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Sports prediction startup Novig raises $18M in Series A funding

The news: Novig, the peer-to-peer sports prediction market, has raised an $18M Series A led by Forerunner, with participation from Y Combinator, NFX, Perceptive Ventures, and Gaingels. The company launched last September and has since grown to over $2B in annualized trading volume.

Zoom in: Founded by Jacob Fortinsky and Kelechi Ukah, Novig is built as a peer-to-peer alternative to traditional sportsbooks, letting users trade directly with each other rather than against the house. The platform supports both cash and free-play markets, onboarding new users with Novig Coins and Novig Cash to trade risk-free. Recent updates include adding five new sports, 25+ market types, and plans to roll out card and stablecoin payments, a full web app, and social features like leaderboards and group contests.

Why it matters: Novig’s funding round is emblematic of investor confidence and velocity behind prediction markets. Earlier this summer, Kalshi reached a $2B valuation on the back of a $185M raise, while the product has more opened the door for wagers on everything from elections to weather. Novig is applying the same exchange-based approach to sports, letting prices move on supply and demand rather than house-set odds. The upstart believes that the future of online betting doesn’t look like “a casino dressed up as a sportsbook,” but more along the lines of a marketplace.

Aeropay links up with Soap Payments for payments, compliance stack

The news: Aeropay has partnered with Soap Payments to launch a turnkey payments and compliance stack for online gaming operators. The integration combines Aeropay’s pay-by-bank network with Soap’s modular compliance, onboarding, and payment orchestration tools—all accessible via a single API and dashboard.

Zoom in: Instead of stitching together multiple payment processors, KYC vendors, and fraud tools, operators can now get cards, wallets, crypto, instant payouts, automated KYC, geolocation, AI-powered fraud detection, and real-time analytics out of the box. Prebuilt UI flows for onboarding and checkout (including Apple Pay) mean sweepstakes, social casinos, and DFS operators can go live in as little as 24 hours, with jurisdiction-specific configurations baked in.

Why it matters: Payments and compliance remain two of the biggest hurdles for new and scaling gaming operators—especially when entering multiple markets. The stakes are rising fast: online gaming is among the most fraud-prone industries, Soap Payments co-founder Sam Edelstein told BettingStartups, adding that “in this environment, doing things compliantly and safely isn’t optional—it’s survival.” By bundling payments, compliance, and fraud protection into a single, AI-powered platform, Aeropay and Soap aim to help operators launch faster, protect their business and players, and avoid wasting runway rebuilding systems from scratch.

Sponsored by Flutter Alpha Hub

The news: Flutter is seeking cutting-edge startups positioned to disrupt the affiliate ecosystem through social betting, tool-based integrations, and gamified experiences for its Affiliate Draft 2025. Finalists will travel to Dublin in October to pitch their big idea in-person. This is run through Alpha Hub, Flutter’s startup partnership program.

Why it matters: Through collaboration with partners like BettingStartups, Bettor Capital, and more, Flutter’s Affiliate Draft is designed to give startups an accelerated path to scale with the world's leading online sports betting and gaming company. Selected teams get direct access and mentorship from Flutter’s affiliate and product leaders, real-world testing across multiple brands, and a shot at exclusive commercial partnerships—for startups, it’s the opportunity of a lifetime. Applications are free, and close on August 30—apply now.

The inspiration behind Betsperts' multi-brand strategy, and why community is the media “nucleus”

The news: Betsperts Group has spent the past few years methodically acquiring fantasy sports and betting properties, building a multi-brand portfolio through a rollup strategy that CEO and co-founder Reid Rooney says was inspired by his and co-founder Austin Harper’s time at Stanley Black & Decker. The latest addition came in July with the acquisition of Fantasy National.

Zoom in: At SBD, Rooney recalls, “Every time you walked into a job site… you had a tool and a brand with a niche for every need.” Betsperts is applying that same approach, with brands including 4for4, Dynasty League Football, Bleacher Nation, and more. Each operates in its own lane with “crowdfunded expertise,” but shares a common denominator: loyal, engaged communities. “If you don’t have a community as the nucleus, I think it’s gonna be tough sledding… when ChatGPT, TikTok, and Google search all become more and more difficult for ranking or getting people to visit you.” 

Why it matters: Rooney is candid about the toll the journey has taken, saying his first experience with layoffs put him in “a bit of a depression” and led him to therapy and other founders for support. He’s learned to celebrate wins, even small ones, to make them last. Now, with the business profitable, a diversified revenue mix spanning ads, affiliate deals, fantasy DFS games, and subscriptions—and the long-term “pot of gold” in iGaming rev share ahead—Rooney says he’s as energized as ever: “Mental health, physical health… I actually feel like myself again.”

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News, money, and alpha

• IMG Arena tapped nVenue to provide live MLS betting markets.

• Online casino developer 916 Gaming debuted its NASCAR-licensed game on BetMGM.

• Sparket has been awarded a foundational patent for facilitating a decentralized wagering marketplace and associated data on real-world events.

• Staked AI has officially launched its AI audio platform for sports marketers alongside a rebrand, with the startup now going by the name Vokol.

From the studio

Catch up on the latest episodes of The BettingStartups Podcast.

• Scaling through a multi-brand rollup strategy w/ Reid Rooney from Betsperts Group

• The odds feed opportunity w/ Rick Allec from OddsLogic

• Managing the grind of going from starting to scaling w/ Evan Fisher from Sparket

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Are you a startup in real-money gaming looking to announce a new product launch, partnership, or funding round? Get it on our radar! Email: [email protected]