Sports card retail chain CardVault, which is backed by Tom Brady, revealed its first strategic investor group Thursday, with key players from across tech and entertainment as well as professional sports leagues including the NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB and UFC. Notable investors include New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge, Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid, musician and entrepreneur Jay-Z, Fenway Sports Group owner John Henry, The Kraft Group, Boston Celtics CEO Wyc Grousbeck and UFC president and CEO Dana White.
Financial details of the investment round weren’t disclosed.
Other investors include RedBird Capital Founder Gerry Cardinale; Silver Lake Co-CEO Egon Durban; Entrata CEO Adam Edmunds; Addition Founder Lee Fixel; Raising Cane’s Founder and CEO Todd Graves; Boston Globe Media CEO Linda Henry; Silver Lake Co-CEO Greg Mondre; Tom Brady Manager Ben Rawitz; Creative studio Shadow Lion.
The strategic investment is designed to accelerate CardVault by Tom Brady’s growth, funding new store openings, expansion into new distribution channels, the hiring of new talent across core functions of the business, strengthening the company’s technology, supply chain and operational infrastructure, and enhancing the customer experience.
The investor group joins CardVault by Tom Brady’s ownership team of Co-Founders Ed Kane, Randy Greenstein, Chris Costa, Tim Bonito and Scott Heigelmann, alongside Tom Brady, who acquired a 50 percent ownership stake in the company in February 2025. Since Brady joined the ownership group, CardVault by Tom Brady has expanded from three stores to 17 locations nationwide in just over a year. The company’s long-term vision is to build a network of more than 100 stores located in premier sports and entertainment destinations while expanding beyond brick-and-mortar retail through automated retail, digital commerce, strategic partnerships and new distribution channels.
“Collecting today is about much more than owning a card. It’s about the stories, the memories and the community that brings fans together,” said Brady. “CardVault is building a place where every collector from someone opening their first pack to lifelong hobbyists can share that passion. The caliber of this investor group reflects the opportunity we see to grow collecting into an even bigger part of sports culture.”
“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,” said Kane, co-founder. “When leaders of this caliber choose to bet on CardVault, that’s a powerful signal about where this industry is headed. I’m incredibly proud of the group we’ve assembled, and even more excited about what’s next.”
“From day one, our vision has been to build the next generation hobby shop at scale. A premier national retail destination where collectors, athletes and fans come together,” said Chris Costa, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at CardVault by Tom Brady. “This investment gives us the ability to reach more collectors, open in more markets, and continue delivering the products, expertise and experiences that have earned our customers’ trust. As we grow, we are maniacally focused on our collectors and customers, and the experience we provide them will always come first.”
Image courtesy CardVault
