ADvantage VC: Investing in early-stage tech companies

In this episode of the Sports Loft Podcast, hosts Yanni Andreopoulos and Andy Selby are joined by Sam Schmelzer, Partner and COO of ADvantage VC, to dig into early-stage investment in sports-focused technologies.  ADvantage focuses on three areas of the sports tech ecosystem: fan engagement, the connected athlete and derivative sports, which spans fantasy, gaming and e-sports. As such, the its portfolio includes the likes of Greenfly, the short-form content distribution platform; Tappp, which enables commerce, betting and interactive polling to sit alongside live sports on a single screen; and Infinite Athlete. ADvantage tends to lead investment rounds for Series A and B companies, with cheque sizes ranging from $2-5 million and $4-8 million, respectively. Timestamps: 06:00 – The ADvantage thesis 12:00 – The role of strategic LPs  18:00 – Evaluating sports tech startups 24:00 – Fan engagement technology 30:00 – Emerging sports leagues as investment opportunities 36:00 – How ADvantage is looking at AI in sports