Driving Innovation: How Félix da Costa Shifted Gears to Venture Capital.
Imagine swapping the roar of a race car engine for the buzz of the boardroom. That’s exactly what António Félix da Costa did. The Portuguese professional racing driver for the Porsche Formula E Team and the 2019/20 Formula E Drivers' Champion.
Transition to Venture Capital: With a successful career in motorsports, Félix da Costa's next venture took him into the world of venture capital. He joined forces with Apex Capital, an investment firm with a focus on partnering with professional athletes to invest in the Sports, Media, and Entertainment industry. This new chapter in his career leverages his competitive spirit and strategic mindset to identify and support innovative startups in the deep-tech sector.
Investing with Elite Athletes: Apex Capital's unique approach to investing is built on the principle of collaboration with elite athletes. By partnering with athletes like Formula 1 drivers Carlos Sainz and Valtteri Bottas, and world-class surfer Kanoa Igarashi, Apex Capital brings more than just financial investment to the table. The firm's strategy includes leveraging the athletes' knowledge, experience, and networks to identify and support promising startups, thereby increasing the likelihood of successful investments.
The Apex Capital Venture Model: The venture model employed by Apex Capital is designed to be a symbiotic partnership between the investment firm and its athlete partners. Athletes bring their expertise and connections to the table, while Apex Capital provides strategic investment and support. This model fosters a dynamic and supportive environment for startups, with the potential to revolutionize the sports, media, and entertainment industries.
A Focus on Deep-Tech Startups: Apex Capital's focus on deep-tech startups reflects a broader trend in the investment world, where sports entities are increasingly operated like strategic businesses. The firm's commitment to this sector indicates a belief in the transformative power of technology in sports and entertainment, and a recognition of the commercial opportunities that lie within this realm.
Portfolio:
- Output Sports: New and better way to test, monitor, analyze, report, and program athletic performance.
- ScorePlay: AI digital, media and production asset management solution.
- RealFevr: Online fantasy sports platform.
- XSET: Gaming lifestyle brand.
- VersusGame: Developer of an interactive content marketplace platform.
- Spotlas: App designed to discover spots from people.
- Exclusible: Web3 platform intended to deal in luxury digital assets.
- MyLADS: Augmented Reality content.
António Félix da Costa's transition from the racetrack to the boardroom exemplifies the fusion of sports excellence and business acumen. His journey with Apex Capital underscores the potential for success when elite athletes like him bring their competitive spirit to the venture capital world, particularly in the dynamic and innovative space of deep-tech startups in sports, media, and entertainment.