– L Catterton and Patricof Co launched CHAMP (CHampion Athlete Managing Partner), a strategic partnership focused on consumer brands
– CHAMP targets brands where aligned athlete involvement can significantly accelerate growth
– Core model: athlete ownership structure where athletes co-invest and co-own portfolio companies alongside the firms
– Designed to create stronger alignment than traditional endorsement models
– Supported by a proprietary Athlete Activation framework to drive brand engagement and value creation
– More than 250 elite athletes are already part of the CHAMP network
– Notable athletes include Kevin Durant, Dak Prescott, Joe Burrow, Mike Trout, Patrick Cantlay, and Livvy Dunne
– Focus on consumer brands with strong affinity but untapped visibility
– Strategy aims to accelerate awareness, deepen engagement, and unlock growth through athlete-driven cultural influence
– Built on nearly a decade of collaboration between L Catterton and Patricof Co
– Prior joint investments include Cholula Hot Sauce, Kodiak Cakes, and RealTruck
– Combines L Catterton’s global consumer investing platform with Patricof Co’s athlete network and activation expertise
– Intended to complement existing investment platforms while adding differentiated sourcing and engagement capabilities
– Scott Dahnke, Global CEO of L Catterton, said: “Consumer behavior is undergoing a profound and secular shift driven by the convergence of culture, technology, and media. Our proprietary research shows that athletes are among the most trusted and influential voices to emerge in this landscape. This partnership reflects a thoughtful extension of L Catterton’s consumer investing approach. By combining our global investment platform and deep understanding of the consumer with Patricof Co’s athlete relationships, CHAMP seeks to execute a distinctive approach to partnering with consumer brands and a systematic framework for translating cultural relevance into sustainable growth while preserving the rigorous investment diligence for which we are known.”
– Mark Patricof, Founder and CEO of Patricof Co, said: “We have spent years building trust-based relationships with some of the world’s most prominent athletes, and observing that those athletes can drive better outcomes when they have skin in the game. CHAMP is the institutionalization of these collective insights. We believe that partnering with L Catterton, a firm that shares our conviction and brings deep consumer investing experience, enables us to take our demonstrated outcomes to an institutional platform scale.”
