Novig has landed $18 million in Series A funding to fuel its peer-to-peer sports prediction platform. The New York-based start-up has seen sharp growth since launching publicly last year. Its model swaps the sportsbook for a transparent marketplace where fans trade directly with each other.

• The round was led by Forerunner, with backing from Y Combinator, NFX, Perceptive Ventures, and Gaingels. Novig plans to use the funds to expand sports coverage, roll out new trading formats, and hire across engineering, product, and growth.

• Co-founders Jacob Fortinsky and Kelechi Ukah launched Novig to remove hidden fees, biased odds, and limits on successful bettors. Instead, users trade against one another, reflecting true supply and demand in pricing.

• Since launching publicly in September 2024, Novig’s monthly trading volume has grown 50×, surpassing $2 billion in annualized Novig Cash volume. More than 90% of trades are now fully peer-to-peer.

• Every new user gets a balance of Novig Coins and Novig Cash to start trading without upfront deposits or financial risk. Retention rates are three times higher than traditional betting platforms.

• Upcoming features include leaderboards, group contests, and head-to-head trading. Novig will also add debit and credit card payments, launch a web app, and deepen engagement in existing markets.

• “What we’re building isn’t just sports predictions—it’s a true peer-to-peer market,” said Fortinsky. “We believe users deserve a system that rewards skill and gives every fan a fair shot.”

• Novig is legally accessible to bettors in more than 35 US states except Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Louisiana, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, Tennessee and Washington.

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