Upside Analysis: The Top 52 Sports Tech Investors (VCs, Family Offices)
In the past 10 years we have worked with some of the most prevalent sports tech investors (VCs, family offices, angel investors..) out there. We have essentially brought deal flow to those investors on a regular basis. Investors are always looking for sports tech startups to invest in. They are looking to invest in startups led by experienced founders, building cutting edge technologies, in fast growing markets, who can generate a nice ROI for them. From a startup founders point of view, raising money is not an easy task. It requires lots of perseverance, focus, and sometimes luck to be able to raise capital. The world of sports tech investments is also a fairly tight community where many sports tech investors share deal flows on a regular basis. So with that in mind we thought it would be a good idea to put together an analysis on the key sports tech investment trends and the Top Sports tech investors. Please keep in mind that this list of Top sports tech investors is highly subjective.
1. Overview of 2024 Sports Tech Investments
The total sports tech investment in the first half of 2024 was $34.2 billion:
Merger and acquisition (M&A) deals: 225 deals worth $27.3 billion, the most ever in a first half of a year
Private placements: 342 deals totaling $1.9 billion
Notable transactions: Silver Lake acquired Endeavor for $13 billion, and Riddell raised $400 million
The growth was driven by innovations in fan engagement, performance analytics, wearable tech, and Web3 integrations in sports.
Other trends in the sports tech market in 2024 include:
Early-stage funding: Over 80% of private financing agreements were early-stage
Wearable tech: Wearable tech specialists generated 42% of all private deals
Media investment in women's sports: The NCAA received $32.2 million, the WNBA received $20.1 million, the NWSL received $8.3 million, and PGA Women's Golf received $6.4 million
According to SportsTechX, the global sports tech ecosystem is projected to have nearly $10 billion in dealflow in 2024. However, the industry is only expected to slightly surpass 2023's numbers, which were a nine-year low.
The global sports technology market size is estimated to grow by USD 37.85 billion from 2024-2028, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 23.96% during the forecast period. Rising number of sports technology events is driving market growth, with a trend towards increasing incorporation of smart stadiums and venue technologies. However, increasing number of fatalities in hard adventure sports activities poses a challenge.
2. Key Trends Driving Investments
Fan-Centric Innovations
Fan engagement remains a major driver of investment. Platforms leveraging AR/VR, NFTs, and social gamification have attracted high valuations due to their ability to create new revenue streams.
AI and Data Analytics
Sports organizations increasingly rely on AI-powered analytics for performance optimization, injury prevention, and game strategy. This trend has accelerated investments in AI startups.
Esports Growth
The esports ecosystem continues to expand, attracting sponsorships, media rights deals, and a growing audience. Youth-focused gaming brands have been key in this space.
Health and Fitness Tech
Wearables, recovery tools, and fitness apps surged, particularly those offering remote training and real-time biometric monitoring.
Sustainability
Green tech innovations in sports stadiums, apparel, and events have piqued the interest of ESG-focused investors.
3. Stats and Drivers
Top Regions: Silicon Valley, London, Berlin, Shanghai
Major Drivers:
Increased digitization of sports.
Demand for immersive fan experiences.
Rising health awareness.
Increased demand from teams to reduce athletes’ injuries.
Institutional interest in esports and gaming.
Increased innovation in AI (Gen AI).
4. Summary Table of Top 52 Sports Tech Investors
Here are also the detailed profiles on the top 52 Sports Tech investors:
Please note that this is not an actual ranking of sports tech VCs/family office but just a list of what we believe are the top sports tech investors.
Mindspring Capital
Areas of Focus: Sports technology and B2B sectors.
Number of Investments: Not readily available
Stage of Investment: Early-stage
Example of portfolio startups: Curastory, Slate Pumpjack, Horizm
Fund Size: Not publicly disclosed
HQ: Newport Beach, California
Website: https://www.mindspring.capital/
RSE Ventures
Areas of Focus: Sports, media, and entertainment, with a focus on technology-enabled businesses.
