Ex-Formula One champion Nico Rosberg raises $100m VC Fund
Nico Rosberg has raised $100 million for his venture capital firm, making it one of the largest technology investors from a former athlete.
Rosberg Ventures closed its third fund in January, giving it $200 million in assets under management.
The former Formula 1 world champion is the firm’s founder and principal investor.
What is Rosberg Ventures?
Rosberg started Rosberg Ventures in 2022, mostly operating as a source of funds backing prominent VC firms.
Since his retirement in 2016, Rosberg began writing personal checks for startups, which he himself called “hit and misses.”
Rosberg's firm has invested between $2 million and $5 million at a time in projects, which the German called a “collaborative” tactic that does not require large equity stakes or try to compete with blue-chip VC firms.
Some of the investments include ClickHouse, a real-time data analytics platform, and Ivy, the developer of a global API for instant bank payments.
He revealed he won deals through his persistence, which involved him sending cold messages to startup founders on LinkedIn.
The former world champion is not afraid to use his celebrity status; he regularly hosts gatherings of well-known entrepreneurs and investors at F1 Grand Prix races.
Rosberg revealed he helped broker commercial deals between startups and larger German companies, whose owners invest in Rosberg Ventures.
In exchange, the startups offer Rosberg Ventures opportunities to invest in VC funds.
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