Many professional athletes are not only successful in their sport but also in the business world. An increasing number of athletes recognize the potential of startups and invest in innovative companies, either as business angels or as founders themselves. In this article, we will introduce you to some successful athletes who have already invested in startups and show you how exciting and lucrative investing in young companies can be. These are all great examples, but it's important to note that startup investments come with high risk.
Here are a few examples from Germany and Switzerland:
Alexander & Mischa Zverev: The two brothers recently founded their own investment firm, Tie-Break Ventures, and have since been investing in innovative young companies. This includes sustainable software-as-a-service startup Empower from Norway.
Andre Schürrle: The former footballer surprised everyone last year by ending his career. During his active years, Andre Schürrle started building his startup portfolio and continues to expand it. His investments include companies like Sanity Group and Sorare.
Benjamin Henrichs: Just a few days ago, it was announced that Benjamin Henrichs has become an investor in FOUNDERS LEAGUE. The "startup for startups" was able to convince not only the RB Leipzig footballer but also Luca Waldschmidt from Wolfsburg. But that's not all: In addition, he announced his entry into the fashion scouting app "pola" in January. This means he has already outperformed his goal of making at least one startup investment in 2023.
Dennis Aogo: Dennis Aogo is a former national player and has been an Athlete Angel for 7 years. Similar to Andre Schürrle, he invested in the Sanity Group. Additionally, he holds a stake in the coaching startup Sharpist.
Franziska von Almsick: The former German swimmer recently invested in the football club Viktoria Berlin. As a successful athlete and businesswoman, she brings not only financial support but also her experience and network to the organization. With the support of Almsick and other investors, the club now has the opportunity to stabilize its finances and invest in youth work and infrastructure.
Luca Waldschmidt: As mentioned earlier, the footballer is a new shareholder in the startup FOUNDERS LEAGUE. In addition to his investment in the young company and his career as a professional athlete, Luca Waldschmidt is also building his own startup. Grab Perfect is developing an innovative golf glove.
Mario Götze: Along with Nico Rosberg, he may be the most well-known German Athlete Angel. Mario Götze has been active as a business angel for several years and invests in multiple startups annually. A few weeks ago, we published a dedicated article about his startup investments.
Nico Rosberg: Nico Rosberg's retirement from Formula 1 after winning the world championship in 2016 surprised many. Some wondered what the future path of the motorsport athlete would be. However, he immediately immersed himself in new projects. One of them is his regular investments in sustainable startups like TIER Mobility or Volocopter.
Roger Federer: As one of the few sports billionaires, Roger Federer has managed to successfully invest his money through tournament prize money, sponsorship contracts, and wise investments. In 2019, he invested an estimated amount of 46 million euros in the shoe startup On. Through the company's IPO in 2021, he likely made over 100 million euros in profit. Additionally, Federer is involved in the agency Team 8, which represents several tennis professionals.
Thomas Müller: The Bavarian national player is also part of the Athlete Angels community. Just last year, he joined the Munich-based startup Greenforce. As a result, he can now include vegan products in his investment portfolio.
As you can see, there are many successful athletes who invest in startups, including these examples. Currently, men's football is particularly prominent in Germany. However, the topic of startup investment is gaining attention in other sports and women's sports as well. Athletes recognize the potential of innovative companies and understand the importance of investing in the future. There is no better time than now to start a career as a business angel. Athlete Capital focuses precisely on that and helps professional athletes on their path to becoming successful athlete angels. Learn about the various opportunities and find out which type of startup suits you best.
Referenzen: Business Insider, Nico Rosberg, LinkedIn, Crunchbase, Tie-Break Ventures, t-online.de
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