Number of Investments: 75
Stage of Investment: Varies widely
Example of portfolio startups: Dapper labs, Infinite Reality
Fund Size: Multiple funds with varying sizes
HQ: New York, NY
Website: https://rseventures.com/
ADvantage
Areas of Focus: Sports, media, and entertainment, with a focus on technology-enabled businesses.
Number of Investments: 30
Stage of Investment: Varies
Example of portfolio startups: Greenfly, Realfevr, Tappp
Fund Size: $100M
HQ: Israel
Website: https://advantage.vc/
Langleven
Areas of Focus: Human performance, health tech
Number of Investments: Early stage
Stage of Investment: Primarily seed and Series A
Example of portfolio startups: Supersapiens, PonteMed AG, EXI
Fund Size: $75M
HQ: Montreal (Quebec)
Website: https://www.langleven.com/
Elevate Ventures
Areas of Focus: Broad range of industries, including sports technology.
Number of Investments: Numerous
Stage of Investment: Varies across stages
Example of portfolio startups: Authenticx, Anvl
Fund Size: Multiple funds with varying sizes ($100M growth stage fund)
HQ: Indianapolis, Indiana
Website: https://www.elevateventures.com/
Bruin Capital
Areas of Focus: Sports, media, and entertainment investments across various sectors.
Number of Investments: 40
Stage of Investment: Varies across stages
Example of portfolio startups: Deltatre, Two Circles
Fund Size: Multiple funds with varying sizes (including a $1B fund)
HQ: White Plain, NY
Website: https://www.bruincapital.com/
Will Ventures
Areas of Focus: Seed to Series A sports tech, media, and fitness startups
Stage of Investment: Seed to Series A
Number of Investments: Not readily available
Fund Size: $200M
Example of portfolio startups: Breathwrk, Fanstake, Future, Infinite Athlete, Jump, Gemini Sports Analytics, Athletes Unlimited and Just Women's Sports, STREET FC.
HQ: Boston, MA.
Website: https://willventures.com/
TitletownTech
Areas of Focus: Sports technology, with a focus on areas like fan engagement, player performance, and sports betting.
Number of Investments: Not readily available
Stage of Investment: Early-stage to growth
Example of portfolio startups: Realta Fusion, Synthetaic
Fund Size: $95M
HQ: Green Bay, Wisconsin
Website: https://www.titletowntech.com/
Sapphire Sport
Areas of Focus: Sports technology, media, and entertainment, with a focus on early-stage companies.
Number of Investments: 20
Stage of Investment: Primarily seed and Series A
Example of portfolio startups: Tonal, Mycujoo, overtime, Fevo, Breathwrk, Green Park
Fund Size: $296M
HQ: Palo Alto, California
Website: https://www.sapphireventures.com
Athletic Ventures
Areas of Focus: Sports technology, media, and entertainment, with a focus on early-stage companies.
Number of Investments: 15
Stage of Investment: Primarily seed and Series A
Example of portfolio startups: Canva, MGI Golf, Teamworks
Fund Size: Not publicly disclosed
HQ: Sydney (Australia)
Website: https://www.athleticventures.com/
APEX Capital
Areas of Focus: Sports, Entertainment & Fitness
Number of Investments: 7
Stage of Investment: early stage: $250k. Seed/A: $500-$1.5M
Example of portfolio startups:
Fund Size: Not publicly disclosed
HQ: Caxias, Lisbon (Portugal)
Website: https://apex-cp.com/
Upside interview here.
Aser Ventures
Areas of Focus: Sports, media, and entertainment, with a focus on technology-enabled businesses.
Number of Investments: 25
Stage of Investment: Varies across stages
Example of portfolio startups: Foxtel Group, Rhode, and Reaxing.
Fund Size: Multiple funds with varying sizes
HQ: London, United Kingdom
Website: https://www.aser.com/
Upside interview here.
Seventure Partners
Areas of Focus: Healthcare, digital, and life sciences, with a focus on sports technology within healthcare.
