{
  "id": 6652435,
  "title": "Thrive Capital led VCs into pro sports ownership; Collaborative Fund just upped that play",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/10/thrive-capital-led-vcs-into-pro-sports-ownership-collaborative-fund",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-09-10T22:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "TechCrunch",
    "slug": "techcrunch",
    "url": "https://techcrunch.com/2026/09/10/thrive-capital-showed-vcs-the-way-into-pro-sports-ownership-collaborative-fund-is-now-trying-its-own-version-of-the-same-play/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Collaborative Fund, a 15-year-old venture firm based in New York, has recently taken a stake in the soccer club D.C. United and its stadium, Audi Field. This move marks the latest instance of venture capital firms entering the world of pro sports ownership, a trend that was first pioneered by Thrive Capital just months ago. Thrive Capital, led by Joshua Kushner, launched a new vehicle called Thrive Eternal, which was specifically created to hold iconic franchises and cultural institutions for decades. The firm made its first move by acquiring a stake in the San Francisco Giants, followed by a record $12.5 billion purchase of the Lakers outright. Prior to this, individual tech fortunes and private equity firms were the primary sources of funding for pro sports ownership. Notable examples include Vinod Khosla's purchase of the Seattle Seahawks and Sixth Street's ownership of multiple MLB, NFL, NBA, and European soccer teams. Thrive and Collaborative Fund, however, are taking a different approach. While Thrive created a standalone, permanent-capital vehicle to hold trophy assets, Collaborative Fund is using its existing early-stage fund to invest in these properties, treating the deal more as infrastructure. Collaborative Fund's founder and managing partner, Craig Shapiro, sees the deal as an extension of what the firm already does. He highlights the potential of D.C. United's status as one of Major League Soccer's original clubs, its fan base, and its ownership of Audi Field in Washington D.C., as well as its talent-development pipeline and future expansion plans. Shapiro believes that the stakes could pay off on their own, given the soaring valuations of soccer teams.",
  "summary": "Collaborative Fund just bought into D.C. United and its stadium, with firm founder Craig Shapiro pitching it as a way to showcase for the firm's startups.",
  "key_points": [
    "Collaborative Fund invested in D.C. United and Audi Field",
    "Thrive Capital pioneered pro sports ownership with Thrive Eternal",
    "Collaborative Fund uses existing early-stage fund for deals"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}