With the popularisation of FIFA world cup, Premier League, LaLiga and a plethora of other entertaining events, football has ceased to be a sport alone. Today, football is the most popular sport with footballers enjoying celebrity status. The huge sums of money that they get for their talent, handwork and perseverance is known to everyone. These days, they invest them in various startups, not only because they are profitable but also because of the larger good will it brings.
Top Footballers Investing in Startups
- Cristiano Ronaldo
- David Beckham
- Sir Alex Ferguson
- Michael Owen
- Mats Hummels
- Gary Lineker
- Chris Smalling
- Robert Lewandowski
- Jens Lehhman
- Andrés Iniesta
Top Footballers Investing in Startups
Here are some of the popular football players who sportingly invested in startups.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Investment in Startup: Mobito, CR7, Thing Pinks, and More
The Juventus Forward and the legend of football has taken the initiative to invest in a startup named Mobitto.
Mobitto is a Portuguese app which can be one of the reasons why he invested there. The app helps to make teams that can be used to interact with local businesses. It also gives awards for such interactions. Points are collected by inviting friends and relatives to use the app.
The CEO, Jose Simmons has made it clear that they don’t want to overuse Ronaldo and do not want people to download the app because of him. Well, that is an ethical stand.
Cristiano Ronaldo has funded several other startups namely, CR7 Fitness, Thing Pinks, and more.
Alan Joseph
David Beckham
Investment in Startup: Guild Esports
Another legendary footballer in football history has used his excellent vision and calculation when it comes to investing as well. In June 2020, he invested $319,000 in Guild Esports. It is an esports business that is established globally in 2020. Beckham is the 4th largest investor by owning 4.78% of the stakes.
As the name says it aims to build an excellent team of professional athletes. He made the deal right with the same precision as his free kicks. He will be paid 15% of the merchandising revenues over the coming years.
Sir Alex Ferguson
Investment in Startup: Pockit
Apart from being a football player, he is widely known for managing Manchester United from 1986-2013. During this time, the team won over 38 trophies across different tournaments.
In 2015, he invested €1.5 million as an angel investor for a startup named Pockit. It was a London based startup that issued prepaid cards for people who cannot otherwise avail banking services. However, this was not as successful as his football career. The company couldn’t continue as a business beyond a few years. Ferguson helped the firm to complete a $15m series B fundraising campaign in 2020.
Alan Joseph
Michael Owen
Investment in Startup: Sportlobster
The versatile striker who played for Liverpool, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Newcastle United and Stoke city might have wanted to support sports in innovative ways.
His money was invested in Sportlobster which is a sports social media platform. It is a startup that is exclusively for sports fans which features the details of upcoming events, blogs along with facilities to chat. It was launched in 2013 and amassed 1.4 million users by 2014. It aims at providing a single stop for all sports related news.
Mats Hummels
Investment in Startup: StreetPro
Mats Hummels was the member of the German team during the 2014 world cup. He later joined Bundesliga coach Florian Kohfeldt to create a digital football academy. He made an angel investment in an app called StreetPro that trains you to be a professional like Bundesliga pro. The app provides both free basic training and paid pro training. The startup was launched in 2018 and Hummels invested an undisclosed amount of money in 2019.
Gary Lineker
Investment in Startup: Neos, Ingenie
A startup named Neos which is an online insurance provider is where this Golden Boot winner decided to invest. The startup was founded in 2016 and aims at providing home security and insurance to various homeowners. Apart from Neos, Gary Lineker also invested in a startup named Ingenie, in which he invested €500000. It is reported that in 2014, it was sold for €3 million. The margin of profit he earned was tremendous.
Chris Smalling
Investment in Startup: This.co
Chris Smalling investment in startup has a huge environmental cause as well. This vegan English professional footballer invested in a plant based startup called “This”. The carbon footprint of the animal meat industry is well known.
It is in such a time of worry that “This” is selling alternatives for Bacon and Chicken. After years of scientific experiments they claim to have found the best and the most realistic alternative for meat in the world. If marketed properly, there is no doubt that this startup will rewrite the food habits of the world.
Alan Joseph
Robert Lewandowski
Investment in Startup: Protos Venture Capital
The prolific, record holding forward from Poland, playing for Bayern Munich, Robert Lewandowski has invested in various startups apart from being a shareholder in Protos Venture Capital. Their main area of focus is in Poland and CEE. The other startups that he has invested in are Sporticos and Positionly. The former is a sports website and the latter is a Marketing Software Company.
Jens Lehhman
Investment in Startup: Combionic
He holds respect in the field for continuing his studies while being a sports star. The German goalkeeper who has capped 61 goals for his country has an economics degree which he earned while he was a professional footballer.
He invested in a software startup named Combionic which designs applications for various enterprises. It integrates processes and information that goes across multiple applications. It offers various services like analytics, reporting, content management etc. The company continues to thrive in the industry.
Andrés Iniesta
Investment in Startup: FirstVision
The Spanish central midfielder is also among the footballers who have tried their luck with investments. He invested in a very innovative startup named FirstVision which is a Spanish company which is invested in developing a wearable broadcast system.
They help in recording the velocity and biometric data of the athlete that can be broadcasted closely to the fans. It is also for the athlete to have an idea about their performance. It is currently out of business but was definitely an innovative idea.
Conclusion
It is not a recent trend to see footballers investing in startups or even starting their own business. However, one cannot deny the extent to which such investments are helpful for entrepreneurs. As mentioned in the beginning, the goodwill it brings is highly appreciable. It is an action which is beneficial for all and it is very promising to see footballers extending their support for others to come up in the society as well.
FAQs
Who is the highest paid footballer?
Cristiano Ronaldo is the highest paid footballer.
Who is richest footballer in the world?
Cristiano Ronaldo is the richest footballer. He has a net worth of $500 Million.
Who is the richest retired footballer?
David Beckham is one of the richest retired footballer with a net worth of $450 Million.
Which footballers invest in Startups?
Some of the top footballers who invest in startups are:
- Cristiano Ronaldo
- David Beckham
- Sir Alex Ferguson
- Michael Owen
- Mats Hummels
- Gary Lineker
- Chris Smalling
- Robert Lewandowski
- Jens Lehhman
- Andrés Iniesta
Which are the startups funded by Cristiano Ronaldo?
Cristiano Ronaldo has made investments in sevral startups. These are:
- Mobitto
- Herbalife Nutrition
- Thing Pink
- TAG Heuer
- Insparya
- Clear
- CR7 Fitness
- Pestana CR7 Lifestyle Hotels
