Athlete Angels

In the latest episode of the CoachingArea podcast, we welcome Tim Zwiener, the co-founder of Athlete Capital, an innovative startup from Cologne that connects professional athletes with emerging startups. This exciting combination of sport and entrepreneurship not only opens new paths for athletes after their active careers but also offers unique advantages for startups. This article provides an insight into the interesting topics discussed in the fourth episode of the CoachingArea podcast.

Challenges After a Sports Career

Athletes like Thierry Henry often speak openly about the challenges they face after the end of their sports careers. The transition from active sports life to the “normal” working world is often associated with identity crises and depression. Many athletes struggle to set new goals and find a new direction after their career ends. This is where networks like Athlete Capital come into play, helping athletes to find new professional goals and start their second careers.

Founding with Vision

Athlete Capital was founded out of a passion for sport and startups. The goal is to connect athletes with the startup world to foster innovation. Mary, Matthis, and Tim are working to build a Europe-wide network that brings together athletes and innovative startups. In the long term, Athlete Capital aims to establish its own venture capital fund to invest even more strategically in startups.

Support for Startups

Startups often face significant challenges in the fundraising process. Here, Athlete Capital provides comprehensive support:

• Fundraising Process: Athlete Capital helps startups to secure the necessary financial resources and guides them through the entire fundraising process.
• Mediator: Athlete Capital acts as a mediator between startups and athlete angels, helping to resolve disagreements and create more common ground. They educate athletes about entrepreneurship and impart the necessary knowledge for successful investments. This ensures that both sides have the same expectations and goals, leading to a more harmonious and productive collaboration.

Differences Between Business Angels and Athlete Angels

A central theme of the podcast episode is the differences between traditional business angels and athlete angels. While both groups provide financial capital, athlete angels bring additional valuable resources:

• Reach and Network: Athletes have an extensive network in the sports world and a large public reach, which they can use to support startups and increase their visibility.
• Sporting Expertise: Their experience and knowledge from professional sports can be applied to the business world, particularly in sports and health startups.
• Emotional Bond and Personal Commitment: Athletes often have a deeper emotional bond to the projects they invest in. This leads to stronger personal engagement and higher identification with the startups.

If you are interested in diving deeper into the topic and gaining insights into the athlete and startup portfolio of Athlete Capital, click here to listen to the podcast episode.