After Leo DiCaprio Invests, Lance Armstrong Races To Promote, Advise Mobli

Mobli, the startup behind the eponymous, much-hyped realtime photo and video sharing service, has struck a partnership with road racing cyclist and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong.

Armstrong, a seven-time Tour de France champion, will be making use of a private Mobli channel to keep his fans and followers up-to-date on his life through videos, photos and whatnot.

The man is also joining the startup’s boards of advisors, not too long after another major celebrity, actor Leonardo DiDCaprio, participated in a $4 million funding round for the company.

Said Armstrong:

“When I was first introduced to Mobli, I immediately thought it was an extraordinary platform and an innovative yet accessible way for different audiences to share their stories. I’m excited to use Mobli as a direct channel for my social media followers to get a personal look at my experiences day to day.”

The former pro cycler says he will use Mobli to share moments from his training sessions as well as his work with the Lance Armstrong Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on cancer research and support.

Armstrong is no stranger to social media. At the time of writing, he had about 3.2 million followers on Twitter, while his Facebook page has garnered over 2 million ‘likes’.

Bill Stapleton, founder of Capital Sports & Entertainment and Lance Armstrong’s long-time agent, will also work together with Mobli and has also joined the startup’s advisory board along with Armstrong and Andrew Razeghi, an author and professor at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

History teaches us that celebrity backers and endorsers can only contribute so much to the chances of success for a startup, but this kind of exposure can certainly help this type of service get some early traction more rapidly than usually. If you’re an early user, tell us what you think.