The Skills Raises $5 Million for Online Sports Courses

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Manhattan Beach startup Skills Annex Inc., doing business as The Skills, announced Dec. 4 that it had raised $5 million in seed funding for a newly launched online sports education platform.

The company, which was founded last year, offers courses on sports techniques and fundamentals taught by athletes like tennis star Maria Sharapova and Olympic volleyball legend Kerri Walsh Jennings.

Investors Global Founders Capital, 8VC, Maveron, Hack VC and Correlation VC took part in the early funding round, according to The Skills.

The company has raised just under $7 million to date, according to PitchBook Data Inc.

Seed funding will allow The Skills to offer “new courses that will teach people how to succeed in any pursuit or profession,” Chief Executive Omer Atesmen said said in a statement.

“We are excited for this next step in expanding The Skills and what it means for the course offerings we provide to our community heading into 2021,” he added.

The Skills also announced a pair of new course offerings, from swimming icon Michael Phelps and soccer star Megan Rapinoe, slated for release in the coming months on its website.

Courses contain at least 20 sessions and 100 minutes of video content. They are available to aspiring athletes on a subscription model, with separate price tiers offering access to a single course or all available content.

According to Rapinoe, her course will cover more than just soccer techniques.

“My Skills Course will not only dive into what I’ve learned on the field, but I will also discuss how I have been able to use my voice to support those causes that are important to me,” she said in a statement.

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