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§ Private Profile · San Francisco, CA, USA
Web3 marketplace for NFT-linked physical collectibles. Trade sneakers, watches, and more with digital proof of ownership for collectors.
Courtyard has raised $37.0M across 2 funding rounds.
Key people at Courtyard.
Courtyard was founded in 2021 by Paulin Andurand (Founder) and Nicolas le Jeune (Founder).
Courtyard has raised $37.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Based in San Francisco, California, Courtyard operates a Web3 marketplace that allows users to invest in and trade physical collectibles, such as rare sneakers and trading cards, by converting them into non-fungible tokens. The platform bridges digital and physical assets by providing verifiable digital proof of ownership for securely vaulted items, catering to traditional collectors and cryptocurrency investors alike. Operating with a current workforce of 80 employees, the company has scaled its digital infrastructure to support high-value alternative asset trading. Courtyard has secured significant venture capital backing, including a $7 million seed round in 2022 and a $30 million funding round in July 2025. The enterprise is supported by prominent institutional investors and strategic corporate partners, including Forerunner, NEA, Y Combinator, and Brink's. Courtyard was founded in 2021 by Nicolas le Jeune and Paulin Andurand.
Key people at Courtyard.
Courtyard has raised $37.0M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $30.0M Series A in July 2025.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 1, 2025 | $30M Series A | — | Felicis Ventures, Forerunner Ventures | Announced |
| Nov 1, 2022 | $7M Seed | NEW Enterprise Associates | 20VC, Btov Partners, Kima Ventures, LA Famiglia, Sequoia Capital, Luis Martin Cabiedes, Mathilde Collin, Paul Sevinç, Oliver Buckle Wright, Cherry Ventures, OpenSea, Vaynerfund, Y Combinator | Announced |
Courtyard is a San Francisco-based technology company founded in 2021 that builds a blockchain-powered platform for trading physical collectibles like Pokémon and sports cards as tokenized NFTs.[1][2] It serves collectors and traders by offering free vaulting of graded assets, issuing Ethereum-compatible NFTs for seamless trading on major marketplaces, and enabling global redemption with shipping to 150 countries, while also providing a "digital repack" experience that abstracts blockchain complexities for non-crypto users.[1][4] The platform solves liquidity issues in the collectibles market by allowing instant, frictionless trades without physical shipping, has raised $7.5M in seed funding (including a $7M round three years ago), employs 11-50 people, and shows strong growth momentum with a Mosaic Score up +207 points recently and NFT sales jumping 17% market-wide in May 2025.[1][2]
Courtyard emerged in 2021 amid the NFT boom, focusing on tokenizing physical collectibles to bridge traditional trading card markets with blockchain liquidity.[1][2] Founders, not explicitly named in available data, identified a key gap: collectors wanted the thrill of trading high-value items like graded Pokémon or sports cards without shipping delays or high friction, leading to a platform that vaults assets securely and issues tradable NFTs.[4] Early traction came from crypto enthusiasts, but pivotal growth involved expanding to non-crypto users via abstracted blockchain experiences like digital packs, enabling rapid adoption beyond niche audiences and positioning it as the "fastest growing company" in its space per recent discussions.[1][4]
Courtyard rides the convergence of blockchain tokenization and the booming $30B+ collectibles market, where physical assets like cards gain digital liquidity amid rising NFT adoption (e.g., 17% sales growth to $130.7M in May 2025).[1] Timing aligns with post-2022 crypto maturation, shifting from speculation to utility—enabling real-world assets (RWAs) like memorabilia to trade 24/7 without intermediaries, fueled by market forces like grading service demand and millennial/gen-Z collector surges.[1][4] It influences the ecosystem by democratizing access (non-crypto users now dominate), onboarding traditional markets to Web3, and competing with authenticators like DEFINITIVE while expanding NFT utility beyond art.[1]
Courtyard's momentum—fueled by innovative repacks and RWA liquidity—positions it to capture more of the collectibles surge as tokenization goes mainstream. Upcoming trends like AI-driven rarity detection and broader RWA regulations could accelerate growth, potentially scaling to comics or memorabilia. Its influence may evolve from niche disruptor to ecosystem standard, blending physical nostalgia with digital speed, much like how it transformed illiquid cards into global assets from day one.[1][4]
Courtyard was founded in 2021 by Paulin Andurand (Founder) and Nicolas le Jeune (Founder).
Courtyard has raised $37.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Courtyard's investors include Felicis Ventures, Forerunner Ventures, New Enterprise Associates, 20VC, btov Partners, Kima Ventures, La Famiglia, Sequoia Capital, Luis Martin Cabiedes, Mathilde Collin, Paul Sevinç, Oliver Buckle-Wright.
