The NBA Milwaukee Bucks Forward, Giannis Antetokounmpo, announced the launch of his Build Your Legacy (BYL) Ventures today. The company focuses on investments in sports and entertainment, driven by the Antetokounmpo family’s “dedication to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship.”
BYL Ventures will “leverage the Antetokounmpo family’s expanding business empire, combined with capital, to maximize impact within the worlds of sports, entertainment and media, sports intellectual property, consumer products, and technology,” according to a media release.
The fund represents a platform that helps industry leaders and entrepreneurs connect with “promising founders” to “optimize opportunities, drive meaningful change and create lasting value across industries.” Additionally, Antetokounmpo will leverage his close relationships with “the world’s most influential people” to ensure the entrepreneurs he invests in “are uniquely able to grow and scale their businesses.”
“I’m incredibly energized to launch BYL Ventures as a way to give back and support the next generation of visionaries,” said Antetokounmpo, founder and general partner of BYL Ventures. “This fund is not just about capital; it’s about forging partnerships and opening my network to accelerate the growth trajectory for companies. I want to help other entrepreneurs, especially those who have faced barriers, to grow and succeed. BYL Ventures will be focused on finding people with big dreams and helping them make those dreams a reality.”
“BYL Ventures is built to support the next wave of innovative startups in multiple high-growth categories. Giannis brings an unmatched combination of global reach, acumen and a commitment to empowering diverse entrepreneurs,” said Tashi Nakanishi, general partner at BYL Ventures. “BYL Ventures will be a powerful force for founders who want to redefine industries and make a lasting impact.”
The fund, which will concentrate on early-stage investing, has started “deploying capital” from its first round, making two seed investments— Unrivaled, a new 3v3 pro women’s basketball league, and Candy Funhouse, an influencer confectionary platform. BYL Ventures will expand on Giannis’ previous experience as an entrepreneur and investor, from launching Improbable Media to investments in the Milwaukee Brewers, Nashville, SC and LA Golf Club, a TGL franchise, among others.
BYL Ventures also reported that it will “act as an incubator for select companies, providing hands-on mentorship, operational guidance and strategic support … to refine their market strategies and connections that are critical for success in highly competitive industries.”
Image courtesy BYL
