LEAD Sports and Health Tech Partners Launches LEAD ONE, a Direct Investment Vehicle Targeting Pre-Seed Companies

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LEAD Sports and Health Tech Partners

Jul 25, 2024, 08:00 ET

Fund to Invest in 10 Pre-Seed Sports & Health Tech Companies Every Year
Venture Partners Include Professional Sports Teams (MLS, NBA), Sports Federations, Lifestyle Brands, Players Associations, Performance Facilities, and Health Systems

LAKE NONA, Fla. and BERLIN, July 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- LEAD Sports and Health Tech Partners (LEAD), a globally renowned sports and health tech venture corporation, today unveiled LEAD ONE, a new direct, pre-seed investment vehicle.

LEAD ONE is an evolution of LEAD's accelerator vehicle, reworked to meet the changing global market dynamics of early-stage venture and position our support in removing obstacles for organizations to get from their A to B faster. With $1M allocated annually, LEAD ONE will look to invest in 10 companies per year that are building technology around the sports and health industry (such as healthcare accessibility, youth sports, food as medicine, media/IP, women's health, orthopedics, wellness modalities, gaming, and fan engagement).

"The venture capital market has shifted, as capital is not being deployed at the same velocity due to higher investment criteria for early-stage funds. In response, we have re-launched LEAD ONE to address the needs of pre-seed companies with a founder-friendly opportunity to access our platform and secure the necessary capital to scale," said Justin Driscoll, Principal of Investments & Portfolio at LEAD.

"Innovation does not sleep; the best companies are incubated within every economic cycle. We are ready to champion these bold entrepreneurs with our global ecosystem of investors, advisors, innovators, athletes, and operators," said Christoph Sonnen, Co-founder/Chief Executive Officer at LEAD.

In addition to capital support, LEAD ONE provides the platform for startups to collaborate directly with LEAD's trusted circle of forward-thinking venture partner organizations, including professional sports teams, player associations, sports federations, lifestyle brands, performance facilities, and health systems.

LEAD ONE's structure redefines the concept and function of a venture partner. Departing from the conventional model of an individual representative, LEAD ONE operates directly with these corporate organizations that possess the mission of continuous innovation. This strategic, mutually beneficial collaboration with LEAD empowers the organizations and founders with an opportunity for various forms of engagement and market intelligence.

With offices in Lake Nona, FL, and Berlin, Germany, LEAD will announce the LEAD ONE venture partners and its initial investments over the next several months.

About LEAD Sports and Health Tech Partners
LEAD Sports and Health Tech Partners is a global venture corporation shaping the future of sports and health. As institutional investors with an entrepreneurial mindset, LEAD operates an investment division - sourcing, funding, and driving the growth of early-stage sports and health tech startups worldwide - and an innovation services division - advising organizations on their innovation and investment initiatives. For more information, visit www.leadsports.com.

SOURCE LEAD Sports and Health Tech Partners