KB Partners

KB Partners, LLC is a venture capital firm based in Highland Park, Illinois, specializing in early-stage investments, particularly in the sports and technology sectors. Founded in 1996, the firm focuses on mezzanine investments, seed/startup funding, and growth capital for companies engaged in various industries, including technology products and services, communications, medical products, advertising, and consumer goods. KB Partners takes an active role in nurturing businesses by collaborating closely with talented entrepreneurs and experienced managers. The firm typically invests between $1 million and $5 million and prefers opportunities in the Chicago area and surrounding Midwestern and Central U.S. markets. Currently, it operates through the KB Partners Myriad Opportunity Fund, which emphasizes investments at the intersection of sports and technology.

Steve Ahern

Principal

Stephan Ahern

Partner

Keith Bank

CEO and Founder

Byron Denenberg

Managing Director and Co-Founder

Past deals in Sports

OMORPHO

Seed Round in 2022
Designer of premium sports and fitness clothes intended to revolutionize training with a micro-weighted gravity sportswear collection. The company's products strategically place small amounts of weight across the body and are designed to make users fitter, faster and stronger without limiting natural movement, enabling users to simplify the pursuit of a fit life.

SIQ Basketball

Seed Round in 2022
SIQ Basketball, based in Los Angeles, California, specializes in developing innovative sports technology. The company has created a smart basketball that is approved for official gameplay by the International Basketball Federation. In addition to its hardware, SIQ Basketball offers sports analytics software tailored for sports organizations. This technology includes applications that provide customized video content, data collection, and advanced analysis through real-time tracking of players, teams, and equipment. By integrating statistics with video, SIQ Basketball enables teams, broadcasters, and fans to analyze games more efficiently, allowing coaches to deliver prompt feedback to players and significantly reducing scouting time.

nVenue

Seed Round in 2022
nVenue is a developer of sports analytics software focused on enhancing virtual fan engagement. The company utilizes advanced machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies to rapidly and accurately generate probabilities and odds for various outcomes of sports plays. This innovative approach enables users to enjoy the game while making predictions about its outcomes, creating opportunities for interactive participation and potential earnings. By combining real-time analytics with user engagement, nVenue aims to transform the way fans experience sports.

GridRival

Seed Round in 2021
GridRival, Inc. is a company that has developed a mobile application designed for motorsports enthusiasts to engage with their favorite sports. The app allows users to create or join leagues, invite friends, and manage their teams while competing against others. Participants earn points based on the real-world performances of their chosen teams, enhancing the fantasy sports experience. GridRival aims to provide an authentic platform that features real-time cash-based fantasy games and fosters a community of like-minded race fans. Founded in 2019 and headquartered in Portland, Oregon, GridRival was previously known as Fantasy Sport GP LLC and offers its application on both the App Store and Google Play.

PickUp

Venture Round in 2021
PickUp is a fan opinion platform that makes content interactive by letting publishers embed contextual and shareable editorial. Their mission is to validate the fan opinion, and in the process, make sports content more fun. Launching summer 2020, get access to the fan opinion platform, and get in touch with the real fan conversations.

OMORPHO

Seed Round in 2021
Designer of premium sports and fitness clothes intended to revolutionize training with a micro-weighted gravity sportswear collection. The company's products strategically place small amounts of weight across the body and are designed to make users fitter, faster and stronger without limiting natural movement, enabling users to simplify the pursuit of a fit life.

Stadium Live Inc.

Seed Round in 2020
Stadium Live Inc. is a Toronto-based company that develops a sports application tailored for the next generation. Incorporated in 2020, the platform offers features such as live scores and interactive elements that allow users to play, earn, and shop while engaging with sports alongside friends. The application aims to create a fun and engaging environment for sports enthusiasts, appealing to a younger audience.

PickUp

Seed Round in 2020
PickUp is a fan opinion platform that makes content interactive by letting publishers embed contextual and shareable editorial. Their mission is to validate the fan opinion, and in the process, make sports content more fun. Launching summer 2020, get access to the fan opinion platform, and get in touch with the real fan conversations.

Repeat

Seed Round in 2019
Repeat Gamingis one of the largest esports tournament platforms, where users compete for cash prizes across games like League of Legends, Dota 2 and Smite. XY Gaming organizes asynchronous esports tournaments, where we automatically monitor the players in-game statistics and award them scores based on their performance, creating a convenient and hassle free way to compete.

Workforce Athletics

Seed Round in 2019
Workforce Athletics, Inc. is a sports company based in Oakland, California, founded in 2016. It specializes in enhancing corporate culture through organized sports experiences that promote team building, diversity, and inclusion. The company provides a professional-like sports league experience for employee-athletes, offering services such as professional coaching, custom team jerseys, action photography, and the creation of team rosters and schedules. By delivering impactful sports leagues, Workforce Athletics aims to energize and empower participants, fostering a sense of community and collaboration within organizations.

LeagueLink

Venture Round in 1999
LeagueLink was founded in 1999 and is based in Westminster, Colorado. The company is dedicated to making sports leagues easier to manage and more fun to participate in. The company has created powerful internet-based software that is free to both leagues and athletes.
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