🔊 Another Sports Tech Company Reaches $1 Billion Valuation

📰 TOP STORY
Teamworks Raises $235 Million At A $1 Billion+ Valuation

This week, it was announced that legacy sports tech company Teamworks raised $235 million at an over $1 billion valuation as it looks to capitalize on the rise of analytics-driven strategies in sports.

The Series F round was led by Dragoneer Investment Group, a San Francisco-based investment firm that’s backed global companies such as Airbnb, Meta, and Uber.

The funding will primarily be used to support the company's mission to advance AI-powered solutions across professional teams, collegiate departments, and Olympic sports programs, as well as to accelerate other initiatives.

Why Does This Matter?

Teamworks, founded by Mitch Heath, Shaun Powell, and Zach Maurides in 2006, began as a platform to help college sports teams improve efficiency and organization.

Over the past two decades, it has evolved into the go-to operating system for thousands of athletic departments and teams globally.

Today, Teamworks supports organizations across key functions such as:

• Administrative operations

• Talent acquisition and recruiting

• Performance training and rehab

• Scheduling and travel logistics

• Budgeting and compliance

• Payments and dealmaking

Since its inception, the company has completed roughly 20 acquisitions, 11 of them between 2022 and 2025 alone.

I’ve written extensively about the M&A wave sweeping through sports tech and why it’s only accelerating.

The formula is becoming clear: If you want to build a billion-dollar company in this space, you don’t just scale. You consolidate.

That means acquiring competitors, diversifying revenue streams, and owning your vertical.

Teamworks is executing this strategy at a high level, right before our eyes.

Here are a few other companies following a similar playbook, along with notable acquisitions:

1. Fanatics (sports consumer products): Topps, Mitchell & Ness, PWCC

2. Hudl (sports video analytics): Titan GPS, FastModel Sports, Statsbomb

3. Fastbreak AI (sports scheduling): Optimal Planning Solutions, Tourney Pro, SEQL

4. Sportradar (sports betting data): Synergy Sports, IMG Arena, VAIX

5. Strava (athletic training apps): Fatmap, The Breakaway, Recover Athletics

Teamworks’ most recent capital raise is primarily earmarked to expand AI capabilities across its portfolio, but don’t be surprised if it also fuels further acquisitions.

With each move, they inch closer to joining the ranks of the most influential sports tech companies in the world.

💰 MERGERS & MONEY MOVES 
Mark Walter & TWG Global Buy Lakers For $10 Billion

• TWG Global Acquires Majority Stake In Los Angeles Lakers. The Buss family has agreed to sell majority ownership of the Los Angeles Lakers to Mark Walter for a valuation of approximately $10 billion, the highest price for a US pro sports franchise. The Buss family will maintain a minority share of the team, just over 15%, for some time. Jeanie Buss will also remain the Lakers' governor and continue to run the team for at least a few years. Walter, the CEO and chairman of diversified holding company TWG Global_, co-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers and other teams, has been a stakeholder in the Lakers since 2021, when he acquired Phil Anschutz's 26% stake (more here).

• Monumental Sports & Entertainment Invests In Women’s Sports Platforms. Monumental Sports & Entertainment, the holding company for the Washington Wizards, Washington Mystics, and Washington Capitals, has made an investment in sports media platform The IX and its dedicated women’s basketball vertical, The Next. The IX provides a curated guide to women’s sports, including soccer, tennis, basketball, golf, hockey, and gymnastics. The Next is the industry’s first 24/7/365 newsroom dedicated to women’s basketball coverage. This investment will allow The IX and The Next to hire two full-time business employees to oversee both day-to-day company operations and longer-term initiatives (more here).

• Black Knight Football Club Acquires Stake In Moreirense Futebol Clube. Black Knight Football Club, a partnership led by William P. Foley II, has acquired a majority ownership interest in Moreirense Futebol Clube – Futebol SAD, a Portuguese Primeira Liga football club based in Moreira de Cónegos, Portugal. BKFC’s clubs include 100% ownership of AFC Bournemouth, a significant minority investment in FC Lorient, a French Ligue 1 club, and a minority stake in Hibernian FC, a Scottish Premiership football club. Foley also owns an A-League expansion football club based in Auckland, New Zealand, as well (more here).

• Ares Management Acquires Stake In France SailGP Team. SailGP announced that Ares Sports, Media and Entertainment Fund, has acquired a minority stake in the France SailGP Team. The firm joins a consortium of investors in the France SailGP Team, including international football superstar Kylian Mbappé. Ares raised a $2.2 billion sports fund in 2022 and, most notably, acquired 10% of the Miami Dolphins earlier this year. Ares has also previously invested in Chelsea FC, Olympique Lyonnais, McLauren Racing and Inter Miami FC. Financial terms were not disclosed (more here).

• SportsVisio Raises $3.2M. SportsVisio, an AI-powered platform for stat-tracking & highlights for coaches and athletes, announced a $3.2 million funding round, bringing its total capital raised to over $9 million. The round includes continued support from existing investors Sapphire Sport, Hyperplane, and Sovereign’s Capital. The company welcomes new investors Mighty Capital, Sony Innovation Fund, Alumni Ventures, Waterstone Impact Fund, and new strategic angels. This funding will help sales and marketing initiatives, as SportsVisio scales its offerings across basketball, volleyball, and new sports like baseball for amateur, youth, and pro sports organizations globally (more here).

