APEX Launches €300M Fund For Sports Team Investments

Targeting small and mid-size opportunities often overlooked by major institutional investors, the fund will acquire 20%–49% stakes in ventures valued between €51 million ($60 million) and €510 million ($600 million). With investment tickets of €12.8 million ($15 million) to €42 million ($50 million), APEX plans to complete 10–20 deals over the next decade.

“I believe there is a real opportunity in teams, leagues, and assets that want to grow without giving up control,” says António Caçorino, founder and CEO of APEX.

APEX’s new fund launches at a time when the European sports and SportsTech landscape in 2025 continues to see relatively modest funding rounds. Startups such as ReSpo.Vision (€4.2M, Poland), ScorePlay (€12.5M Series A), SponsWatch (€1M Seed, Sweden), Sports Impact Technologies (€650k pre-Seed, Ireland), and Model Health (≈€800k, Belgium/US) have collectively raised just over €19 million this year.

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EU-Startups has also profiled APEX as an investor, noting its participation in Model Health, ScorePlay and Output Sports (€4.5M), highlighting the firm’s established presence in SportsTech venture funding.

Against this backdrop, APEX’s new €300 million fund marks a significant shift in scale and ambition. Rather than focusing on early-stage technology deals, the firm is now targeting minority or selective majority stakes in European sports teams and leagues an area that remains relatively open between startup innovation and institutional ownership of sports assets.

Founded in 2020, APEX built its initial track record through a €51 million venture capital fund launched three years ago, backed by over 100 professional athletes across 17 sports, including Formula 1 drivers Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz. Red Bull’s investment arm also joined as an investor in 2024.

Past investments include stakes in the Alpine Formula 1 team and Italian football club Venezia FC. With previous deals limited to under 20% ownership, the firm now aims for more substantial influence and governance in its future acquisitions.

“We feel that we can deploy even more,” Caçorino says. “But I think it’s always good to have your target a little bit below where your realistic pipeline is so you make sure that you’re really investing in the best deals.”

APEX is placing a strong focus on the European market, which Caçorino describes as rich in untapped potential. Unlike the highly commercialised U.S. landscape, many smaller European clubs and leagues face limited access to growth capital and structural challenges. Yet APEX argues these same factors make the market less volatile, with fewer regulatory risks and lower entry costs.

While the fund is primarily Europe-focused, 15% of its capital is reserved for U.S. opportunities potentially including an NBA minority stake and another 15% for full buyouts. These buyouts would mark APEX’s first move into controlling ownership, though Caçorino says such deals would likely involve smaller European football or motorsport properties.

Caçorino believes APEX is strategically positioned between sellers of niche assets and large buyers who typically enter at scale. “There’s still a big disparity between people that will potentially sell and the bigger investors,” he says. “So that puts us in a beautiful sweet spot.”

Alongside its sports equity strategy, APEX sees strong synergies with its venture portfolio, which includes TMRW Sports (founded by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy), performance analytics company Output, and AI-driven media platform ScorePlay. This dual approach gives the firm room to explore cross-pollination between technology investments and team ownership.

Looking ahead, Caçorino signalled ambitions beyond Europe, with potential expansion into Asia and South America. APEX is also preparing to launch a new venture fund next year.

“I think with sports generally, whoever’s been reading the news and just been in the sector and looking at the opportunities in the pipeline, the time is now,” Caçorino says. “We’re a five-year-old business, and the last five years have been critical for sports.”

About APEX

APEX is a specialist investment firm focused on the global sports industry. Backed by world-class athletes and institutional partners, it combines capital, operational expertise, and deep ecosystem access to unlock high-value opportunities, support strategic growth and drive long-term value across sports teams, leagues, and related businesses.