It's that time again - the Athlete Angel Update is here! This blog series provides regular updates on the latest developments in the world of Athlete Angels. Who has made a new investment? Which athletes are taking their first steps in the startup scene? These and other questions will be addressed in this section.
This is the third episode, where we look back on the past few months of 2023. We have some experienced Athlete Angels joining us!
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Mario Götze
The professional football player from Eintracht Frankfurt is regularly featured in the episodes. In the past weeks, additional investment deals have been announced.
Two months ago, Mario publicly announced his investment in Parloa. The SaaS platform aims to significantly reduce waiting times in customer service calls using artificial intelligence. Customer communication is intended to be automated. The Series A round of €20 million was led by the VC fund EQT Ventures. Through his company Companion-M, Mario owns just under 1% of the company.
Another investment made by the football star is in PULT. The startup develops an innovative software solution for hybrid work, which is particularly relevant in the current era of remote work. The software aims to improve work productivity and organization. Mario participated in the pre-seed round last year.
Vivalyx is another startup that he has provided funding for. The young company operates in the Health Tech and Life Science Tech industries. They aim to increase vitality and the number of donated organs to save people suffering from organ failure.
In addition to the three startup investments, Mario has also invested in another VC fund, Possible Ventures. The focus is on supporting startups that address the challenges of our society with innovative technologies. The portfolio includes companies like Marvel Fusion and Meatable.
Johannes Manske
Johannes is a special Athlete Angel. He doesn't invest in startups alone but participates through Humboldt Ventures, alongside Johannes Reck, the founder of GetYourGuide. A recently announced investment was made in RYDES. This startup focuses on a mobility budget platform for employee mobility in companies. In a seed round, the B2B startup raised €3.5 million. Humboldt Ventures owns less than 1% of the company's shares.
Nico Rosberg
The Formula 1 World Champion of 2016 is an experienced investor who has been involved in numerous startups for years. His focus is particularly on sustainability. Recently, he invested in a tech startup called Hyperline. Hyperline specializes in providing SaaS companies with a flexible solution for creating pricing models and invoices. Nico participated in the seed round, investing €4 million in the startup.
Toni Kroos
Even Toni has made investments in the past. His latest investment is going into the Berlin-based startup Duke. The company aims to disrupt the car rental industry by delivering the cars flexibly to customers and also picking them up on-site. The footballer from Real Madrid holds a significant stake of 14% in the business, which is quite impressive.
Thomas Müller
Thomas Müller was already featured in the last episode, but he has expanded his portfolio once again. He is now a shareholder in smapOne, a no-code platform for creating digital apps easily. Employees of companies can develop digital processes without the need for programming skills. The investment took place during the Series A round, which raised nearly €20 million, back in August 2021. Several executives from major German corporations also invested alongside Thomas.
Today's episode features experienced investors, showcasing the growth of portfolios in the German Athlete Angels scene. It's a positive sign: they are expanding! It's also evident that there are many investments in digital platform solutions. Digitalization and process automation continue to be relevant business models.
If you came across terms you're unfamiliar with, you can now use the Athlete Capital Dictionary or reach out to our experienced investment manager at marion.reichel@athlete-capital.de! With Athlete Capital, all professional athletes now have the opportunity to take their first steps as investors, whether they are inexperienced or already active. Our offering, which includes a community platform and individual support, ensures a successful start as an Athlete Angel.
References: LinkedIn, Handelsregister, Handelsblatt
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