Number of Investments: 250
Stage of Investment: Varies across stages
Example of portfolio startups: Enterome, Karius, MedinCell, Vedanta Biosciences
Fund Size: Multiple funds with varying sizes (€900 million assets under management)
HQ: Paris, France
Website: https://www.seventure.com/
Atletico Ventures
Areas of Focus: Agnostic with important focus on Consumer, Impact and Sports & Entertainment
Number of Investments: 16
Stage of Investment: Late seed to Series B
Example of portfolio startups: Sorare, Oura, SocrePlay, Cowboy
Fund Size: Not publicly disclosed
HQ: Paris (France)
Website: https://www.athletico.vc/
Upside interview here.
Liberty City Ventures
Areas of Focus: Sports technology, media, and entertainment, with a focus on diverse founders and underserved communities.
Number of Investments: Not readily available
Stage of Investment: Early-stage
Example of portfolio startups: mmERCH, Fuze, Moca, TinyTap, and Gryfyn.
Fund Size: Not publicly disclosed
HQ: New York City
Website: https://www.libertycityventures.com/
Venturerock
Areas of Focus: Sports technology, media, and entertainment, with a focus on early-stage companies.
Number of Investments: Not readily available
Stage of Investment: Primarily seed and Series A
Example of portfolio startups: UNL, areas like blockchain, AI, IoT, Fintech, HealthTech, and Smart City.
Fund Size: Not publicly disclosed
HQ: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Website: https://www.venturerock.com/
Rock Ventures (Family offices, owned by Gilbert Family, Cleveland Cavaliers/NBA owner)
Areas of Focus: Sports, media, and entertainment, with a focus on technology-enabled businesses.
Number of Investments: 150
Stage of Investment: Varies
Example of portfolio startups: 100 Thieves, Flex, Plain Sight, Rocket Companies, WSC Sports, Zeck.
Fund Size: Not publicly disclosed
HQ: Detroit, Michigan.
Website: https://rock.com
KB Partners
Areas of Focus: Sports (wearables, health tech), media, and entertainment
Number of Investments: 119
Stage of Investment: Varies
Example of portfolio startups: 3ICE, nVenue, Omorpho
Fund Size: $127M
HQ: Highland Park, Illinois
Website: https://kbpartners.com/
ION Crossover Partners
Areas of Focus: Technology, media, and telecommunications, with a focus on sports technology within those sectors.
Number of Investments: Not disclosed
Stage of Investment: Varies across stages
Example of portfolio startups: Aqua Security, Twill (formerly Happify Health)
Fund Size: Multiple funds with varying sizes
HQ: Herzliya, Israel.
24Haymarket
Areas of Focus: Sports, media, and entertainment, with a focus on technology-enabled businesses.
Number of Investments: 56
Stage of Investment: Varies
Example of portfolio startups: DrDoctor, MediSlieve
Fund Size: 104M Pounds
HQ: London (UK)
Website: https://24haymarket.com/
Serena Ventures
Areas of Focus: Diverse sectors, including sports, media, and entertainment.
Number of Investments: 80
Stage of Investment: Varies across stages
Example of portfolio startups: MasterClass, Tonal, Noom, Impossible Foods, Sorare.
Fund Size: Multiple funds with varying sizes ($111M fund)
HQ: Washington, District of Columbia
Website: https://www.serenaventures.com/
Northzone
Areas of Focus: Technology, with a focus on sports technology within specific sectors.
Number of Investments: 175
Stage of Investment: Varies across stages
Example of portfolio startups: Spotify, Izettle, Klarna, Avito, Hopin
Fund Size: Multiple funds with varying sizes ($1B fund)
HQ: London (UK)
Website: https://www.northzone.com/
Ryan Sports Ventures
Areas of Focus: Sports technology, properties, and content & media.
Number of Investments: 12+
Stage of Investment: Early-stage to growth
Example of portfolio startups: Greenfly, Sportable, Youth inc
Fund Size: Not publicly disclosed
HQ: Chicago, Illinois
Website: https://www.ryansportsventures.com/
Powerhouse Capital
Areas of Focus: Sports, media, and entertainment, with a focus on technology-enabled businesses.
