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Players Fund
The Players Fund is the UK’s first athlete-led Venture Capital firm, founded by athletes, for athletes. It invests small cheques into top percentile...
Players Fund
The Players Fund is the UK’s first athlete-led Venture Capital firm, founded by athletes, for athletes. It invests small cheques into top percentile early-stage founders from Pre-Seed to Series A and co-invests with market-leading VC funds. It focuses across B2B software, marketplaces, SaaS, healthtech, fintech, AI and media, and does not invest in early-stage sports technology businesses. It aims to harness elite athletes’ access to private deals and add value through its network.
General information
Firm type
Venture Capital
Location
Region
Europe
Country
United Kingdom
City
London
Corporate office
London, United Kingdom
Principals
Ruari Bell
Co Founder & Managing Partner
Fergus Bell
Co Founder & Managing Partner
George Burrough
Co Founder
Phil Green
GP & IC Member
Kelvin Au
IC Member
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at The Players Fund?
Co-founders Ruari Bell and Fergus Bell serve as Managing Partners. The investment committee includes Phil Green, former CFO of Amazon EMEA and Deliveroo, and Kelvin Au, formerly a Principal at Draper Esprit and head of investments at Founders Factory. This blends athlete-network access with institutional fund-management experience.
How does The Players Fund source proprietary deal flow?
The firm sources primarily through the personal networks of its 850-strong athlete community, co-investing alongside market-leading VCs who bring the deals. It also operates dedicated corporate venture programmes with clubs like Juventus and Como 1907, creating structured pipelines tied to sports-rights holders.
Does The Players Fund lead rounds or just participate?
The firm explicitly states it is not a lead investor. It co-invests alongside established VCs, writing cheques of £50,000 to £300,000 into Seed and Series A rounds. The strategy is to follow tier-one investors and add value through athlete-driven commercial support.
What investment stages does The Players Fund typically target?
Pre-Seed to Series A, with a stated focus on Seed and Series A rounds. The portfolio includes pre-seed bets like Unravel (which later closed a $7M Series A) as well as later-stage co-investments into companies like Prosper.
Which sectors does The Players Fund explicitly avoid?
The firm states it does not invest in early-stage sports technology businesses. This is a deliberate positioning: rather than backing sports-tech startups, it leverages athlete influence to support generalist tech companies across fintech, enterprise software, AI, and digital health.
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