London-based Athletico Ventures, a venture capital firm that assists elite athletes in investing in promising startups, announced that it has launched its first collective investment vehicle named Athletico Ventures Collective#1.
The goal of the collective is to invest in the most promising European startups by utilising its members’ combined networks and expertise. After investing, the group will support these startups in various ways.
This collective has sent out initial investments of €150K into European startups in the B2C and B2B sectors. They focus on late seed to Series B funding in Consumer, Impact (especially in education, health, climate, and food), and Sports and entertainment verticals.
The newly formed investment group has closed six investments, including Wethenew (Series B), Life5 (Series A), Scoreplay (Seed), Omada (Seed), and others that are yet to be announced.
Members of the collective
The collective is made up of over 40 elite athletes from various sports, such as football, Formula 1, Formula E, tennis, volleyball, basketball, and eSports, as well as tech figures, senior corporate executives, and top-tier investors.
Some renowned names on the list include international football stars Antoine Griezmann, Eric Dier, Randal Kolo Muani, and Sébastien Haller, as well as Pierre Gasly (F1), Jean-Eric Vergne (Formula E, WECC), Paul-Henri Mathieu (Tennis), Wilfredo León Venero (Volleyball), and Gotaga (Esports).
The roster also boasts tech figures like Roxanne Varza of Station F, senior sports executives like Andrew Georgiou of WarnerBros Discovery, Family Offices represented by AASONS of Afflelou, and top-tier investors like Benoît Verbrugghe and Martin Mignot of Index.
The members are not only joining forces for co-investment but also to exchange experiences with one another.
“We are extremely proud and honoured to have assembled such a diverse group of investors, with complementary backgrounds, expertise, networks and geographic coverage including France, UK, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Italy, and more,” says Arthur Bernard, Founder of Athletico Ventures.
“We can’t wait to partner with bold entrepreneurs across Europe to support them in their growth ambitions,” adds Bernard.
About Athletico Ventures
Athletico Ventures was established in 2020 by Arthur Bernard, a senior executive with over 15 years of experience in the sports and media industry across various functions. The firm aims to assist elite athletes in investing in promising startups, both in the B2C and B2B sectors, along with tier 1 investors.
Before introducing Athletico Ventures Collective#1, Athletico Ventures focused on pooling athletes’ investments on a per-deal basis. The firm finalised ten investments in startups such as Sorare, Oura, All Plants, and Cowboy.
Athletico Ventures stands out from other venture capital firms with its distinct approach. Their collaborative follower approach requires limited ownership with their smaller check size. It also has a highly differentiated value-add, primarily stemming from its investors’ collective expertise and connections in various industries.
Compared to other athletes’ funds, Athletico Ventures emphasises sector diversification of industries to invest in. The firm also values athletes as investors for more than just their influence, recognising their competitive mindset, social skills, networks, and brand influence.