Top 10 Sports and Entertainment Capital Raises and Investors in the U.S. – April 1st – May 31st, 2026
Several interesting transactions closed in the Sports and Entertainment sector over the past months. If you would like more info or would like to discuss the capital raising market for your company, please contact me.
PE Growth/Expansion
- 44 Pro Sports, baseball gloves for baseball league professionals, received development capital from Thirty-5 Capital.
- Athletes.org, collegiate athlete advocacy platform that protects the interests and future of college athletes, received development capital from JDS Sports and Will Ventures.
Merger/Acquisition
- Lax.com, lacrosse equipment, apparel, and accessories for youth, high school, college, and professional players, was acquired by BSN Sports, a subsidiary of Varsity Brands.
- United Sports Training Center, sports and recreation facility for community engagement and physical activity, was acquired by Capacity Sports Group.
Later Stage VC
- Ares Elite Sports Vision, training services for athletes to enhance their visual processing and cognitive skills, raised venture funding from GrowthX Capital.
- SportsBiz, sports marketing platform for corporate sponsors to increase sports marketing and sponsorship investments, raised venture funding from North Andover Investor Collaborative II.
Early Stage VC
- Opine, AI-powered athlete brand and content platform that automates personal storytelling for professional athletes, raised venture funding from FirstTracks Ventures and Howdy Partners.
- Upshot League, professional women’s basketball league that provides organized competitive playing opportunities for female athletes, raised $40 million of venture funding from Sphera Partners, Seniesa Estrada and Patrick Young.
Seed Round
- IK Start USA, sports streaming platform that provides fans with convenient access to live and on demand match viewing, raised $3.98 million of seed funding.
- Laurel Innovations, race timing and event management systems that deliver real-time athlete tracking, enhanced safety, and immersive fan experience, raised $660,000 of Seed-1 funding from investors, putting the company’s pre-money valuation at $13.34 million.
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Rashidah Billups
Managing Director
Please contact me if you have any questions or would like to discuss your capital raise:
Email: rbillups@castleplacement.com
(C) (917) 475-6679
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Sources: Information on this page was derived from a variety of sources including Bloomberg, Company Websites, Crunchbase, PitchBook and other news outlets. Castle Placement® does not warrant or guarantee this information, nor makes any representations as to the accuracy of the information. For more Risks, see CPGO Risks and Disclaimers.
