Former NBA Player Andre Iguodala Is Investing Big After Playing Basketball

Andre Iguodala is not only a four-time NBA champion and a recent retiree of the greatest basketball league in the world. He’s also a smart businessman.

Iguodala and his venture capital firm are teaming up with his longtime business partner, Rudy Cline-Thomas, who is an industry veteran who founded Mastry Ventures in 2021. Under his guidance, the venture capital firm has actually been rebranded as Mosaic General Partnership, successfully raising a $200 million fund, according to Inc Magazine.

But what will the fund actually do? It will focus on “providing early-stage funding for enterprise software, fintech and sports companies," according to Aftrotech. Most notably, their portfolio includes startups that achieved significant success, including Allbirds, Hims, Coinbase and Carta. Additionally in July, Cline-Thomas and Iguodala “ventured into sports ownership as co-owners of the English soccer club Leeds United."

Iggy in a recent interview with the New York Times’ Dealbook newsletter shared how his move to the Bay Area in 2013 to join the maligned Warriors was a strategic part of his plan in an effort to explore the tech industry.

“When I initially went out to the Bay Area, it was my intent to have success on and off the court. I thought about how to get access,” Iggy said in the interview.

The once high-flying dunker also has cofounded the Players Technology Summit alongside Steph Curry, according to sportskeeda.com.

But he isn’t the first former Warrior to delve into venture capital. Kevin Durant, now a member of the Phoenix Suns, established himself as a significant player in the VC arena during his time with the Warriors. Thirtyfive Ventures -- signifying the number he wears on his jersey -- was co-founded in 2016 with Durant’s agent, Rich Kleiman, and has thus made a whopping 61 investments in various startups.

Just back in 2019, Thirtyfive Ventures introduced Boardroom, which is a media network combining sports, entertainment, business and culture. Even more, Thirtyfive Ventures owns stakes in fishing sports properties such as NWSL and e-sports, leveraging opportunities in these sectors.

Still, through Iggy’s Mosaic General Partnership organization, his main focus is directed to sectors where his expertise can assist in mitigating risks. His group at Mosaic has “cultivated connections over time that hold the potential to unlock opportunities, establish collaborations, and contribute value right from the outset."

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