Think.
If you started when you were six years old, spent countless summers battling the heat during three-a-days, lifted the weight of the world in the gym, made it to the upper echelons of college sports, all of which culminated in a few long-term and richly laced professional contracts, what would you do with your time and money after you decided your jersey was better suited hanging in a trophy case?
Many athletes face this decision. Some will self indulge by buying 30 all-black-everything cars that will be driven but a few times per year.
A few athletes even remain in the game, and still find ways to invest their money. Some find their off-court entrepreneurial suit fits like it came straight from the tailor.
Interestingly enough, a portion of this new breed of athlete has a vested interest in technology.
Empire State of Mind
Perhaps crowdfunding isn’t the appropriate word to use here. But think about how many great technology startups have popped up on Kickstarter in the last few years. Right away, gadgets like The Micro (3D printer), the Avegant Glyph, and the Oculus Rift come to mind. Each of these incredible tech creations were funded by the public.
Conversely, there are tons of great tech startups looking for private backers. And where better to look than toward athletes, like Carmelo Anthony.
Although I did catch a glimpse of the 6’8″ forward on Sons of Anarchy the other night (recognized his stache), he is much more than a Cartwright soldier.
Off the court, Anthony has stepped his game up. Since Co-Founding his tech investment fund, Melo7 Tech Partners, his group has backed some technological heavy hitters, from SMS Audio and SeatGeek, to The Orange Chef and Lyft.
For those that don’t know, Lyft is a lot like Uber, but rather Uber’s older, friendlier, more cultured brother.
And The Orange Chef is an app that essentially puts Kim Snyder’s nutritional values on your mobile device in real time. The app also works in tandem with Jawbone Up to suggest foods based on your activity.
So, you see, the investments of the New York Knicks’ starting forward are not just for fun. There’s purpose; there’s meaning; there’s thought that goes into each Melo7 financially-backed piece of technology.
“It’s a tech boom right now, and everybody’s trying to figure out a way to get into the tech game. I’m also just trying to have fun with this right now and be smart about it at the same time,” explained Anthony.
Anthony is truly taking a humbled, smart approach to the business. He seems to be in the tech game for all of the right reasons; and we, the consumers, are privileged to be the beneficiaries.
“Detroit Red Cleaned Up”
Well, Detroit isn’t completely cleaned up. However, Magic Johnson and the Detroit Venture Partners (DVP) are working to make the city about more than the auto industry.
Josh Linkner, Dan Gilbert (Owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers), and Brian Hermelin initially put together DVP, while Johnson later joined as a General Partner.
Together, the company has invested in many great new technology startups, most of which are located in the center of downtown Detroit.
In fact, DVP won’t even consider working with large corporations.
The whole idea behind the venture was to inspire a city and reward the entrepreneurial spirit. A few of the top startups or seed companies to stem from DVP are Upto, Ginkotree, Detroit Labs, and Grand Circus Detroit.
For instance, Grand Circus is a career bootcamp of sorts. Based in Detroit, GC trains locals and prepares them to launch new technical-based careers. Inversely, the company helps match local businesses with “tech superstars”.
Even more inspiration pours out of Detroit by way of Ginkotree. Essentially, the company offers a free program for teachers that allows them to better engage students, organize content from top publishers, and distribute information to students at a significant discount.
Investing in the future is important; and Magic Johnson understands the logistics of doing so. He had a successful basketball career that he translated into an equally successful off-the-court venture.
And once again, it’s the community that reaps the reward. The city of Detroit is better off because DVP is investing in the future by betting on technology, thanks to a couple of entrepreneurial sports figures.
Connecting the World Together
This may sound a bit off kilter here to describe a mobile app as being able to connect the world. But with the backing of guys like Leonardo DiCaprio, Carlos Slim, and Lance Armstrong, this startup has potential.
Mobli is not your typical photo and video sharing platform. While those features are nice and Facebook-like, it’s unique in that it packs the ability to live broadcast life events.
Simply select a live broadcast and which of your subscribers you’d like to stream to, and do your thing.
Say you’re at CES and you are a very influential voice in technology. Your subscribers would be very pleased when a live stream pops up, and you’re putting the tech of CES on display alongside your takeaways.
Either way, this product would have likely been stifled without the backing of people like Armstrong. More investments are even helping the app push into the rest of the Americas.
And with the questionable seven-time Tour de France winner on your social network, social posts of himself, sitting beneath the fluorescence of his trophy case jerseys are bound to get some publicity. This further pushes the boundaries of the marketability of tech startups.
The status of its backers alone is helping Mobli quickly evolve into more than a startup. And that was one of the ideas the platform was built on. On the Google Play Store alone, Mobli has more than 1 million downloads.
Sure, it’s not Facebook, but the app is certainly holding its own.
Hands down, there really isn’t a better investment for athletes to make right now than the technology industry.
Big dollar sports stars are betting on the underdogs. Technology is giving athletes of today a way to transition into the world of business. At the same time, they are helping small, barely-buoyant companies to not only tread water, but to swim like Michael Phelps.
These lucrative ventures are not just about themselves either.
Sure, the return on investment may be great for the investors in the long run, but they’re being smart about it; and they’re in it for all the right reasons.
The simple fact is: they’re pushing the tech industry into the future.
We, the consumers, are the true benefactors.