The Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles will face off on the gridiron this Sunday for Super Bowl LIX, marking the second time in three seasons that the two teams have battled each other for the NFL championship.
In the field of venture investing, however, the two teams aren’t equally matched.
While the City of Brotherly Love has a robust startup scene around sectors such as life sciences and fintech, Kansas City’s is significantly smaller.
VC-backed startups in Kansas City saw only $30 million roll their way in 2024, per Crunchbase data.
However, some of the actual Chiefs players are also players in the venture world.
All talk about the Chiefs has to start with their all-world quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The former NFL MVP is an investor in Irvine, California-based recovery and movement enhancement startup HyperIce, as well as Boston-based Whoop. Whoop’s platform tracks an athlete’s recovery, training and even sleeping hours to help boost performance. The company has raised more than $400 million, and received a $3.6 billion valuation after its $200 million Series F in 2021.
Just last year, Mahomes was the lead investor in a seed round to launch Stamford, Connecticut-based Throne Sport Coffee, a ready-to-drink iced coffee that brands itself as being more healthful with natural caffeine, natural flavors and natural sweeteners with B vitamins and electrolytes.
Of course, Mahomes is not the only well-known Chief with some investment deals. Mahomes’ favorite target, tight end Travis Kelce, has more than just a famous girlfriend — he also has a venture portfolio.
Per Crunchbase, the big-time pass catcher’s investments include Mexico City-based fantasy sports platform Draftea as well as Irvine-based, vapor-distilled alkaline water startup ZenWtr, and Park City, Utah-based bakery company Kodiak Cakes. Kelce also is an investor in Cambridge, Massachusetts-based connected indoor rowing machine developer Hydrow, which has raised more than $360 million to date.
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Illustration: Dom Guzman
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