English Men's Soccer Captain Harry Kane, LIV Golf Star Brooks Koepka, St. Louis Blues Captain Brayden Schenn Among Elite Athletes Joining LEAD's Locker Room Fund

News provided by

Oct 21, 2024, 09:30 ET

LEAD's Locker Room is a Global Invite-Only Investment Fund Designed for Top-Tier Athletes and Business Leaders, Offering Access to Highly Exclusive Deal Flow and Investment Opportunities

BERLIN and LAKE NONA, Fla., Oct. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- LEAD, the global venture corporation shaping the future of sports and health, today announced that Harry Kane, Brooks Koepka, Brayden Schenn and other elite athletes are amongst the first to have joined its Locker Room fund. Founded by LEAD, Locker Room serves so-called athletepreneurs – professional athletes who are interested in entrepreneurial pursuits and business ventures – by presenting them with vetted opportunities to invest.

Locker Room takes the onus off of athletes by evaluating all investment opportunities which are funneled through its shareholders to LEAD's team of experts. From global athletes to institutional experts, Locker Room's ecosystem is designed to surface premium investment opportunities. The investment strategy spans across various industries and investment sizes, aiming to secure terms that are more advantageous than market standards. By leveraging the expertise and influence of their athletes, LEAD is able to enhance the commercialization of these opportunities.

"The name – Locker Room – is no accident. Locker rooms, home to teamwork and ingenuity, are synonymous with fierce competitors devising winning strategies. Sometimes, ideas are even formed in locker rooms. Our objective is to identify the most promising transactions from the vast ideas that are part of deal flow conversations. Within this Locker Room, we are presenting athletes with highly vetted opportunities from our networks that will enable them to see further off-field success and support others that are shaping the future of sports and health technology," said Jon Voigtman, LEAD board member.

"In addition to proactively seeking investment opportunities, we are excited to rely on our Locker Room shareholders to bring in potential investments that we can evaluate. We can tell athletes whether a deal is too risky, how we evaluate the competition, what would prevent something from being successful, or what we could do to turbo-charge the success of a company," said Brian Thompson, Fund CEO of Locker Room. " Our Locker Room community, an ideal pairing of the world's best athletes with the best investors in our space, is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for all involved."

In constructing Locker Room, LEAD has sought athletes who want to be actively involved with startups and authentically contribute to them in an area of long-term growth. Kane, Koepka and Schenn are among the first athletes to join Locker Room, with notable athletes across golf, soccer, baseball and other sports to be announced later.

"Being a part of Locker Room is exciting because it is more than just an investment opportunity – it is about athletes coming together to learn and grow beyond our sports," Harry Kane, England Men's Soccer Captain and Bayern Munich striker, said. "I've always been interested in athlete performance , and I'm not the only athlete thinking this way. Locker Room not only gives us the platform to impact the sports industry, but it allows us to do so with business ventures that personally interest and excite me. It's great to support companies that align with our values."

"Locker Room is unlike anything I've been involved in before. It's not just another investment opportunity – it's a chance to actively grow companies I'm genuinely passionate about," Brooks Koepka, LIV Golf star, said. "As an athlete, it's empowering to invest in ventures that align with my personal interests and values. I am inspired by knowing that my insights can contribute to something bigger, and I'm thrilled to be part of this innovative approach to investing."

"Locker Room is the latest powerhouse in LEAD's family of funds, joining LEAD ONE (pre-seed), Lake Nona Fund (seed), and ADvantage (Series A)," said Christoph Sonnen, founder and CEO of LEAD. "Our mission is simple yet bold: unite experts and innovators to shape the future of sports and health tech. Locker Room plays a pivotal role in this vision, bridging the drive of athletepreneurs with the brilliance of entrepreneurs, offering not just financial backing but also game-changing strategic insights to revolutionize the industry."

Comprised of the world's top athletes, Locker Room is an eight-figure fund of more than 20 shareholders actively involved in a select investment community. Its portfolio includes Eastside Golf, the apparel brand that is driving change in making golf more inclusive and appealing to young people; TMRW Sports, a company focused on building technology-focused ventures that feature progressive approaches to sports, media, and entertainment, founded by Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Mike McCarley. Locker Room is the newest of LEAD's four funds, which also include LEAD ONE (pre-seed), Lake Nona Fund (seed) and ADvantage (Series A).

About LEAD:
LEAD is a global venture corporation dedicated to enhancing lives through sports and health tech. Our family of funds delivers for entrepreneurs at every stage with capital, expertise, and strategic connections. Our advisory division helps corporations, consulting firms, sports properties, healthcare organizations and others bring their most innovative initiatives to life. While we work across different venture stages, industries, and areas of the world, on ideas for sports fans, athletes, and health-conscious consumers, everything we do has one thing in common: we aim to enhance lives, one idea at a time. Visit www.lead.vc for more.

SOURCE LEAD