Lionel Messi launched an investment firm based here in the United States. The company, known as Play Time Sports-Tech HoldCo LLS, or simply Play Time, plans to buy media, sports and technology both in the United States and around the world.
“I am excited to extend our roots to Silicon Valley, and I am delighted that Play Time is collaborating with bold entrepreneurs from around the world,” Messi said in a statement released Wednesday.
Play Time will invest in “scenario agnostic” possibilities. This includes helping startups build football-related technology or even investing in clubs.
According to Bloomberg, Razmig Hovaghimian runs Play Time. Hovaghimian is currently a partner at venture capital firm Graph Ventures. The new company will also include Michael Marquez, also a founding partner of his own company Code Advisors LLC. Marquez is now a special adviser to Play Time.
In addition to being a partner at Graph Ventures, Hovaghimian is also a founder of Matchday.com. The new company has listed Play Time as its first investor and has plans to officially launch soon. There are suggestions that this means before the start of the next World Cup in Qatar. This business also has a stake in the technology startup AC Momento.
In a vague statement on its website, Matchday describes itself as “a place where fans rub shoulders with the best players in the world. Where you define your experience. Sharing joy and passion that you can’t find anywhere else.”
Messi involved in new US investment firm
Hovaghimian also shared Messi’s excitement at the new partnership in a statement of his own. “From the moment I met Leo and the Messi family in 2017, it was clear that his vision for the future is bold,” Hovaghimian said. “They want to continue to have a direct and lasting impact on and off the field.”
Announcing participation in the investment company is one thing. The declaration did not include the amount of money that entered the company.
PHOTO: IMAGO / Sports Press Photo
