The funding round brings significant additions to Nordensa's Advisory Board, incorporating influential figures such as Alan Pace, owner of Burnley FC, and Chris Kay, former CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi and Head of Marketing at Manchester City Football Club. Among the notable investors are Emiliano Marcondes, a player for AFC Bournemouth, Lasse Vibe, a former Denmark international, and Mads Davidsen, Group Head of Football at the Right to Dream Academy.

Nordensa offers football enthusiasts a unique opportunity to spot and invest in the next generation of football stars, pre-approved by the platform’s expert scouting team from the Premier League and Bundesliga. Fans can purchase shares in a player’s trial contract for €30 each, granting them a chance to earn up to 8% of the player’s salary over five years. The platform gained significant attention last year for facilitating the signing of the first fan-backed footballer to a European club, marking a revolutionary step in giving fans a tangible stake and decision-making influence in the sport.

Adrian Docea, CEO and Founder at Nordensa, says: “Despite being the only anything (not just sport!) with over 5 billion passionate fans around the world, it is mind-blowing that ownership and decision-making in football has only ever been within the reach of club owners and a handful of extremely wealthy individuals, but we’re here to change that for good. And we’re doing so by giving not just a voice, but also the power to change someone’s life, to the most dedicated fans on the planet. This is just the start of an incredibly exciting journey into the future of football.”

Nordensa will shortly be announcing a number of fresh partnerships with European clubs and academies, while future plans include expansion to other territories and the incorporation of additional sports to the platform. With a current valuation of €15m, the company has now launched a Bridge round for an additional funding of €1.5m, ahead of a Series A round later this year in which it’ll be making 20% available to new investors.

Nordensa 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.