Key Takeaways
- • Comcast Ventures, the venture capital affiliate of Comcast Corporation, has added NBA champion Andre Iguodala as a Venture Partner to its Catalyst Fund, according to a Business Wire release dated February 5, 2020.
- • Iguodala will focus on investments in companies founded by African American, Latinx, and female entrepreneurs, working alongside Principal Fatima Husain.
- • The Catalyst Fund, launched in 2011, has supported more than 70 startups through direct investments and accelerator partnerships.
- • Iguodala cites a track record of backing more than 40 companies, including Zoom, Datadog, PagerDuty, and Allbirds, and a board role at Jumia Technologies, which went public in April 2019 with a billion-dollar IPO.
Summary
Comcast Ventures, the venture capital affiliate of Comcast Corporation, announced that Andre Iguodala has joined its Catalyst Fund as a Venture Partner. The firm described the appointment in a Business Wire release datelined San Francisco.
Iguodala is a three-time NBA Champion and First Vice President of the National Basketball Players Association. He is also a New York Times best-selling author of "The Sixth Man" and an active startup investor. According to the release, he has funded more than 40 companies, including Zoom, Datadog, PagerDuty, and Allbirds. He sits on the board of Jumia Technologies, which he helped take public in April 2019 in a billion-dollar IPO, and serves as a Board Advisor at enterprise software company Zuora.
Iguodala will work with Principal Fatima Husain, who joined Comcast Ventures in 2019 after serving as a Senior Growth Product Manager at Airbnb. Their investment focus is companies founded by African American, Latinx, and female entrepreneurs. Amy Banse, Comcast Ventures' Head of Funds and Managing Director, said Iguodala's investment experience and network would offer early-stage companies unique resources for growth.
The Catalyst Fund was launched in 2011 and has supported more than 70 startups with diverse founders through direct investments and partnerships with leading accelerator programs. Its portfolio spans gaming, DTC products, fintech, and enterprise applications. Comcast Ventures describes itself as a returns-focused firm with a 20-year history, more than 130 portfolio companies, and 26% of its portfolio with at least one female founder.
Iguodala is a three-time NBA Champion and First Vice President of the National Basketball Players Association. He is also a New York Times best-selling author of "The Sixth Man" and an active startup investor. According to the release, he has funded more than 40 companies, including Zoom, Datadog, PagerDuty, and Allbirds. He sits on the board of Jumia Technologies, which he helped take public in April 2019 in a billion-dollar IPO, and serves as a Board Advisor at enterprise software company Zuora.
Iguodala will work with Principal Fatima Husain, who joined Comcast Ventures in 2019 after serving as a Senior Growth Product Manager at Airbnb. Their investment focus is companies founded by African American, Latinx, and female entrepreneurs. Amy Banse, Comcast Ventures' Head of Funds and Managing Director, said Iguodala's investment experience and network would offer early-stage companies unique resources for growth.
The Catalyst Fund was launched in 2011 and has supported more than 70 startups with diverse founders through direct investments and partnerships with leading accelerator programs. Its portfolio spans gaming, DTC products, fintech, and enterprise applications. Comcast Ventures describes itself as a returns-focused firm with a 20-year history, more than 130 portfolio companies, and 26% of its portfolio with at least one female founder.
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