The leading SportFi company, Chiliz, which is renowned for its groundbreaking Chiliz Chain and Socios.com platform, is excited to announce a new partnership and investment in the top career development platform in the Middle East for aspiring football players, called Grintafy.
Grintafy, the largest talent discovery platform in the Middle East with nearly 2 million users, has already attracted significant investment from Saudi Aramco Waed Ventures, a state-owned company. In addition to clubs in some of the most prominent leagues in the world, such as La Liga and the Premier League, it has partnered with top Middle Eastern football organizations and international academies.
Grintafy, which won Gitex’s SportsTech Startup of the Year award, will now take advantage of Chiliz’s distinctive technological infrastructure, ecosystem, and knowledge to help with its Web3 transition. Grintafy will use blockchain for a variety of use cases, including player ratings, rankings, and performance certifications.
Furthermore, Grintafy will expand its platform and help Saudi football develop globally by gaining access to Chiliz’s extensive network of technology and sports partners. Chiliz’s director of football commercial Daniel Maglietta will be a crucial advisor to Grintafy as it works to expand internationally.
Young Saudi athletes will therefore have more opportunities thanks to this partnership, which will also promote the development of the sport in the area while taking a charitable approach to developing future talent.
Chiliz has launched operations in Riyadh to support football projects in line with Vision 2030’s tech-driven transformation goals. With its investment in Grintafy, the company is making its first step into the quickly changing Saudi football scene.
By investing in local businesses to promote industry opportunities, the move not only highlights the company’s dedication to the growth and internationalization of Saudi football but also seeks to link Saudi talent with major European football teams.
Additionally, the agreement promises reciprocal benefits for Chiliz’s more than sixty sporting partners, providing them with access to Grintafy’s network, experience, and knowledge within Saudi Arabia.
Alex Dreyfus, CEO of Chiliz and Socios.com, commented that, “this investment is a strategic move that brings value to both Grintafy and the Chiliz ecosystem, while also supporting the broader vision of Saudi football. Together, we aim to both support local talented players and global football powerhouses in their investments in the Kingdom. We want to be one of the digital bridges of Vision 2030, between Europe, South America, and Saudi Arabia.”
Majdi Allulu, Founder and CEO of Grintafy, commented, “In searching for our next investor/partner, we tried to be strategic, in that Grintafy seeks a company that has their vision aligned with ours. Chiliz is not just a leader in the sports web3 space, but it also shares our vision to change the game in the sports tech space and our commitment to support football’s growth in the Middle East. That’s why we are so happy with this strategic investment, which lays the foundations of a new vertical that will enable our dreamer with more tools and technologies to make it. We are incredibly excited to leverage the Chiliz network.”
