CHAMPS

Welcome on Champs, the podcast that analyses the phenomenon of athletes investing in start-ups.

If some athletes started to invest in tech in the late 90s, like Shaquille O'Neal who invested very early on in Google, the trend only gained traction 10 years later, first with NBA stars like Kobe Bryant, Lebron James ou encore Andre Iguodala. Progressively, it has expanded to other US athletes, like Serena Williams who launched her own Serena Ventures. Today, the phenomenon is just getting into Europe with athletes like Tony Parker, Andy Murray or Rory McIlroy who are just paving the way for the next generation.

With our guests, we try to understand why and how athletes invest in start-ups and how they can help them grow beyond their cash injection.

Season 1 will focus on entrepreneurs who raised money from pro athletes, trying to understand how they got in touch with their "special" investor, the specificities of raising money from such profiles, and how athletes can support them to execute on their growth ambitions.

This podcast is produced by Athletico Ventures, the first European club deal helping pro athletes to invest in the most promising consumer, impact or sports and media start-ups, alongside tier 1 investors.