SeventySix Capital, a sports tech venture capital fund led by former MLB superstar Ryan Howard, announced that NBA legend Ralph Sampson has joined the company’s Athlete Venture Group.
Sampson joins a growing team of athletes at SeventySix Capital, including Howard and DeMarco Murray, which is becoming the go-to platform for professional athletes looking to partner with an experienced venture capital investment team. SeventySix Capital’s Athlete Venture Group allows players to invest, learn, and work directly with top sports tech startups and entrepreneurs.
“I’ve always been passionate about making an impact in the business world, just as I did on the court,” Sampson said, “Ryan and his team at SeventySix Capital are the ideal partners for me as I continue to expand my business ventures. This is a unique opportunity for me to use my network in a meaningful way, including the University of Virginia, the NBA and beyond.”
Sampson, a 3-time college player of the year, was the 1983 number one pick and drafted by the Houston Rockets. He went on to win Rookie of the Year, NBA All-Star Game MVP, and was a 4-time NBA All-Star. Over the span of his nine-year NBA career, he reached over 7,000 points and 4,000 rebounds. In 2012, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
SeventySix Capital, led by Wayne Kimmel, Jon Powell and Howard, invests in passionate, smart and nice entrepreneurs who are launching game-changing sports tech companies. Founded in 1999, the firm’s investments have been acquired by several Fortune 500 companies including Aramark, Intel, IBM, Walgreens, and Yahoo. SeventySix Capital was nominated as an Outstanding Investor by SportTechie.
SeventySix Capital’s Athlete Venture Group aims to bridge the gap between athletes, entrepreneurs, and investors. The team is creating opportunities for athletes to become tech investors and for entrepreneurs to access the financial and social capital that professional athletes have to offer.
“I’m excited to have Ralph as part of our Athlete Venture Group at SeventySix Capital,” Howard said, “Adding an NBA Hall of Famer to the team helps to validate what we’re building. He really fits our philosophy of bringing together knowledgeable people with a big vision. We’re going to continue to recruit top talent like Ralph to add to our championship team.”
As an Athlete Venture Group member, Sampson will work hands-on with the company’s current sports tech fund, enabling more athletes to work with exciting startups in esports, sports betting, data collection, data analytics, media and more. SeventySix Capital’s active portfolio includes Whistle Sports, ShotTracker, N3rd Street Gamers, VSiN, Swish Analytics and Play by Play Sports Broadcasting.
“Together, SeventySix Capital and our sports marketing partners at Rubicon Talent have created the platform for athletes to leverage their financial and social capital,” Kimmel said, “We’re introducing opportunities to athletes and entrepreneurs that are mutually beneficial. Athletes can use and grow their network while providing an unfair advantage to help startups differentiate themselves.”
