NBA CHAMPION KENDRICK PERKINS JOINS EDLY FOUNDERS TO LAUNCH NILLY, A FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND NIL INVESTMENT PLATFORM

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Feb 20, 2024, 08:00 ET

New company provides innovative way for investors and fans to support college athletes, and gives collegiate athletes immediate access to their NIL earning potential

NEW YORK and HOUSTON, Feb. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- With a core mission to enable, empower and enrich student-athletes, Edly and NBA champion Kendrick Perkins today announced the launch of NILLY (www.nilly.us), a unique investment platform that allows student-athletes to capitalize on their name, image and likeness (NIL) earning potential faster. NILLY will provide qualified investors and fans a unique way to diversify their portfolios by investing in strategies that focus on their favorite college teams and players, and allow them to participate in future NIL earning opportunities.

Perkins partnered with Edly founder Chris Ricciardi to co-found NILLY and will serve as the company's brand ambassador. In this capacity, Perkins, who needed to forego college for financial reasons, will help to raise awareness of NILLY among student-athletes who desire faster access to their NIL earning potential.

"When I was a top high school recruit, I had to go pro for financial reasons," said Perkins. "If I had been able to earn NIL endorsements back then, I could have enjoyed the college basketball experience while also providing for my family. Today's student-athletes have the earning ability, but in many cases don't have a clear path to capitalize on it. NILLY gives them access to the structure, opportunity and education that can set them on a course to reap financial success as they progress in their athletic lives. As true partners in their success, NILLY will open the doors to the opportunities I wish I had in my time."

Approved student-athletes who partner with NILLY, including both enrolled and committed college athletes, will receive an upfront license payment and additional NIL earnings over time in exchange for licensing their NIL rights to NILLY. The arrangement between NILLY and student-athletes is limited to the student's revenue from NIL opportunities, not their playing earnings. Athletes will keep the upfront payment even if they get injured or stop generating NIL revenue for any reason, offering them protection in the event of unforeseen circumstances. Student-athletes who partner with NILLY are also given access to financial literacy training, connected with third-party investment advisors and continue to get the majority of their NIL earnings during the term of the contract.

A Brand New Investment Platform

In addition to providing a more accessible path to NIL earnings, NILLY gives accredited investors a unique way to invest in NIL rights. NILLY acquires the NIL rights of student-athletes in exchange for upfront license payments and an ongoing revenue share, creating a financial opportunity for student-athletes that has never existed before. Earnings are then shared between student-athletes and investors. Offered in the form of a managed account strategy managed by Edly Advisors LLC, an SEC registered investment advisor, accredited investors can invest in portfolios comprising NIL licensing contracts for a variety of strategies. At launch, NILLY will offer investment opportunities focused on NCAA Division I football, men's basketball, women's basketball, and a strategy comprising Division I athletes across a variety of sports.

"For far too long, virtually everyone but the athletes themselves has profited from college sports," said Chris Ricciardi, Co-Founder and CEO, NILLY. "College NILs changed that, but the NIL process is complex and student-athletes need guidance and access to resources and professional advisors in order to maximize the NIL earning potential. NILLY arranges for those resources to be made available to student-athletes, along with paying an upfront license fee for their NIL rights, while aligning them with the power of the investment community for the first time."

Perkins was advised on the opportunity by Murray Capital Advisors, Inc. (MCAP), an investment advisor based in Houston, TX. "We knew this would be a perfect fit for Kendrick given his long-standing commitment to helping young student-athletes," said Raymond Murray, CEO, MCAP. "His connections and expertise will be incredibly valuable to both student-athletes and the NILLY platform."

Interested student-athletes can learn more about NILLY and submit their information for consideration by visiting athlete.nilly.us. Accredited investors who would like to invest in NIL rights of players on specific schools and teams can view offering materials by visiting investor.nilly.us.

About NILLY, LLC

NILLY is a unique investment platform that allows investors to invest in Name, Image and Likeness ("NIL") rights while allowing athletes to capitalize on their NIL earning potential. The NILLY investment strategy aims to generate investment returns by investing in pools of NIL rights from collegiate-level student-athletes. NILLY offers a non-recourse, upfront cash license payment to student-athletes who have the potential to generate NIL revenue in college and beyond.

Forward-Looking Statement

From time to time, NILLY will make opportunities for investments in NIL products available to investors who are qualified as "Accredited Investors" (as defined below) and who have expressed an interest in learning about such investment opportunities. No investment opportunity is being offered at this time by NILLY and all prospective investors will be given opportunities in the future after verification of their status and an expression of specific interest. The securities, when offered, will not be registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), or any other securities laws. They will be offered for investment pursuant to the exemption from registration provided under Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and exemptions from the registration requirements of applicable state securities laws only to persons who are "Accredited Investors," as defined in Regulation D under the Securities Act. There will be no public market for the offered securities.

This press release, and the information being provided to prospective investors at this time, is not an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities that may be offered in the future by NILLY, nor shall any such securities be offered or sold to any person in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, purchase, or sale would be unlawful under the securities laws of such jurisdiction.

ANY SECURITIES OFFERED BY NILLY WILL NOT HAVE BEEN RECOMMENDED BY THE U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION OR REGULATORY AUTHORITY. ANY SECURITIES OFFERED BY NILLY WILL BE SUBJECT TO RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFERABILITY AND RESALE, AND MAY NOT BE TRANSFERRED OR RESOLD EXCEPT AS PERMITTED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT AND APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS, PURSUANT TO REGISTRATION OR AN EXEMPTION THEREFROM. INVESTORS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT THEY MAY BE REQUIRED TO BEAR THE FINANCIAL RISKS OF THEIR INVESTMENT IN THE SECURITIES FOR AN INDEFINITE TIME. CERTAIN INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS PRESS RELEASE CONSTITUTES "FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS," WHICH CAN BE IDENTIFIED BY THE USE OF FORWARD-LOOKING TERMINOLOGY SUCH AS "MAY," "WILL," "SHOULD," "EXPECT," "ANTICIPATE," "ESTIMATE," "INTEND," "CONTINUE" OR "BELIEVE" TO THE NEGATIVES THEREOF OR OTHER VARIATIONS THEREON OR COMPARABLE TERMINOLOGY. DUE TO VARIOUS RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES, ACTUAL EVENTS OR RESULTS FROM THE ACTUAL PERFORMANCE OF THE SECURITIES MAY DIFFER MATERIALLY FROM THOSE REFLECTED OR CONTEMPLATED IN SUCH FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS.

SOURCE NILLY