About
Nicolas Julia persuaded the world's biggest football leagues to license their players to a blockchain game nobody had built yet. He co-founded Sorare in Paris in 2018 with Adrien Montfort, whom he had met at the blockchain company Stratumn, and grew it from about $50,000 of monthly sales in early 2020 to roughly $6.5 million a year later — a run that drew a $50 million Series A led by Benchmark and then a $680 million round led by SoftBank in 2021 that valued Sorare at $4.3 billion, the largest financing a French startup had ever raised. He signed official licences with LaLiga, Major League Baseball, the NBA and the Premier League, and brought in Lionel Messi and Serena Williams as backers. The collectibles market has since cooled sharply and he restructured the company in late 2025 to reach profitability, with cardholders still growing by a third to 378,000. Before Sorare he co-founded the Paris AI company La Javaness.
Beyond investing
- Education
- Read management at emlyon business school, with an exchange semester at the Hanken School of Economics in Helsinki.
- More
- Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Serena Williams backed the company; Xavier Niel put in its first €550,000 in 2019. Restructured Sorare in November 2025 as the collectibles market cooled, targeting profitability by the end of 2026; cardholders still grew 33% to 378,000.
Mentioned above: the emlyon business school mafia →
From Nicolas's own website — common ground for a warm intro.
Co-founder & CEO at Sorare
Intro paths
→
In turn, Nicolas can intro founders to Sorare's investors below.
Sorare's investors · 15
4M HoldingCascaisAccelPalo Alto · $1.6M – $70M checksAcrew CapitalSan Francisco · $1M – $15M checksBessemer Venture PartnersRedwood City · $5M – $100M checksConsenSys MeshZugEmblemParisFabric VenturesLuxembourg · $300K checksIsomer CapitalLondonIVP (Institutional Venture Partners)San Francisco · $15M – $75M checksKibo VenturesMadrid · $2.2M – $5.4M checksKima VenturesParis · $50K – $5M checksMolten VenturesLondon · $2.5M – $63M checksSeedcampLondon · $378K – $1.1M checksSoftbank Latin America FundMiamiSoftBank Vision FundLondon
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Co-founders at Sorare
AM
Adrien MontfortCo-founder
Experience
- SorareCo-founder & CEOcurrent2018 — presentParis Area, France
- Self-employedBusiness Angel and Limited Partnercurrent2018 — presentParis, Île-de-France, France
- StratumnVP Operations2016 — 2018Région de Paris, France
- La JavanessCo-Founder2015 — 2016Région de Paris, France
- EUROGROUP CONSULTING FranceSenior Consultant2010 — 2014Paris et périphérie
Education
- emlyon business schoolMsc in Management2006 — 2010
- Hanken School of EconomicsExchange Semester, Economics2009
- Saliège CampusClasse préparatoire aux Grandes Ecoles, Voie économique2004 — 2006
Skills & more
Blockchain22Sports56Consumer Products40Gaming48Football9
Languages English · Spanish
From Nicolas's professional profile.
Frequently asked questions
- Who is Nicolas Julia?
- Nicolas Julia persuaded the world's biggest football leagues to license their players to a blockchain game nobody had built yet. He co-founded Sorare in Paris in 2018 with Adrien Montfort, whom he had met at the blockchain company Stratumn, and grew it from about $50,000 of monthly sales in early 2020 to roughly $6.5 million a year later — a run that drew a $50 million Series A led by Benchmark and then a $680 million round led by SoftBank in 2021 that valued Sorare at $4.3 billion, the largest financing a French startup had ever raised. He signed official licences with LaLiga, Major League Baseball, the NBA and the Premier League, and brought in Lionel Messi and Serena Williams as backers. The collectibles market has since cooled sharply and he restructured the company in late 2025 to reach profitability, with cardholders still growing by a third to 378,000. Before Sorare he co-founded the Paris AI company La Javaness.
- Where does Nicolas Julia work?
- Nicolas Julia is Co-founder & CEO at Sorare.
