The Players Fund, an investment group of athletes past and present, has brought on a new cohort of sportswomen as partners, including Olympic gold medallist Dame Jessica-Ennis Hill.
Founded in 2023, The Players Fund aims to put the capital and prominence of professional athletes towards investments into startups.
The £40m VC fund launched in August with the backing of the likes of cricketer Ben Stokes and footballers Serge Gnabry and Chris Smalling.
The Players Fund on Monday announced that Ennis-Hill, alongside Women’s Super League players Danielle Carter, Eni Aluko and Nikita Parris as partners. American track and field athlete Allyson Felix has also joined the firm.
“I’m honoured to join alongside these phenomenal women to drive The Players Fund’s mission of empowering athletes forward,” said Ennis-Hill.
“Together, we can spark real change in VC and beyond by backing founders of all backgrounds, and for me in particular female entrepreneurs where possible.”
Alongside their additional capital, the new cohort will support the fund’s goal of reaching out to female founders, who typically receive a significantly smaller percentage of VC funding.
“We are thrilled to welcome these groundbreaking athletes to The Players Fund. Their expertise takes us one step closer to our goal of creating the foremost athlete investor network,” said Fergus Bell, managing partner of the Players Fund.
“This remarkable group has the power to support founders and spark meaningful change in the athlete community and beyond.”
The fund has yet to announce its first investment.