# Pre-seed sports investors (2026 list)

> 26 pre-seed sports investors, 92% active in the last 12 months. Led by Techstars, Founders Fund, Antler. Ranked by what they funded.

Source: https://millionrounds.com/lists/pre-seed-sports-investors (Millionrounds; every figure on the page links to its filing or article)

[Investor Lists](https://millionrounds.com/lists)

# Pre-seed sports investors

Updated 7 November 2026

Firms we have watched take part in a pre-seed round raised by a sports company in the last two years. Both the stage and the sector are what they did, not what their website says.

[See all 26 *→*](https://millionrounds.com/login?join=1&next=%2Fapp%2Finvestor-lists%2Fpre-seed-sports-investors)The top 25

**26** investors on the list No change this week

**700** cheques in 12 months *-35%* against the market

**$1.6M** median round they joined *-80%* against the market median

**92%** wrote a cheque in 12 months

**38%** have led a round

## The Top 25

Ordered by cheques observed, never by anything anyone paid for

Deploying now (23)

- 1 [Techstars](https://millionrounds.com/fund/techstars) *Deploying now* VC firm · United States **2,989** **$1.2M** median round **Nov 2026** last seen
- 2 [Founders Fund](https://millionrounds.com/fund/founders-fund) *Deploying now* VC firm · United States **1,122** **$15M** median round **Oct 2026** last seen
- 3 [Antler](https://millionrounds.com/fund/antler) *Deploying now* VC firm · United Kingdom **729** **$1M** median round **Nov 2026** last seen
- 4 [Enterprise Ireland](https://millionrounds.com/fund/enterprise-ireland) *Deploying now* Government · Ireland **447** **$1.8M** median round **Nov 2026** last seen
- 5 [Craft Ventures](https://millionrounds.com/fund/craft-ventures) *Deploying now* VC firm · United States **283** **$14M** median round **Oct 2026** last seen
- 6 [Startup Wise Guys](https://millionrounds.com/fund/startup-wise-guys) *Deploying now* Accelerator · Estonia **237** **$551K** median round **Sept 2026** last seen
- 7 [Blackbird Ventures](https://millionrounds.com/fund/blackbird-ventures-2) *Deploying now* VC firm · United States **177** **$7M** median round **Oct 2026** last seen
- 8 [Afore Capital](https://millionrounds.com/fund/afore-capital) *Deploying now* VC firm · United States **116** **$6.3M** median round **Oct 2026** last seen
- 9 [Startmate](https://millionrounds.com/fund/startmate) *Deploying now* Accelerator · Australia **107** **$1.6M** median round **Sept 2026** last seen
- 10 [The FSE Group](https://millionrounds.com/fund/the-fse-group) *Deploying now* VC firm · United Kingdom **106** **$1M** median round **Oct 2026** last seen
- 11 [HBAN](https://millionrounds.com/fund/hban) *Deploying now* Angel network · Ireland **48** **$1.7M** median round **Feb 2026** last seen
- 12 [IAG Capital Partners](https://millionrounds.com/fund/iag-capital-partners) *Deploying now* Private equity · United States **46** **$15M** median round **Sept 2026** last seen
- 13 [Sputnik ATX](https://millionrounds.com/fund/sputnik-atx) *Deploying now* VC firm · United States **37** **$450K** median round **Sept 2026** last seen
- 14 [Init 6](https://millionrounds.com/fund/init-6) quiet VC firm · Indonesia **5** **$2.3M** median round **May 2025** last seen
- 15 [Ilshin Investment](https://millionrounds.com/fund/ilshin-venture-capital) *Deploying now* VC firm · South Korea **3** **$3.4M** median round **Oct 2026** last seen
- 16 [First Move](https://millionrounds.com/fund/first-move) quiet VC firm · Singapore **1** **-** median round **May 2025** last seen
- 17 [Tim Cahill](https://millionrounds.com/fund/tim-cahill) *Deploying now* Angel **1** **$1M** median round **Jun 2026** last seen
- 18 [Alex Naoumidis](https://millionrounds.com/fund/alex-naoumidis) *Deploying now* VC firm **1** **$3.5M** median round **Jul 2026** last seen
- 19 [Chris Naoumidis](https://millionrounds.com/fund/chris-naoumidis) *Deploying now* VC firm **1** **$3.5M** median round **Jul 2026** last seen
- 20 [Founders of Keylane](https://millionrounds.com/fund/founders-of-keylane) *Deploying now* VC firm **1** **$1.1M** median round **Oct 2026** last seen
- 21 [Founders of Moneybird](https://millionrounds.com/fund/founders-of-moneybird) *Deploying now* VC firm **1** **$1.1M** median round **Oct 2026** last seen
- 22 [Founders of Revue](https://millionrounds.com/fund/founders-of-revue) *Deploying now* VC firm **1** **$1.1M** median round **Oct 2026** last seen
- 23 [Founders of Sentia](https://millionrounds.com/fund/founders-of-sentia) *Deploying now* VC firm **1** **$1.1M** median round **Oct 2026** last seen
- 24 [Founders of TicketSwap](https://millionrounds.com/fund/founders-of-ticketswap) *Deploying now* VC firm **1** **$1.1M** median round **Oct 2026** last seen
- 25 [Jarrod Webb](https://millionrounds.com/fund/jarrod-webb) *Deploying now* VC firm **1** **$3.5M** median round **Jul 2026** last seen