• Noteefy Secures Investment. Noteefy, a leader in demand and revenue management technology for golf and resort operators, announced a strategic investment round led by Powerhouse Capital, with participation from Teamworthy Ventures, Phoenix Capital Ventures, PerotJain, and a syndicate of industry veterans across golf, travel, and hospitality. This investment will fuel Noteefy’s next stage of growth as a technology platform that helps golf courses and resorts boost revenue, connect better with guests, and operate more efficiently (more here).

 🤝 PARTNERSHIPS
Boardroom & Kevin Durant Finalize Partnership With Qatar Sports Investments

• Kevin Durant & Qatar Sports Investments Form Partnership. Qatar Sports Investments, the majority owner of European Champions PSG, has signed an investment and strategic partnership agreement with Kevin Durant. The deal will see Durant, via his media and investment arm Boardroom, with entrepreneur and long-time business partner Rich Kleiman, acquire a direct minority stake in PSG. Boardroom and Qatar Sports Investments will partner on a wide range of commercial, investment, and content initiatives, and Durant will support the Club on its continued sports and business diversification and growth (more here).

• Juventus & WhiteBit Expand Partnership. Italian soccer giants Juventus have unveiled European cryptocurrency firm WhiteBIT as their new sleeve sponsor as part of a three-year global partnership. Through the agreement, WhiteBIT’s logo will be featured on the left sleeve of the Serie A club’s kits in all competitions, which started with their opening match in the FIFA Club World Cup competition against Al Ain. The deal will run through the 2025-26, 2026-27, and 2027-28 seasons and is understood to be worth around €5 million ($5.8 million) annually (more here).

• Grand Slam Track & Sundial Media & Technology Group Form Partnership. Grand Slam Track, a new global professional track competition, announced a partnership with Sundial Media & Technology Group, the human connections company behind influential brands like ESSENCE, AFROPUNK, and Refinery29. This multi-year collaboration is designed to reshape how fans interact with the sport by turning passive viewership into dynamic, community-driven engagement. SMTG will also lead the effort to secure commercial partnerships for Grand Slam Track’s 2026 season and beyond, ensuring that 10% of all sponsorship sales made by SMTG will be paid directly to Grand Slam Track Racers (more here).

🔊 ATHLETES & OTHER NEWS
NBA Stars Invests In Emerging Sneaker Marketplace

• NBA Hall Of Famer Dwyane Wade & All-Star D'Angelo Russell Invest In Global Platform KICKS CREW. KICKS CREW, a global digital marketplace for footwear, clothing, and accessories, announced NBA Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade and NBA All-Star guard D'Angelo Russell as its newest investors. This new partnership officially launched at Fanatics Fest NYC, where Wade, Russell, and KICKS CREW hosted an immersive booth celebrating the legacy of Way of Wade and offer exclusive first access to the KICKS CREW x Way of Wade DLO 1 'Royal Blue Skies' collaboration limited to 300 pairs worldwide (more here).

• Batbox Launches New Technology. Batbox, a baseball-focused sportstainment company, announced its transformation into a global sports tech company linking players, gameplay, and data across a growing network of venues globally. After years of operating with third-party systems, the company has developed its own proprietary software platform that unlocks the ability to fully control, enhance, and scale the Batbox experience, creating new opportunities to both build baseball skills and enjoy the social aspects of being part of a team sport (more here).

• Barça Media Launches Barça.Pass. FC Barcelona has tapped Futureverse, a leader in AI, blockchain, and immersive fan experiences, to launch the Barca.Pass, the club’s first official digital collectibles wallet. More than 11 million fans with an existing Barça ID now have instant access to a personalized digital identity and exclusive digital experiences. Fans will soon be able to create official FCB digital avatars, customize them with team wearables, access immersive experiences, and collect exclusive FC Barcelona assets (more here).

• How A Blackstone Executive Built A Sports Investing Empire. David Blitzer is the first person to own equity in all five major men's sports leagues in the US. The billionaire, who is the chairman at Blackstone's cross-asset investment group, made a name for himself as a pioneer in sports investing, a now-hot segment of the media and entertainment dealmaking world. Here’s why he’s betting big on the future of this asset class (more here).

• How UFC Is Employing AI To Elevate The Fan Experience. UFC is leveraging AI to help viewers keep up with every move in real-time. Alon Cohen, senior vice president of research and development at UFC, spoke with Stephanie Mehta, CEO and chief content officer of Mansueto Ventures, about how AI is rapidly changing sports entertainment by increasing engagement through unique insights and analysis, as well as how other organizations can harness the technology (more here).

🎙️ PODCAST INTERVIEWS
The Future Athlete Ownership & Investing with Oliver Kupe

This week’s guest on the Vetted Sports podcast is Oliver Kupe.

Oliver Kupe is a former MLS player and Founder & President of Aurélien Capital Partners, a boutique investment advisory and family office services to a select group of high-net-worth individuals, pro athletes, entrepreneurs, and exonerees.

Before his career in finance, he was drafted by Real Salt Lake FC and attended Northwestern University, receiving a B.A. in Economics.

In this episode, we discuss:
‣ How he went from pro soccer player to running his investment firm
‣ The opportunities Aurelien looks for within sports
‣ The future of sports and athlete ownership

Check out the full episode here: Apple | Spotify | YouTube