(Photo credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)

Tom Brady's growing sports collectibles business is adding more star power to its ownership ranks.

CardVault by Tom Brady announced Thursday that New York Yankees star Aaron Judge and Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid are part of its first strategic investor group, which features prominent names from professional sports, entertainment and business.

Jay-Z and UFC president Dana White are also investing, along with Fenway Sports Group principal owner John Henry, Boston Globe Media CEO Linda Henry, Boston Celtics co-owner Wyc Grousbeck and The Kraft Group, owners of the New England Patriots and Revolution. RedBird Capital founder Gerry Cardinale and Silver Lake co-CEOs Egon Durban and Greg Mondre are among the other participants.

The company plans to use the investment to accelerate an expansion that was already underway, including opening more stores and building out its technology, supply chain and other distribution channels. CardVault also intends to add employees as it increases its national footprint.

Brady purchased a 50% stake in CardVault in February 2025. The retailer has since grown from three locations to 17 and ultimately hopes to operate more than 100 stores, with sports and entertainment destinations playing a prominent role in that strategy.

'Collecting today is about much more than owning a card. It's about the stories, the memories and the community that brings fans together,' Brady said in a statement. 'The caliber of this investor group reflects the opportunity we see to grow collecting into an even bigger part of sports culture.'

CardVault was founded in 2020 and sells sports and trading cards along with authenticated memorabilia. Customers can also buy, sell, trade and submit collectibles for grading, while the company has expanded into live-streamed card openings through its CardVault Breaks operation.

--Field Level Media