AD

Advantage Sports Tech Fund

VC
Austin, TXWebsite
How to approach: warm intro preferred
Stage

Pre-Seed, Seed

Check Size

$500K – $3.0M

AUM

$50M

Portfolio

16+ companies

Team

17 partners

Investor activity
Investments in last 12 months: 0

Investment Thesis

Focused on SportsTech innovation, investing in companies redefining how sports are organized, played, and monetized.

Meet the Team

JL

Josh Liggett

Partner

web3
fintech
metaverse

Josh has been immersed in the business world his entire life and discovered a passion for investing during his teenage years. He joined Israel’s most active Venture Capital fund, working on over 60 investments and serving on multiple startup boards. Josh has a keen eye for identifying early trends in the market, including web3, fintech, and the metaverse.

AB

Alexander Bente

Partner

sports tech
global investments

Alex co-founded ADvantage in 2018 and manages the fund as a partner. Before ADvantage, he co-founded global sports tech investment platform leAD Sports. He has been involved in sourcing and supporting more than 30 global investments in sports tech. As a great-grandson of Adi Dassler, Alex created multiple businesses to build on his great-grandfather's legacy and brings a strong network in sports, business, and investment to the fund.

JP

Jeremy Pressman

Partner

SportsTech
Monetization Models
B2B SaaS
AC

Ahron Cohen

Partner

Sports
Entertainment
Emerging technology

Ahron is an investor and business executive with experience in sports, entertainment, and emerging technology. He previously served as President and CEO of the Arizona Coyotes, leading the franchise to record-setting business results and community contributions. Ahron is also known for championing diversity and philanthropy within the organization.

JP

Jeremy Pressman

Partner

sports tech
venture capital

Originally from Philadelphia, Jeremy is an Israeli venture capitalist, professional basketball player and the founding partner of ADvantage. After a successful collegiate career at Yeshiva University, Jeremy pursued a professional basketball career in Israel. He started his venture capital journey at OurCrowd, Israel’s most active VC fund, where he rose to Partner and accumulated vast experience sourcing and conducting due diligence on technology deals with a specific focus on sports.

JW

John Weaver

Head of Deals/General Counsel

Startups
Early-stage investments

John has over a decade of experience as an investor, attorney, and advisor to startups, funds, and angel investors. He co-founded 22 Ventures with Michael Redd, leading operations and deal flow while advising on over 100 investments. He also co-founded Stansbury Weaver, a law firm serving startups and early-stage investors.

JL

Josh Liggett

Partner

Web3
Fintech
Metaverse

Josh has been involved in startup investing for over 15 years, with a focus on web3, fintech, and emerging technologies. He worked at Israel’s most active VC fund, participating in over 60 investments and serving on multiple startup boards. Josh has a background in scaling businesses and resides in Israel with his family.

SS

Sam Schmelzer

Partner

business growth strategies
venture capital

An experienced venture capitalist and proven business executive, Sam started in a sports-loving family in Ohio. After completing multiple degrees at Brown University, he moved to Israel where he served in an electronic warfare R&D unit and began his career as a venture investor and business executive. Sam combines investor and operator experience to identify and execute new business growth strategies.

JW

John Weaver

Head of Deals/General Counsel

deal flow
startup advisory

John has over a decade of experience as an investor, attorney, and advisor to startups, funds, and angel investors. He co-founded 22 Ventures with Michael Redd, where he led operations and deal flow while advising on over 100 investments. Prior to 22 Ventures, John co-founded Stansbury Weaver, a law firm serving startups and early-stage investors.

TS

Taylor Smith

Partner

Sports Tech
Athlete Engagement
Marketplaces
MR

Michael Redd

Partner

Human performance
Injury prevention
Tech startups

Michael Redd has been investing in tech-focused startups since retiring from the NBA in 2013. A former professional basketball player and Olympic gold medalist, Michael joined ADvantage in 2019. He is also involved in SnapChat’s Yellow incubator as a mentor and investor and leads his own venture firm, 22 Ventures.

SS

Sam Schmelzer

Partner

Business growth strategies
Sports tech

An experienced venture capitalist and proven business executive, Sam has a background in sports and technology. After completing multiple degrees at Brown University, he served in an electronic warfare R&D unit in Israel and began his career as a venture investor and business executive. Sam brings a combination of investor and operator experience and lives in Jerusalem with his family.

DL

Dr. Laila Mintas

Partner

sports betting
technology
crypto

Dr. Mintas is a high-profile entrepreneur, investor, and thought leader in the technology and sports industry. She has held various senior executive and strategic advisor roles in sports betting, iGaming, entertainment, and crypto spaces. She has received numerous awards and honors in the industry, including the Leaders in Sports U 40 Award and SBJ Game Changers Award.

AC

Ahron Cohen

Partner

sports
entertainment
emerging technology

Ahron is an investor, business executive, and civic leader whose career spans sports, entertainment, media, finance, hospitality, and emerging technology. Previously, he led the Arizona Coyotes organization as its President, CEO, and Alternate Governor, achieving record-setting business results and championing philanthropy and diversity within the organization.

MR

Michael Redd

Partner

human performance
venture capital

Michael Redd has been building, developing, and investing in tech-focused startups since retiring from the NBA in 2013. After twelve seasons as a professional basketball player, Michael joined the ADvantage team as a venture partner in 2019, combining his passion for sports and venture capital. He is also involved in SnapChat’s Yellow incubator as a mentor and investor.

AB

Alexander Bente

Partner

Sports tech
Global investments
Legacy of Adi Dassler

Alex co-founded ADvantage in 2018 and manages the fund as a partner. Before ADvantage, he co-founded global sports tech investment platform leAD Sports. With over 6 years of experience in sports tech investments, Alex has been involved in sourcing and supporting more than 30 global investments. As a great-grandson of Adi Dassler, he brings a strong network in sports, business, and investment to the fund.

DL

Dr. Laila Mintas

Partner

Sports betting
iGaming
Crypto

Dr. Mintas is a high-profile entrepreneur, investor, and thought leader in the technology and sports industry. She has held senior executive roles in sports betting, iGaming, and crypto, including working with FIFA, Sportradar, and PlayUp. She has received numerous awards for her contributions to the industry.

Industry Focus

Invests In

Other

Portfolio Companies (16)

Other

FA

FanAI

SportsTech
HU

Hudl

SportsTech
SO

Sonos AI

Smart Devices
VO

Voiceflow

Voice Technology
FA

Fanatics

SportsTech
OP

OpenSponsorship

Marketplace
LA

Ladder

"Discovered via firm_website (high confidence)"

Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Ladder is the #1 strength training app for people who are serious about fitness. Ladder makes it easy to plan and maintain a consistent strength training routine.

GR

Greenfly

"Discovered via firm_website (high confidence)"

Powering Short-Form Content Greenfly is shaping the future of content management in sports. Greenfly’s proprietary AI technology automates real-time capture, aggregation, organization, and distribution of digital media for leading entities like the NBA, NWSL, MLB, Big Ten, and NHL.

RE

RealFevr

"Discovered via firm_website (high confidence)"

Ultimate Sports GameFi & NFT Ecosystem Founded in 2015, RealFevr is a Web3 Portuguese startup building an ambitious ecosystem around licensed sports digital collectibles and video games. The startup is boosting the Sports GameFi & NFT space through product and market innovation, including solving the speculative and utility issues in the digital collectibles industry.

FO

ForKeeps

"Discovered via firm_website (high confidence)"

ForKeeps - Official NBA, LALIGA is the officially licensed game for nextgen picks, multiplayer action games and building your ultimate sports collection. Play, reward and celebrate fandom with friends.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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