Professional Athletes Turn to Tech Entrepreneurship

Technology has quickly emerged as a hot topic these days and it is hard to believe that its potential is endless. Not only has it impacted most of its competing industries, it has also captured the attention of the U.S. sport stars as a unique investment opportunity. Silicon valley attracts athletes not just because of its lucrative benefits, but also its competitive nature that professional athletes can relate to.

On August 22, 2016, retired NBA superstar Kobe Bryant partnered with Web.com CEO Jeff Stibel to found a venture capital firm that invests in technology, media, and data companies. This made headlines in both the tech world and the sports world causing other athletes to also take action on this unbelievable opportunity. Stephen Curry himself has also founded two tech startups: CoachUp which is a private coaching app that matches up young athletes with trainers and coaches, and Slyce which connects athletes with fans. Carmelo Anthony founded Melo7 Tech Partners LLC which currently has investments in Lyft, DraftKings, Walker and Company, and SeatGeek. These are a few of the many athletes that are actively apart of the tech community.

Athletes such as San Francisco 49ers Linebacker Patrick Willis have retired from their incredible sport careers in order to pursue their other passions in life. It is important to realize that sports are now being used for one of their main purposes. They are vehicles to achieve other ambitions in life. Many of these athletes would have never had the opportunity to enter an industry of such rapid growth if it were not for their sports careers.

All of these activities will eventually change the perception that the public has of professional athletes and will capture young athletes' curiosity. When they see that their sports icons are constantly involving themselves in the tech community, they will be influenced to look into the industry and involve themselves as well. Contrary to the young athlete's belief that pursuing sports is the only way to become successful, professionals are pioneering a new trend for athletes to use their competitive nature to excel in Tech Entrepreneurship. We are living in a world of mobile applications and high technology so younger generations are forced to acknowledge technology in their lives.

This is a major trend alert and these athletes are a great example for the young generations that are following them. This will hopefully create a new breed of smart athletes who invest their money in meaningful innovations. The tech industry has a bright future ahead of it!