Patricof Co and L Catterton Form Athlete Investment Partnership

L Catterton, a Connecticut-based private equity firm with $40 billion in assets under management, and Patricof Co, an advisory and investment firm founded by Mark Patricof in 2018, have announced the formation of CHAMP (Champion Athlete Managing Partner), a new strategic partnership focused on acquiring and scaling consumer brands through authentic athlete ownership and involvement. The partnership formalizes nearly a decade of collaborative history between the two firms, who have previously co-invested in established consumer brands including Cholula Hot Sauce, Kodiak Cakes, and Real Truck.

CHAMP's core innovation lies in its distinctive athlete ownership model, which departs significantly from traditional celebrity endorsement arrangements. Rather than serving as external marketers, participating athletes function as direct co-owners and equity holders in portfolio companies, creating powerful alignment of interests. More than 250 elite athletes have committed to the partnership, with documented participants spanning the NBA (Tyrese Haliburton, Cade Cunningham, Cooper Flagg), WNBA (Azzi Fudd, Cameron Brink, Sophie Cunningham), NFL (Dak Prescott, Ja'Marr Chase, Joe Burrow, Justin Jefferson), and MLB (Mike Trout, Tarik Skubal, Bobby Witt Jr., Corbin Carroll, Logan Webb). Kevin Durant's investment vehicle, 35 Ventures, and social media influencer Livvy Dunne are also participants. Athletes have committed more than $50 million in capital to the fund, investing alongside L Catterton and Patricof Co.

CHAMP will target emerging and scaled consumer brands positioned to benefit from athlete activation, particularly companies with strong underlying brand affinity but limited market visibility where athlete involvement can catalyze growth. The partnership employs a proprietary Athlete Activation framework designed to create outsized value through accelerated awareness, deepened consumer engagement, and new growth avenues. L Catterton's CEO Scott Dahnke noted that proprietary research demonstrates athletes rank among the most trusted and influential voices in an evolving consumer landscape shaped by convergence of culture, technology, and media.

L Catterton's investment capacity—ranging from $5 million to $5 billion per deal across its private equity, credit, and real estate strategies—combined with Patricof Co's specialized expertise in athlete capital aggregation and investor relations, positions CHAMP to pursue a broad universe of consumer opportunities. The firm has completed over 300 consumer brand investments to date, providing operational and scaling expertise to complement athlete co-ownership and activation.