Number of Investments: Not readily available
Stage of Investment: Varies, likely across seed to later stages
Example of portfolio startups: Calm, MasterClass, Youth Inc, Balltime, The Athletic
Fund Size: $75M
HQ: Los Angeles, CA
Website: https://powerhouse.vc/about/
Scrum VC
Areas of Focus: Early-stage investments in sports technology, media, and entertainment companies.
Number of Investments: Not readily available
Stage of Investment: Primarily seed and Series A
Example of portfolio startups: Project Admission, Amptalk, and Habitto.
Fund Size: Not publicly disclosed
HQ: San Francisco, CA
Website: https://scrum.vc/
Andreessen Horowitz
Areas of Focus: Web3, esports, and fan engagement startups
Stage of Investment: Series A and growth stages
Number of Investments: Not readily available
Fund Size: $35B in assets
Example of portfolio startups: FanCraze, OpenSea, and Sorare
HQ: Menlo Park, California
Website: https://a16z.com/
Sequoia Capital
Areas of Focus: Early-stage fitness tech, AI, and analytics companies
Stage of Investment: Early-stage
Number of Investments: Not readily available
Fund Size: $85B under management
Example of portfolio startups: Whoop, Strava, and GameOn
HQ: Menlo Park, California
Website: https://www.sequoiacap.com/
Accel Partners
Areas of Focus: AR/VR and wearable technology
Stage of Investment: Series A
Number of Investments: Not readily available
Fund Size: $20B
Example of portfolio startups: Oculus, Zwift, and PlayerData
HQ: Palo Alto, California
Website: https://www.accel.com/
Sapphire Ventures
Areas of Focus: Growth-stage investments in AI and performance analytics
Stage of Investment: Growth-stage
Number of Investments: Not readily available
Fund Size: $10B
Example of portfolio startups: Kitman Labs, Greenfly, and SkillCorner
HQ: Palo Alto, California
Website: https://sapphireventures.com/
29.Insight Partners
Areas of Focus: Late-stage esports and gaming companies
Stage of Investment: Late-stage
Number of Investments: Not readily available
Fund Size: $33B
Example of portfolio startups: Twitch, Riot Games, and Cloud9
HQ: New York, New York
Website: https://insightpartners.com/
BITKRAFT Ventures
Areas of Focus: Esports and gaming startups
Stage of Investment: Seed to Series A
Number of Investments: Not readily available
Fund Size: $1B
Example of portfolio startups: Epic Games, ESL, and Luminosity Gaming
HQ: New York, New York
Website: https://bitkraft.vc/
31.Courtside Ventures
Areas of Focus: Pre-Seed - Series B focused on sports, gaming and lifestyle
Stage of Investment: Pre-Seed - Series B
Number of Investments: Not readily available
Fund Size: $200M (this is AUM figured)
Example of portfolio startups: Overtime, Freeletics, Fan Controlled Football, The Athletic, StockX.
HQ: Los Angeles, California. Their HQ is in NYC
Website: https://courtsidevc.com/
Upside interview here.
32.General Catalyst
Areas of Focus: Wearables and digital health
Stage of Investment: Series A
Number of Investments: Not readily available
Fund Size: $8B
Example of portfolio startups: WHOOP, Hyperice, and Aura Health
HQ: Boston, Massachusetts
Website: https://generalcatalyst.com/
Forerunner Ventures
Areas of Focus: Series A direct-to-consumer sports tech companies
Stage of Investment: Series A
Number of Investments: Not readily available
Fund Size: $1.5B
Example of portfolio startups: Vuori, Outdoor Voices, and FORM Swim Goggles
HQ: San Francisco, California
Website: https://forerunner.com/
34.Next Ventures
Areas of Focus: Seed-stage health, fitness, and recovery startups
Stage of Investment: Seed-stage
Number of Investments: Not readily available
Fund Size: $50M
Example of portfolio startups: Oura, Vital, Juno, Scorched Ice
HQ: Los Angeles, California
Website: https://nextventures.com/
35.SOSV
Areas of Focus: Early-stage sports tech startups
Stage of Investment: Early-stage
Number of Investments: 900
Example of portfolio startups: Lief, FLOWBIO
Fund Size: $1B
HQ: Shanghai, China
Website: https://sosv.com/
500 Global
Areas of Focus: Seed to Series A sports tech and fitness startups
Stage of Investment: Seed to Series A
Number of Investments: 2600
Example of portfolio startups: Canva, Reddit, Forged Sports, Preciser, Sportwey, TeamUp.