- What companies did Nicolas Julia found?
- Nicolas Julia founded Sorare.
- Where did Nicolas Julia go to school?
- Nicolas Julia studied at emlyon business school (Msc in Management); Hanken School of Economics (Exchange Semester, Economics); Saliège Campus (Classe préparatoire aux Grandes Ecoles, Voie économique).
Paths to reach Nicolas
People who overlapped with Nicolas at the same organization — a shared school or employer with one of them is a warm way in.
Together at SorareNicolas: Co-founder & CEO
Adrien Montfort2018–2026Co-founder & board member of SorareAalborg University · Télécom SudParisPeter Fenton2020–2026General Partner at BenchmarkStanford University Graduate School of BusinessAlex Lim2021–2026Investor at IVP (Institutional Venture Partners)The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill · Winchester CollegeBoris Golden2020–2026General Partner at Partech VenturesÉcole normale supérieure de Lyon · Lycée Henri IV · Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyAntoine Nussenbaum2021–2026Investor at FELIX CAPITALESCP · Université Paris Dauphine - PSLChristian Miele2020–2026Investor at HeadlineCBS International Business School · INSEAD
Together at EUROGROUP CONSULTING FranceNicolas: Senior Consultant
Thomas Nivard2014Partner at 360 CapitalCentrale Lyon · INSEADGaëlle Morizot2011–2014Sustainability Director at EMZ PartnersParis School of Economics · Sciences PoLaura Collet2010–2012Sanofi at i3 — Investing in Innovation AfricaESCPOriane Juncker2011State Manager - QLD & ACT at Radium CapitalCollège Stanislas · Ecole normale supérieure · HEC Paris
Founder mafias
emlyon business school mafia12
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Miguel Santo AmaroMaster's degreeFounded Coverflex +1Lionel MoraMsc. in Management (Top 10 Financial Times 24)Founded Neoplants +1Anna-Lena KamenetzkyDouble diploma program; French “Diplome de l’EM Lyon”Founded Touch CapitalIlan NabethMaster - Programme Grande Ecole -Founded PlayMakersNicolas RochonMaster Ingenierie FinanciereFounded RGreen InvestMila LessardProgramme grande écoleFounded Sorella Care
+ 5 more
Hanken School of Economics mafia3
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Same school
Also attended emlyon business school107
Paul BazinInvestor at DaphniThomas JuvinManaging Director Europe at Burda Principal InvestmentsAdvika JalanResearch Analyst at MMC VenturesAnne-Sophie Saint-MartinPartner at Newfund CapitalConstant BeroulleAssociate at Newfund CapitalDavid FeinerPrincipal at Marlin Equity Partners
+ 101 more
Also attended Hanken School of Economics32
Patrik BackmanGeneral Partner at OpenOceanToby ObstbaumFund Controller at OpenOceanNina RudankoCFO and Head of ESG at IPR.VCPontus StråhlmanPartner at Voima VenturesPatrick NollerGeneral Partner, Managing Director at FoodLabsWilhelm LindholmGroup CEO at Innovestor Ventures
+ 26 more
Also attended Saliège Campus1
Shared employers
Also worked at Sorare14
Peter FentonGeneral Partner at BenchmarkAdrien MontfortCo-founder & board member of SorareAlex LimInvestor at IVP (Institutional Venture Partners)Boris GoldenGeneral Partner at Partech VenturesAntoine NussenbaumInvestor at FELIX CAPITALChristian MieleInvestor at Headline
+ 8 more
Also worked at Stratumn5
Also worked at EUROGROUP CONSULTING France8
Stefanie Mercedes KindtInvestment Manager at Seed+SpeedSamantha JérusalmyPartner at ElaiaThomas NivardPartner at 360 CapitalKhaled IgueVenture Partner at 360 CapitalGaëlle MorizotSustainability Director at EMZ PartnersLaura ColletSanofi at i3 — Investing in Innovation Africa
+ 2 more