Key Takeaways:
- Seven Seven Six, Alexis Ohanian’s venture capital firm, acquired ONIT on June 18, 2026 — a collegiate trading card company that created cards for more than 8,000 student-athletes across 67 Division I schools in the 2024-25 academic year.
- ONIT has produced more collegiate women’s sports cards than any competing trading card company, making it the category leader in an underserved and fast-growing segment of the hobby.
- Evan Parker, a Mantel CEO and former NASCAR and The Athletic executive, takes over as ONIT’s new CEO.
Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian didn’t enter the trading card business to chase the mainstream.
On June 18, Seven Seven Six — Ohanian’s venture capital firm — officially acquired ONIT, a premier officially licensed collegiate trading card company. The deal brings fresh capital and high-profile attention to a corner of the hobby that has long operated without much of either. Financial terms were not disclosed, though Ohanian described the purchase as a “non-trivial” amount of money.
“This is not a billion-dollar business — not yet,” Ohanian told Sports Business Journal. “But it’s one that I’ve seen grow and grow well over these last few years, and we’re excited to take it to the next level.”
What Makes ONIT Different From Every Other Card Company?
A roster-wide philosophy is the foundation of ONIT’s model. The company holds officially licensed agreements with more than 60 schools — including Ohio State, Michigan, UCLA, Georgia, Texas and UVA — negotiating group NIL rights mainly through OneTeam Partners and distributing royalties directly to featured athletes. Every autograph is on-card. Every card is designed, printed, cut and packed in the U.S.
“The traditional way of doing it is you get the Heisman candidate or the McDonald’s All-American,” said Parker. “Our goal is to include the entire roster in these boxes and sets. You get the star quarterback, but you also get his long snapper. For some of these athletes, this might be the only trading card they ever get in their entire career. That’s what makes it special.”
Parker arrives with a collector’s eye and real executive range — an SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree in 2021, former NASCAR executive, and current CEO of Mantel, the collectibles-focused social platform Ohanian launched in early 2024. Parker will remain involved with Mantel while leading ONIT full-time. ONIT’s 32 management and operations staffers are staying on post-acquisition.
Why Does Ohanian’s Involvement Matter for Collectors?
Celebrity ownership moves product. It also moves awareness — and ONIT needs more of both.
The company posted 244% revenue growth over the last two calendar years and worked with more than 8,000 student-athletes across 212 teams in the 2024-25 academic year. That growth is impressive. The ceiling, with Seven Seven Six behind it, is considerably higher.
Ohanian’s broader portfolio is a direct signal of intent. Seven Seven Six has backed Angel City FC, Los Angeles Volleyball, the ATHLOS track-and-field league, and a TGL golf team. ONIT fits that same thesis: women’s sports, underserved audiences and communities that card collecting has historically ignored.
“I don’t think there’s another card company that has put as many collegiate women on cards than Onit has,” Ohanian told SBJ.
ONIT’s first retail distribution post-acquisition arrives later this month. The 2026 Gravity Baseball set — featuring 100 premier college baseball players, including soon-to-be No. 1 MLB Draft pick Roch Cholowsky of UCLA — will hit shelves at Walmart and Best Buy in June. It also debuts ONIT’s premium ION optichrome printing technology.
For collectors, the play is simple: get in early, follow the release calendar, and watch how ONIT builds over the next few years. The product is already strong. The backing just got a lot bigger.
(Note: AI assisted in summarizing the key points for this story.)