Fund Size: $2.7B in assets
HQ: Mountain View, California
Website: https://500.co/
GV (Google Ventures)
Areas of Focus: Series B AI, AR/VR, and fan engagement companies
Stage of Investment: Series B
Number of Investments: 800
Example of portfolio startups: StatusPRO, Dapper Labs
Fund Size: $8B
HQ: Mountain View, California
Website: https://www.gv.com/
RRE Ventures
Areas of Focus: Performance analytics and gaming companies
Stage of Investment: Series A
Number of Investments: 400
Fund Size: $2B
Example of portfolio startups: FanDuel, Hudl, and BoomTV
HQ: New York, New York
Website: https://rre.com/
The Raine Group
Areas of Focus: Growth-stage esports and media rights investments
Stage of Investment: Growth-stage
Number of Investments: 94
Fund Size: $4B
Example of portfolio startups: DraftKings, ImagineAR, and Mythical Games
HQ: New York, New York
Website: https://www.raine.com/
Elysian Park Ventures
Areas of Focus: Seed-stage sustainability and wearable tech companies
Stage of Investment: Seed-stage
Number of Investments: 70
Fund Size: $250M
Example of portfolio startups: Second Spectrum and Beyond Pulse
HQ: Los Angeles, California
Website: https://elysianpark.ventures
Benchmark Capital
Areas of Focus: Series A companies in AI and fitness tech
Stage of Investment: Series A
Number of Investments: 800
Fund Size: $3B
Example of portfolio startups: Peloton, Hyfit, and MindBody
HQ: Menlo Park, California
Website: https://www.benchmark.com/
Lightspeed Venture Partners
Areas of Focus: Series B esports and social gaming companies
Stage of Investment: Series B
Number of Investments: 1500
Fund Size: $12B
Example of portfolio startups: Epic Games and Snapchat Gaming
HQ: Menlo Park, California
Website: https://www.lsvp.com/
5Point Ventures (Dallas Cowboys/NFL’s family office)
Areas of Focus: Seed to Series A sports tech startups
Stage of Investment: Seed to Series A
Number of Investments: 1
Fund Size: $150M
Example of portfolio startups: Ozlo
HQ: Various (Team-owned family offices)
Website: https://5pointvp.com/
Marquee Ventures (Chicago Cubs/MLB’s family office)
Areas of Focus: Series A fan engagement and media tech startups
Stage of Investment: Series A
Number of Investments: 14
Fund Size: Not disclosed.
Example of portfolio startups: GREENFLY, ACTION, Anzu, Valence, ORO Labs.
HQ: Chicago, IL
Website: https://www.marqueeventures.com
Next3 Ventures
Areas of Focus: Seed-stage health and performance startups
Stage of Investment: Seed-stage
Number of Investments: Not readily available
Example of investments: NJ/NY Gotham FC (NSWL).
Fund Size: Not disclosed.
Example of portfolio startups: Hyperice and Push Performance
HQ: New York, New York
Website: https://www.next3ventures.com/
Rabil Ventures
Areas of Focus: Sports technology, media, and entertainment, with a focus on lacrosse.
Number of Investments: 30
Stage of Investment: Early-stage to growth
Example of portfolio startups: Impossible Food, Hone Health
Fund Size: Not publicly disclosed
HQ: san Francisco, CA
Website: https://rabilventures.com/
Drive By DraftKings
Areas of Focus: Gaming, Fandom, Human Performance
Stage of Investment: Seed to Series A+
Number of Investments: 25
Fund Size: $60M+
Example of portfolio startups: Bandit Running, Jump, Just Women's Sports, Ozlo, Tappp, WHOOP
HQ: Boston, Massachusetts
Website: drivebydraftkings.com
Upside interview here.
