Amsterdam, 22nd of January 2026 — ve2ventures, a leading sports and media tech venture studio, today announced that Athvance Capital has acquired a majority stake in the company. The acquisition strengthens Athvance’s rapidly expanding European platform and accelerates ve2ventures’ mission to build and scale high-potential ventures at the intersection of sport, media, and technology.
With this strategic move, Athvance gains immediate access to ve2ventures’ venture portfolio and ecosystem — including PadelPlay, Estrella Football Group, and Fly-Fut — and reinforces its ambition to create the leading sports and media tech ecosystem in Europe.
A Major Milestone Built on Two Years of Hard Work
Over the past two years, ve2ventures has worked relentlessly to build a venture studio model designed for long-term value creation — combining product innovation, brand building, growth strategy, commercialisation, team expansion, and fundraising support under one ecosystem.
“This moment has been years in the making,” said David Dwinger, Co-Founder & CEO of ve2ventures.
“What we’ve built at ve2ventures didn’t happen overnight — it’s the result of relentless execution, deep belief in our ventures, and a team that never stopped pushing forward. Now, with Athvance acquiring a stake in ve2ventures, we’re moving from proving the model to scaling it. Together, we will build the leading sports and media tech ecosystem in Europe — a platform where world-class founders, technologies, and sports assets can grow faster, raise smarter, and win globally.”
David added, “This partnership is rocket fuel for our portfolio. With Athvance behind us, we’re expanding our reach, increasing the resources available to every venture, and creating a stronger ecosystem for investors and stakeholders who want to be part of the future of sport.”
Building a Connected Sports & Media Tech Platform
The acquisition expands ve2ventures’ ability to scale its portfolio companies and support founders with increased network access, operational expertise, and long-term capital aligned with the evolution of the sports industry.
ve2ventures’ portfolio includes:
Padelplay — an AI-powered data tool for padel players
FLY-FUT — delivering real-time tactical intelligence in football using autonomous drones and computer vision
Estrella Football Group — a horizontal multi-club ownership platform built to unlock untapped value in lower-league football
Backed by Operators and Investors with Deep Industry Experience
Athvance Capital is founded and led by Danny Menken (Eurosport, Infostrada Sports Group, Eleven Sports) and Karim Ben Rejeb (JP Morgan), and is focused on investing in emerging and under-commercialised sports IP, as well as the technology and service providers supporting the sports industry’s long-term growth.
Danny Menken, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Athvance Capital, said: “ve2ventures has built a unique portfolio and ecosystem with strong momentum. By acquiring a majority stake, we’re able to accelerate that platform immediately — bringing together capital, execution, and ambition to build a true European leader in sports and media technology.”
Karim Ben Rejeb, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Athvance Capital, added: “This acquisition reflects our belief that the future of sport will be shaped by integrated platforms — connecting technology, rights, performance, and fan engagement. ve2ventures has proven its ability to build and scale, and we’re excited to support the next phase of growth together.”
Looking Ahead
With Athvance and ve2ventures now aligned under one platform, the combined ecosystem will continue expanding across Europe — bringing together ventures, sports assets, industry partners, and investors who share the vision of building next-generation sports and media businesses with global reach.
About ve2ventures
ve2ventures is a sports and media tech venture studio focused on building and scaling ventures across different verticals in sports and media tech. Through an ecosystem-driven approach, ve2ventures supports founders with product innovation, go-to-market strategy, commercialisation, team building, and access to capital.
About Athvance Capital
Athvance Capital is a European investment platform fully dedicated to unlocking long-term value across the global sports industry. The firm invests in emerging and under-commercialised sports IP, and in the technology and service providers that support the industry’s long-term growth. Combining patient, flexible capital with deep operational expertise, Athvance identifies, integrates, and scales assets at the intersection of sport, media, and technology.
