We just added one of the most impressive rosters in business to our lineup. On August 13, 2026, CardVault by Tom Brady announced our first strategic investor group: leaders from sports, business, technology, media, and entertainment betting big on the future of the hobby.
A Who’s Who of Believers
This wasn’t a round built by anonymous funds looking for a quick return. Our investor group includes some of the most recognizable names across sports, business, and entertainment.
The Investor Group
- Gerry Cardinale, Founder, RedBird Capital
- Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter
- Egon Durban, Co-CEO, Silver Lake
- Greg Mondre, Co-CEO, Silver Lake
- Todd Graves, Founder & CEO, Raising Cane’s
- Wyc Grousbeck, Co-Owner, Boston Celtics
- John Henry, Principal Owner, Fenway Sports Group
- Linda Henry, CEO, Boston Globe Media
- Aaron Judge, Captain, New York Yankees
- The Kraft Group
- Connor McDavid, Captain, Edmonton Oilers
- Adam Edmunds, CEO, Entrata
- Lee Fixel, Founder, Addition
- Shadow Lion, Creative Studio
- Dana White, President & CEO, UFC
It’s a coalition of builders, operators, and lifelong sports figures who understand precisely what we’re building, and who have chosen to help us build it.
“We weren’t looking for passive investors, we wanted builders, people who genuinely understand what we’re creating and can help us scale it the right way. When leaders of this caliber choose to bet on CardVault, that’s a powerful signal about where this industry is headed.”
Ed Kane, Co-Founder, CardVault by Tom Brady
The Growth Behind the Headline
The numbers back up the excitement. Since Tom Brady acquired a 50 percent ownership stake in February 2025, we’ve scaled fast, and we’re just getting started.
Growth at a Glance
- 3 → 17: Stores nationwide since February 2025
- 100+: Long-term store vision
- Top 10%: Named to Inc. 5000’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies
Our long-term vision is a network of 100+ stores in premier sports and entertainment destinations, alongside expansion into automated retail, digital commerce, and new distribution channels beyond brick-and-mortar. This new capital is fuel for all of it: more store openings, new hires across our business, stronger technology and supply chain infrastructure, and an even better experience for the collectors who walk through our doors, or tune in, every day.
It’s also powering our push beyond brick-and-mortar altogether. We recently unveiled CardVault Kiosks, automated retail vending machines that put fairly priced product directly in the hands of collectors no matter where they are, built in partnership with Daymond John and Amerikiosks, with locations rolling out to cities nationwide.
More Than a List of Names
This round has drawn attention well beyond the hobby press. Inc. leadership columnist Peter Economy covered the news, framing it around a bigger idea about what makes certain founders effective at building teams: the hardest part usually isn’t hiring people or selling to them, it’s getting them to say, “I want to be part of this.” Economy pointed to the specifics behind our growth as evidence this is a real national retail buildout, not just a famous name attached to a storefront: we now have stores open in major sports markets including Boston, Dallas, Kansas City, New York, and St. Louis, funded in part by the same new investment powering this round.
It’s a useful outside read on what’s happening here. Our investor group reflects genuine conviction in where the collectibles industry is headed, not just star power.
Why This Moment Matters
“Collecting today is about much more than owning a card. It’s about the stories, the memories and the community that brings fans together. CardVault is building a place where every collector, from someone opening their first pack to lifelong hobbyists, can share that passion.”
Tom Brady, Co-Owner, CardVault by Tom Brady
That vision is exactly why this partnership works for us. And nobody has described what it’s like to build alongside Tom Brady better than our Co-Founder and Managing Partner Chris Costa did in a recent appearance on Yahoo Sports Daily.
“It’s the Infinite Cheat Code”
“Having Tom Brady by your side as you build a business and grow a team and lead a team is maybe the biggest cheat code that’s ever existed on planet Earth. Having Tom as a partner has been fantastic, he’s as involved as you could possibly imagine, because of how much he actually loves not just our company, but this space, and being a lifelong collector himself. The only way I’d describe it is the infinite cheat code: the most motivating, driven, focused partner on the planet.”
Chris Costa, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, CardVault by Tom Brady (via Yahoo Sports Daily)
That’s the story behind our growth: an owner who shows up, and whose passion has pulled in a group of equally driven partners ready to help us build something category-defining.
A Bigger Signal for the Hobby
Our raise lands at a moment when the sports collectibles market is experiencing real, sustained momentum, driven by growing fan engagement, alternative investing trends, creator-led commerce, live-streaming content, and the broader mainstreaming of sports culture around the world. Collecting isn’t a niche hobby anymore; it’s a cultural and economic force, and the biggest names in sports and business are taking notice.
We’re positioned right at the center of that shift: premium retail experiences with our signature vault doors and authenticated memorabilia, trusted grading partnerships with PSA, Beckett, SGC, and CGC, official products from Topps, Panini, Upper Deck, Pokémon, and Fanatics Authentic, and a live-streaming business, CardVault Breaks, that’s opening the hobby up to a whole new generation of collectors.
What’s Next
With this investor group in our corner, we’re not slowing down. We’re accelerating. More stores. More markets. More ways for collectors to buy, sell, trade, and grade with confidence. And with a partner like Tom Brady genuinely obsessed with the hobby, backed by some of the sharpest builders in sports and business, our next chapter looks a lot like the last one: fast, ambitious, and built by people who love this space as much as the collectors we serve.
Follow along as we grow: Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who invested in CardVault by Tom Brady?
Our first strategic investor group includes RedBird Capital Founder Gerry Cardinale, Shawn "JAY-Z" Carter, Silver Lake Co-CEOs Egon Durban and Greg Mondre, Raising Cane's Founder Todd Graves, Boston Celtics Co-Owner Wyc Grousbeck, Fenway Sports Group's John Henry and Linda Henry, Yankees Captain Aaron Judge, The Kraft Group, Oilers Captain Connor McDavid, Entrata CEO Adam Edmunds, Addition Founder Lee Fixel, creative studio Shadow Lion, and UFC President Dana White.
How many CardVault stores are there?
We've grown from 3 stores to 17 locations nationwide since Tom Brady acquired a 50 percent ownership stake in February 2025. Our long-term vision is a network of 100+ stores.
Is Tom Brady actively involved in CardVault, or just a name on the brand?
Tom Brady is a hands-on co-owner. Our Co-Founder Chris Costa has described him as "as involved as you could possibly imagine," citing Brady's genuine, lifelong passion for card collecting as a driving force behind our growth.
What is CardVault Kiosks?
CardVault Kiosks is our automated retail vending machine business, built in partnership with Daymond John and Amerikiosks. It brings fairly priced sports cards and collectibles directly to collectors in more locations, without requiring a full retail store.
What is CardVault Breaks?
CardVault Breaks is our live-streaming arm, where hosts open packs and boxes in real time so collectors around the world can join the experience and shop along, whether or not they live near a physical store.
