Inspiring Sport Capital

A European investment company dedicated to the sports industry, including the two following sub-segments: Sporting Goods Manufacturers with a strong technical DNA, and Technologies applied to Sports. These sectors are rich of innovation, synergies and growth opportunities. Beyond financial resources, we create value at investee companies by unlocking the specific leverages of the sports industry (sponsorship, marketing rights, contents, communities, networking). We are long-term investors supported by strategic advisors, well-known family offices and entrepreneurs.

A top investment opportunity for Private Equity

With a global market exceeding €600bn and an annual growth at 7% exceeding global economy, the sports industry has developed into one the largest economic sector, and over-performs with an average trading EV/EBITDA ratio of 12x vs. 7x for all others.
As a very fragmented market, made of well-known SME’s but with limited resources operating in different fields of activities, the sports industry is a top investment opportunity for Private Equity, offering high returns perspectives with a diversified risk profile.

Our investment strategy

1. Sporting Goods Manufacturers with strong technical DNA, and sport performance know-how especially in Cycling, Running, Action Sports, Outdoor Sports, Tennis, Fitness & Yoga, and Equipment for Clubs.
2. Technologies applied to sports, in relation with current and future social trends / usages: Quantified self, connected devices, live interactive content, data, e-sport/gaming, communities & e-commerce.

We address the €10-50m transaction value range, investing €5-20m tickets in buyout and growth equity situations.
We support companies and projects on the mid / long term with a hands-on approach, and following characteristics: specific know-how, ability to growth internationally and to improve the operational performance.

Who we are

Laurent Damiani

Lucien Boyer

OLIVER MARKL

Strategic Advisors

With 30-year experience in sports business, Laurent founded and lead until 2013, the Community Group, a sports marketing firm, as well as Community Unlimited, an international network of independent sponsorship agencies. From 2009 to 2016, Laurent was Chairman of SPORSORA, the French association gathering sports industry’s stakeholders, and since 2010 Board Member of the MEDEF’s sport Committee. From these entrepreneurial experiences and public roles, Laurent gained a unique know-how and a significant track-record which are at the origins of Inspiring Sport Capital.
Pioneer in the international Sport Business, former CMO of Vivendi, and CEO/Founder of the leading network Havas Sports & Entertainment, Lucien is co-Founder and Chairman of the Global Sports Week Paris, investor of the shipyard CDK Technologies, and member of the supervisory board of The FIVE. He has graduated from ESSEC, Paris.
With a background as M&A banker at J.P. Morgan and a senior private equity professional at mid-market firm Monitor Clipper Partners, Oliver has been exposed for over 20 years to a wide variety of transaction situations. He also founded his own company and ran the acquisition of MagicLine GmbH, the German market leader for fitness club membership management. From 2015, Oliver is partner at Acuity Advisors and investment advisor at Inspiring Sport Capital. He has graduated from Polytechnique, Paris and Johns Hopkins SAIS, Bologne.
Charles Beigbeder, Gravitation and Audacia
René Berger, Mercedes F1 and Next March
Alberto Bichi, European Platform for Sport Innovation
Olivier Cantet, former Oakley and Rip Curl
Jonathan Edwards, Olympic & World Champion
Christophe Favre, Forrester Research
Pascal Grizot, Alyan Group and Ryder Cup 2018
Marc Madiot, Groupama-FDJ Cycling Team
Patrick Mouratoglou, Mouratoglou Tennis Academy, Serena Williams’ coach
Nathalie Nénon, Webedia Group, former Kantar Media

Giving back to the sports community

We aim at creating a virtuous circle by:
– Supporting R&D and Innovation by promoting networks of knowledge and cross-border workshops;
– Supporting top-level athletes through coaching and educational programmes;
– Help educating and creating social link for children with NGO.

Contact

laurent.damiani@inspiringsportcapital.uk – lucien.boyer@inspiringsportcapital.uk
Elsley Court, 20-22 Great Titchfield Street – London W1W 8BE, United Kingdom