List of the 150 largest Sports Private Equity Investors Europe [Update 2024]

List of 3 large European sports-focused private equity funds

Investments in the sports sector through private equity usually involve funding sports-related businesses, such as professional sports teams, sports technology companies, fitness and wellness brands, sporting goods manufacturers, and sports media and entertainment enterprises. Private equity investments in the sports sector are typically focused on businesses that have the potential for high growth and profitability. Private equity firms may invest in sports and wellness due to the growing global interest, advancements in sports analytics and equipment, and increasing commercialization and media rights revenues in professional sports.

1. Mercurius Private Equity GmbH (Frankfurt, Germany)

Mercurius Private Equity GmbH is a private equity firm based in Frankfurt, Germany. Their diverse portfolio includes investments in various industries such as the field of sports. Notably, they have made a significant investment in Supreme Sports Hospitality Frankfurt GmbH, a company that specializes in transforming stadium experiences into memorable taste experiences. They focus on providing high-quality and sustainably produced products. The company collaborates closely with design, branding, and architecture specialists to provide not only catering services but also to craft distinctive experiences that reflect the club and the region.

2. Three Hills Capital Partners (London, UK)

Three Hills Capital Partners is a private equity firm specializing in mid-market preferred capital in Europe. The investment firm made a significant investment in Genius Sports Group, a leading sports technology company. THCP’s involvement with Genius Sports Group began in 2015, marked by an investment of £10 million. This investment was a combination of debt and equity, which included a £10 million loan as the sole lender and a minority equity position of approximately 5%. The capital provided by THCP was intended to support Genius Sports Group in strategic acquisitions in the scouting and sports data collection areas.

Update 2024: Three Hills has announced its latest investment in LCap Group Limited, a specialist Leadership Advisory & Analytics firm that focuses on high-growth companies and private equity-backed businesses. LCap Group also supports private credit and equity houses directly. The investment of £32.5 million will support LCap Group’s active M&A strategy, allowing the business to continue its expansion plan.

3. Abacus Alpha GmbH (Frankenthal, Germany)

Primary Abacus Alpha GmbH is a private equity firm that invests in medium-sized, technology-based companies across various sectors, including industry, trade, and services. Established in 2006, the firm is part of a business community that includes both traditional majority and minority shareholdings in established medium-sized companies with strong market positioning and profitability. Abacus Alpha has invested in ASB Systembau Horst Babinsky GmbH, a company that has revolutionized sports and architecture with its special illuminated and interactive glass floors for multi-sport arenas, and LED and video glass surfaces for architectural projects. This investment aligns with Abacus Alpha’s focus on innovation and technology, particularly in areas that intersect with industrial applications.

Picture source: Unsplash

Columns included in our list

Through our list, you can get an overview of the most important private equity investors. In detail, the list offers the most important data points to get in touch with the most important private equity funds:

• Name
• Country of Origin
• City
• URL
• General E-Mail (if available)
• LinkedIn Page (if available)
• Managing directors (if available)
• Assets under Management in €M (approximation, if available)
• Geographic focus (office locations)

Especially the LinkedIn pages of the PE funds help to get in touch with the executives and investment managers of the included firms.

This list is based on our sophisticated keyword crawler technology. We crawled the websites of all private equity funds in our European private equity database for the keyword “sports“. We crawled every website for at least 60 seconds. The offered list includes all PE funds in Europe that mentioned the keywords for at least one time. The list includes detailed keyword statistics, e.g. the number of keyword occurrences, which keyword occurred how often, where most keywords were found, etc. Thereby, it helps you to identify the most relevant investors in the respective vertical.