**1 more on this list**

All 26 are in the app, with filters for stage, sector and market. A free account shows 10 per search, Pro up to 1,000.

[See the whole list *→*](https://millionrounds.com/login?join=1&next=%2Fapp%2Finvestor-lists%2Fpre-seed-sports-investors)

## The Newest Cheques

Rounds this list's investors joined most recently

- **5** Nov **[ArrayPatch](https://millionrounds.com/company/arraypatch)** Seed · $1.8M *With* [Enterprise Ireland](https://millionrounds.com/fund/enterprise-ireland)
- **5** Nov **[Shinka](https://millionrounds.com/company/shinka)** Seed · $2.1M *With* [Enterprise Ireland](https://millionrounds.com/fund/enterprise-ireland)
- **4** Nov **[Lazarus AI](https://millionrounds.com/company/lazarus-ai)** $43M *With* [Techstars](https://millionrounds.com/fund/techstars)
- **2** Nov **[Dispatch Network](https://millionrounds.com/company/dispatch-network)** Pre-seed · $527K *Led by* [Antler](https://millionrounds.com/fund/antler)
- **2** Nov **[Sortrace](https://millionrounds.com/company/sortrace)** Seed · $800K *With* [Antler](https://millionrounds.com/fund/antler)
- **31** Oct **[OpenAI](https://millionrounds.com/company/openai)** Other · $20B *With* [Founders Fund](https://millionrounds.com/fund/founders-fund)

## Stages This Year

673 rounds

- Seed **23%**
- Venture **18%**
- Series A **16%**
- Pre-seed **15%**
- Series B **7%**
- Other **21%**

## What They Backed

Sectors, last 12 months

- AI **254**
- IT Services **52**
- Big Data & Analytics **38**
- Healthcare **36**
- Aerospace & Space **31**
- Software **30**

## Cheques by Quarter

Led Joined

301 Q1 25

267 Q2 25

292 Q3 25

260 Q4 25

241 Q1 26

190 Q2 26

137 Q3 26

38 Q4 26

The last bar is the quarter still running.

