Asian University Basketball League Raises Series A Round from NBA Team Owners, Yao Ming, and Global Investors
The Asian University Basketball League (AUBL) has successfully raised its Series A funding, led by Joe Tsai's Blue Pool Capital, with participation from Yao Ming and other major sports investors. The league announced its 2026 tournament and its inaugural 2026-27 home-and-away season.
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- 📰 Published: April 10, 2026 at 19:00
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The 'Asian University Basketball League' (AUBL), the premier international university basketball league in Asia, has recently completed a Series A funding round.
This round was led by Blue Pool Capital, the family office of Alibaba co-founder and NBA Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai, following the seed round funding led by the same firm in May of last year.
New investors include Avenue Capital led by Marc Lasry, former co-owner of the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks; Nan Fung Group, a leading Hong Kong-based conglomerate; HSG (formerly Sequoia China), one of Asia's most influential venture capital firms; Bolt Ventures, founded by David Blitzer, co-owner of the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers; and Yao Ming, a global basketball icon and former president of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA).
Officially recognized by the Asian University Sports Federation (AUSF), AUBL garnered global attention during its inaugural seven-day tournament held in Hangzhou, China, last summer. Featuring world-class production and 12 powerhouse Asian university basketball teams, the event attracted over 65 million viewers via live streaming and more than 29,000 fans at the venue.
Under Armour and J.P. Morgan Private Bank are the first brands to partner with AUBL. Additionally, AUBL launched the next-generation development program 'Hoop Scholars' in Hong Kong last December.
Powered by this new funding, AUBL announces the following upcoming tournaments for the 2026-27 season:
* AUBL 2026 Tournament: To be held as a single-elimination tournament in Hangzhou, China, from Sunday, August 2 to Sunday, August 9. Twelve powerhouse university basketball teams from the Greater China region, Japan, South Korea, Mongolia, and first-time participants the Philippines and Australia will compete for the second AUBL Championship title. Participating teams will be announced in May.
* AUBL 2026-27 Season: Sixteen top-tier Asian university teams will make history in AUBL's first-ever home-and-away season format. Matches will be held in major cities across Asia from late November 2026 through early April 2027. Detailed league formats and schedules will be announced later this year.
This round was led by Blue Pool Capital, the family office of Alibaba co-founder and NBA Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai, following the seed round funding led by the same firm in May of last year.
New investors include Avenue Capital led by Marc Lasry, former co-owner of the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks; Nan Fung Group, a leading Hong Kong-based conglomerate; HSG (formerly Sequoia China), one of Asia's most influential venture capital firms; Bolt Ventures, founded by David Blitzer, co-owner of the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers; and Yao Ming, a global basketball icon and former president of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA).
Officially recognized by the Asian University Sports Federation (AUSF), AUBL garnered global attention during its inaugural seven-day tournament held in Hangzhou, China, last summer. Featuring world-class production and 12 powerhouse Asian university basketball teams, the event attracted over 65 million viewers via live streaming and more than 29,000 fans at the venue.
Under Armour and J.P. Morgan Private Bank are the first brands to partner with AUBL. Additionally, AUBL launched the next-generation development program 'Hoop Scholars' in Hong Kong last December.
Powered by this new funding, AUBL announces the following upcoming tournaments for the 2026-27 season:
* AUBL 2026 Tournament: To be held as a single-elimination tournament in Hangzhou, China, from Sunday, August 2 to Sunday, August 9. Twelve powerhouse university basketball teams from the Greater China region, Japan, South Korea, Mongolia, and first-time participants the Philippines and Australia will compete for the second AUBL Championship title. Participating teams will be announced in May.
* AUBL 2026-27 Season: Sixteen top-tier Asian university teams will make history in AUBL's first-ever home-and-away season format. Matches will be held in major cities across Asia from late November 2026 through early April 2027. Detailed league formats and schedules will be announced later this year.