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Wagr developed a peer-to-peer social sports betting application, allowing users to place real-money wagers directly against friends and community members, rather than a traditional sportsbook. This core product emphasizes social interaction and engagement, distinguishing itself as the first licensed social sports betting operator in the United States. The platform handles payments, tracks wins and losses, and provides leaderboards to facilitate this community-focused wagering.
Co-founded by Mario Malavé and Eliana Eskinazi around 2020, Wagr originated from their time at Harvard Business School. Their insight was to counter the impersonal nature of traditional sports betting by building a platform centered on social connection, shifting from a house-versus-player model to direct peer-to-peer interaction. This approach aimed to make sports betting more accessible and enjoyable for a broader audience.
Wagr's platform caters to sports enthusiasts seeking an interactive and community-driven betting experience, appealing to those prioritizing friendly competition and social engagement. Now integrated with Yahoo Sports, the company's vision is to continually connect sports fandom with social gaming, expanding its vast audience and shaping the future of interactive sports entertainment by fostering camaraderie among users.
Wagr has raised $16.0M across 2 funding rounds.
Wagr has raised $16.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
# Wagr: High-Level Overview
The search results reveal significant confusion about Wagr's identity, with multiple companies operating under this name. Based on the most authoritative source, Wagr is a social sports betting platform that was founded in 2020 and acquired by Yahoo! in April 2023[1]. The company transforms sports betting into a more social and inclusive experience, allowing users to place bets and share them with friends through a mobile app available on iOS and Android[1][3].
However, the search results also reference other entities named Wagr—including a pet care platform and a dog GPS tracker[2][4]—suggesting either rebranding, multiple companies with the same name, or data inconsistencies across sources. The most prominent and well-documented Wagr is the sports betting application based in Nashville, Tennessee[1].
# Origin Story
Wagr (Sports Betting) was founded in 2020 by entrepreneurs focused on reimagining the sports betting experience[1]. The founding CEO, Malavé, brought significant credentials to the venture, including a Harvard Business School education and experience as a Morgan Stanley investment banker and Playground Global venture investor[1]. The company raised $16 million in total funding across multiple rounds before its acquisition by Yahoo! Sports in April 2023[1][3].
The founding team identified an opportunity to make sports betting more social and enjoyable rather than purely transactional, positioning the platform as inclusive and community-oriented from inception[1].
# Core Differentiators
# Role in the Broader Tech Landscape
Wagr emerged during a period of significant expansion in legal sports betting across the United States, riding the wave of state-by-state legalization and growing mainstream acceptance of sports wagering. The company's acquisition by Yahoo! in 2023 reflects the major tech and media companies' strategic interest in capturing sports betting audiences and integrating gambling into broader sports content ecosystems. By positioning betting as a social activity rather than a solitary transaction, Wagr addressed a genuine market gap—transforming what had traditionally been an isolated activity into a shareable, community-driven experience.
# Quick Take & Future Outlook
As part of Yahoo! Sports, Wagr's trajectory is now tied to Yahoo's broader sports and media strategy. The acquisition suggests Yahoo! sees social sports betting as a key engagement driver for its sports platform. Future growth will likely depend on Yahoo's ability to integrate Wagr's social features with its existing sports content, leverage its distribution reach, and navigate the evolving regulatory landscape around sports betting. The company's success will hinge on whether the social betting model can sustain user engagement and monetization in an increasingly competitive market dominated by established sportsbooks.
Wagr has raised $16.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Wagr's investors include Lightspeed Venture Partners, Patron, 8090 Industries, 8VC, Afore Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Caffeinated Capital, Chapter One Ventures, Cherry Ventures, Construct Capital, Countdown Capital, Craft Ventures.
Wagr has raised $16.0M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $12.0M Series A in January 2022.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1, 2022 | $12M Series A | — | Lightspeed Venture Partners, Patron | Announced |
| Jun 1, 2021 | $4M Seed | — | 8090 Industries, 8VC, Afore Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Caffeinated Capital, Chapter ONE Ventures, Cherry Ventures, Construct Capital, Countdown Capital, Craft Ventures, Creandum, Cubit Capital, Eunoia Capital Partners, Fika Ventures, Floodgate, Flucas Ventures, Founders Fund, Lakestar, LGF, LUX Capital, MAC Venture Capital, Next47, OAK HC/FT, Picus Capital, Ravelin Capital, Roosh Ventures, Saga, Seven Seven SIX, Social Capital, Sound Ventures, Stash Ventures, The HIT Forge, Thirdbase Capital, Tribe Capital, Weekend Fund, Worklife Ventures, Austin Ogilvie, Bradley Horowitz, Harry Hurst, Jeff Morris, Jeff Seibert, JIM Pallotta, JON Runyan, Koen Koeppen, Marc Benioff, Michael MA, Peter Ackerson, ROB Meyerson, Ryan Chan, Sahin Boydas, Shervin Pishevar, Sung HO Choi, Valentin GUI, Wayne Chang | Announced |