## Lists Like This

- [Seed AI investors 2,922](https://millionrounds.com/lists/seed-ai-investors)
- [Series A AI investors 2,490](https://millionrounds.com/lists/series-a-ai-investors)
- [Series B AI investors 1,557](https://millionrounds.com/lists/series-b-ai-investors)
- [Pre-seed AI investors 1,286](https://millionrounds.com/lists/pre-seed-ai-investors)
- [Growth AI investors 1,186](https://millionrounds.com/lists/growth-ai-investors)
- [Series A fintech investors 950](https://millionrounds.com/lists/series-a-fintech-investors)
- [Series C AI investors 930](https://millionrounds.com/lists/series-c-ai-investors)
- [Seed fintech investors 925](https://millionrounds.com/lists/seed-fintech-investors)
- [Series A biotech investors 650](https://millionrounds.com/lists/series-a-biotech-investors)

[All investor lists *→*](https://millionrounds.com/lists)

## Reading for founders at idea or pre-seed

- Thinking, Fast and Slow Daniel Kahneman · 2011 4.16 from 616,355 ratings on Goodreads Judgement and decisions Company building About the book In the highly anticipated Thinking, Fast and Slow, Kahneman takes us on a groundbreaking tour of the mind and explains the two systems that drive the way we think. System 1 is fast, intuitive, and emotional; System 2 is slower, more deliberative, and more logical. Kahneman… On AmazonListen on Audible
- The Elements of User Experience: User-Centered Design for the Web Jesse James Garrett · 2002 4.01 from 4,134 ratings on Goodreads Finding product-market fit Company building About the book Smart organizations recognize that Web design is more than just creating clean code and sharp graphics. A site that really works fulfills your strategic objectives while meeting the needs of your users. Even the best content and the most sophisticated technology won't help you… On AmazonListen on Audible
- Get Backed: Craft Your Story, Build the Perfect Pitch Deck, and Launch the Venture of Your Dreams Evan Baehr · 2015 4.36 from 356 ratings on Goodreads Raising money Company building About the book HOW DO YOU LAUNCH THE VENTURE OF YOUR DREAMS? Get Backed isn’t just about startup fundraising. It’s a handbook for anyone who has an idea and needs to build relationships to get it off the ground. Over the last 3 years, entrepreneurs Evan Loomis and Evan Baehr have… On AmazonListen on Audible
- Venture Deals: Be Smarter Than Your Lawyer and Venture Capitalist [Brad Feld](https://millionrounds.com/person/brad-feld) · 2011 4.11 from 17,486 ratings on Goodreads Raising money Company building About the book Praise for Venture Deals"My biggest nightmare is taking advantage of an entrepreneur without even realizing it. It happens because VCs are experts in financings and most entrepreneurs are not. Brad and Jason are out to fix that problem with Venture Deals. This book is long… On AmazonListen on Audible[Author's Podcasts](https://millionrounds.com/person/brad-feld#podcasts)

More books for founders and investors on the [Reading List](https://millionrounds.com/reading-list?role=founder&stage=idea).

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

## Quick answers about pre-seed sports investors

### Who are the most active pre-seed sports investors?

By cheques observed, the most active are Techstars, Founders Fund, Antler, Enterprise Ireland and Craft Ventures.

### How many pre-seed sports investors are there?

26 are on record. 92% made an investment in the last 12 months and 38% have led a round.

### Which stages do pre-seed sports investors back?

Of the rounds with a named stage in the last 12 months, mostly Seed (30%) and Series A (22%).

### How big are the rounds pre-seed sports investors join?

The typical (median) round among the leading investors here is $1.7M.

### Which sectors do pre-seed sports investors back most?

In the last 12 months, mostly AI, IT Services and Big Data & Analytics.

### Which pre-seed sports investors lead the most rounds?

Founders Fund (42 led), Craft Ventures (14 led) and Blackbird Ventures (13 led).

### Where are pre-seed sports investors based?

Among the most active, most are based in the United States (7), the United Kingdom (2) and Ireland (2).

### What have pre-seed sports investors invested in recently?

Recent rounds include ArrayPatch (Seed, Nov 2026, with Enterprise Ireland), Shinka (Seed, Nov 2026, with Enterprise Ireland) and Lazarus AI (Nov 2026, with Techstars).

Built from the rounds we watched, refreshed every night. [How we count](https://millionrounds.com/methodology) · [Report a correction](https://millionrounds.com/corrections)