Grandsons of Adidas founder Adi Dassler will be in Atlanta for the official announcement on June 1, as part of The Farm’s inaugural Demo Day
Atlanta — June 1, 2018 — Comcast NBCUniversal’s The Farm business accelerator, powered by Boomtown, has inked a three-year, strategic global partnership with leAD, a Berlin-based global sports entrepreneurship and investment platform focused on funding and nurturing early-stage sports startups. A formal announcement of the partnership will take place on June 1 at The Coca-Cola Roxy at The Battery as part of The Farm’s inaugural Demo Day.
The Farm and leAD, which both launched in 2017, are focused on supporting innovative startup cohorts. leAD, which is short for Legacy of Adi Dassler, was initiated by the grandchildren of Adi Dassler, creator of the world-renowned Adidas brand, together with a unique group of shareholders who are experts in the fields of venture capital, business, sports business and tech. leAD consists of a sports accelerator, business builder and sports tech fund.
Through the partnership, The Farm and leAD will offer their cohorts access to each other’s resources, such as mentor and investor networks and facilities. Both partners also expect to tap into new overseas markets, giving each accelerator further insight into global business trends and access to international relationships and audiences.
The Farm and leAD accelerators have complementary business models in that both accelerators focus on early-stage startups. “Once we met Adi Dassler’s grandsons, Horst, Klaus and Stefan Bente, it became clear that a formal partnership could help each group’s entrepreneurs grow and thrive even more quickly through additional exposure to mentors, prospective investors and key contacts in new geographic markets,” said Boomtown Executive Director Toby Krout. “Entrepreneurs live in an increasingly global economy, and having an international partner gives The Farm’s startups an even greater advantage in developing their worldwide strategies.”
“We are thrilled to share with The Farm our resources and our passion for sports and innovation, which unites the leAD team of entrepreneurs, investors, athletes, mentors, and startups,” said Horst Bente, co-founder of leAD.
The connection to an international entrepreneurship and investment platform was an important consideration for Comcast, which created The Farm and housed it in the company’s new Central Division headquarters building at SunTrust Park in Atlanta.
“We have deep connections into the business of sports, whether it’s through the technology we provide to sports complexes like SunTrust Park, or our being the programming home to some of the world’s most prestigious international sports properties like the Summer and Winter Olympics,” said Comcast Central Division President Bill Connors. “Through our X1 technology and our advanced broadband network, we deliver some of the best and most popular sporting events across platforms. We are excited about this partnership with leAD and look forward to working with the startups to grow future sports technologies.”
The Farm’s inaugural Demo Day, June 1 from 4 – 7:30 p.m. at The Coca-Cola Roxy, is free and open to the public and will be a full evening of food, drinks and entertainment. Following the event, guests are invited to an after-party to celebrate.
The Farm is part of Comcast NBCUniversal’s LIFT Labs for Entrepreneurs, a multi-city collaborative program where Comcast NBCUniversal teams work side-by-side with startups that are working on developing the next generation of media, entertainment and connectivity innovations.
About Comcast NBCUniversal The Farm
The Farm offers a variety of programs to support and nurture selected startups and entrepreneurs, including a twice-a-year, three-month accelerator program, premium incubator office space, a cutting-edge hardware prototype lab and co-working space. For more information, visit www.thefarmatl.com, or connect via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.
About Boomtown
Based in Boulder, Colorado, Boomtown aims to discover and support promising companies in a variety of fields including health tech, internet, mobile, connectivity, software and “internet of things” (IoT) startups. Boomtown’s goal is not simply to provide the shortest distance between an idea and funding, but instead to support entrepreneurs in building great companies. Currently in its 10th cohort, Boomtown has invested in 98 companies since its founding in 2014. Of those, 86 percent are in operation and 60 percent are generating revenue. For more information, visit www.boomtownaccelerator.com.
About leAD
leAD stands for legacy of Adi Dassler. The co-founders and grandsons of Adi Dassler, Dr. Klaus, Horst and Stefan Bente, have committed to leverage their grandfather’s legacy by creating a new platform for sports entrepreneurship and innovation. This legacy and their extensive network in the global sports industry bring together some of the most sought-after experts in the field to fund and nurture remarkable sports startups. Their next-generation accelerator model with a three-month program providing tightly aligned support for entrepreneurs and a linked fund will capture value from the accelerator’s leading companies, and create an unprecedented ecosystem for sports innovation value-creation.
leAD also includes leAD Business Builder, which manages all the leAD portfolio investments into the companies that come through the leAD Sports Accelerator, and the ADvantage sports tech fund that intends to invest in Series A rounds of technology companies aimed at reshaping how we play and experience sports. Backed by leAD Sports and OurCrowd, the leading global equity crowdfunding platform, ADvantage, is a $50 million fund that leverages a strong global network to source leading opportunities in the spaces of fan engagement and experience, connected athletes and communities, and derivative sports. Visit www.leadsports.com, or connect via Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
