London-based startup Joa has acquired the intellectual property of GreenPark, signaling a renewed push to make sports fandom more interactive through “playable†digital experiences.
Rather than building a product from scratch, Joa is leveraging GreenPark’s existing technology to create free-to-play gaming layers that sit on top of live sports events. The concept blends elements of fantasy sports, prediction games, and casual social gaming, aiming to engage fans in real time.
The company is backed by investors including ADvantage, Phoenix Capital Ventures, 359 Capital, and Galaxy Interactive, and has already secured a partnership with ONE Championship as its first major sports property integration.
Joa’s leadership team brings deep experience from the gaming industry. Co-founder Rudy Koch previously worked on blockchain-based sports titles at Mythical Games, while co-founders Andy Hubbard and Andrew McAlister also have backgrounds in mobile gaming.
GreenPark, founded in 2018, had previously partnered with major leagues such as NBA and LaLiga, allowing fans to create avatars and compete in prediction-based mini-games. The company raised $31 million in Series B funding in 2021 but struggled to break into mainstream adoption amid competition from platforms like social media and messaging apps.
As part of the deal, GreenPark CEO Tony Grillo will join Joa as a senior advisor, while most of the original team will not transition.
Joa is taking a different approach to launch, opting for a web-based platform instead of a traditional app. The strategy is designed to meet users where they already spend time—on platforms like X or Discord—without requiring downloads.
The startup also plans to integrate artificial intelligence to personalize content and provide insights to teams and leagues about fan behavior, further enhancing engagement strategies.
Despite past challenges faced by metaverse and blockchain-based fan experiences, Joa believes the opportunity to “gamify†fandom remains significant—especially by lowering barriers to entry and focusing on quick, social interactions tied to live sports moments.