded investors, Titan hopes to continue scaling the company to be a useful...