SeventySix Capital
Areas of Focus: Seed-stage sports innovation and esports companies
Stage of Investment: Seed-stage
Number of Investments: 56
Fund Size: $150M
Example of portfolio startups: Team Whistle and Nerd Street Gamers
HQ: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Website: https://seventysixcapital.com/
LEAD Sports
Areas of Focus: Sports, Media, Health, Wellness
Stage of Investment: Seed to Series A ($100k to $2.5M, Pre-seed, Seed, and Series A)
Number of Investments: 70+
Fund Size: $120M
Example of portfolio startups: GREENFLY, Calorify, Gemini Sports Analytics
HQ: Orlando, FL
Website: https://www.lead.sports/
WISE Ventures (the investment arm of the Wilf family – owners of the Minnesota Vikings (NFL), Orlando City SC and Pride (MLS / NWSL)
Areas of Focus: Series A esports and gaming platforms
Stage of Investment: Seed / Series A ($500K to $3M, with capital reserved for potential follow-on investments).
Number of Investments: 30
Fund Size: Not disclosed.
Example of portfolio startups: Tonal, WSC Sports, Arena, Supersapiens, StatusPRO.
HQ: New York, New York
Website: https://wiseventuresllc.com/
Upside interview here.
Reform Ventures (Thad Young (NBA player)’s family office)
Areas of Focus: Early-stage sports innovation companies
Stage of Investment: Seed to Series A
Number of Investments: 211
Fund Size: Not disclosed.
Example of portfolio startups: Dapper Labs, AirbnB, Lyft, Tonal, GameChanger, LeagueApps, RunSafe, Plantiga, Epicore, OXEFIT.
HQ: New York, New York
Website: https://reformventures.com/
Upside interview here.
The Techstars Sports Accelerator Powered by Indy
Areas of Focus: Early-stage sports startups
Stage of Investment: Seed-stage
Number of Investments: 62
Fund Size: Varies per program
Example of portfolio startups: ZoneIn, SIQ, VOW, Playerdata
HQ: New York, New York
Website: https://www.techstars.com/
5. Recommendations for Stakeholders
Startups: Focus on niche innovation, especially in AI, sustainability, and fan engagement platforms.
Investors: Diversify across regions and sectors to maximize ROI.
Sports Organizations: Partner with tech startups to enhance operational efficiency and fan interaction.
6. Recommendations for Startups Seeking to Raise Money
Understand Your Market: Conduct thorough research to identify gaps and opportunities in the sports tech industry. Align your solution with current market trends like AI, wearables, or fan engagement platforms.
Create a Solid Business Plan: Clearly outline your vision, target audience, revenue model, and growth strategy. Highlight potential scalability and ROI for investors.
Build a Strong Team: Investors prioritize startups with experienced and credible leadership. Highlight your team’s expertise in technology, sports, or entrepreneurship.
Develop an MVP: Demonstrate your product’s feasibility by building a Minimum Viable Product (MVP). Show proof of concept and early traction.
Leverage Networks: Attend industry events, join accelerators, and connect with investors specializing in sports tech to increase visibility.
Prepare for Due Diligence: Be transparent with financials, customer testimonials, and projections. Investors appreciate startups with robust documentation and data.
Tailor Your Pitch: Customize your pitch to align with the investment focus (e.g., seed, Series A) and preferences of each investor. Emphasize how your solution fits their portfolio.
Showcase Long-Term Value: Highlight how your solution aligns with emerging trends and offers sustainable growth opportunities for investors.
Seek Strategic Partnerships: Collaborate with sports organizations or brands to strengthen credibility and market reach.
7. Conclusions
The sports tech industry is entering a golden era, driven by technological advancements and increasing consumer demand for immersive, data-driven, and sustainable experiences. Investors are diversifying their portfolios across Web3, AI analytics, and health tech, ensuring robust growth opportunities. Collaboration between traditional sports organizations and tech innovators is expected to deepen in the coming years.
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