Courtside Ventures

courtsidevc.com

The leading early-stage fund focused on Sports, Lifestyle, and Gaming, backing founders who are challenging traditional industry definitions in these high-growth consumer categories.

Check Size

Not specified

Stages

Pre Seed, Seed, Series A, Series B

Focus Areas

Consumer, Gaming, Media Entertainment

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Investment Thesis

Courtside Ventures is an early-stage venture fund that partners with founders challenging the traditional definitions of sports, lifestyle, and gaming. They invest in what they view as major growth categories where they believe the next generation of consumers will spend increased wallet share and time. Their approach is sector-specific and focused on macro global trends, emphasizing the importance of identifying and backing the best companies and entrepreneurs on a worldwide basis.

What Sets Them Apart

Vertical and sector-specific focus on three interconnected consumer verticals (Sports, Lifestyle, Gaming) rather than horizontal investment thesis
Global investment approach with 20% of active investments based outside the US across 13+ countries
Strong emphasis on diversity with 28% of investments in underrepresented founders
Experienced team with domain expertise advisors including former NFL players (Larry Fitzgerald), sports media executives (Ryan Spoon), gaming specialists (Andrew Stalbow), and fitness/wellness experts (Anthony and Joe Vennare)
Successful track record with $9B+ enterprise value across portfolio, $1.5B+ raised by portfolio companies, and 9 exits (acquisitions or IPOs)
Portfolio spanning early to growth stage (Pre-Seed through Series B), with 80+ active investments across 4 main funds and an Opportunity Fund