US Cricket Receives Investment from a Consortium Including WhatsApp, Google, Adobe, and YouTube
Venture Capitalists from Tech Giants Invest in Major League Cricket (MLC)’s San Francisco Unicorns
In a recent move, bigwigs from major tech companies like Adobe, YouTube, Google, WhatsApp, and Dropbox have inked deals to invest in MLC’s San Francisco Unicorns. This isn't the tech elite's first foray into sports ownership, joining names from TV show The Big Bang Theory, Yodlee, and Menlo Ventures.
Shantanu Narayen, reigning CEO of Adobe, is among these game changers currently in negotiations with the MCC to buy a minority stake in the Hundred team London Spirit.
"This powerhouse team of investors brings a treasure trove of strategic knowledge and a common dream to grow the realm of cricket in the Bay Area and beyond the US," said Anand Rajaraman, founding partner at rocketship.vc. "With their backing, we're creating a team that echoes the global essence of the sport and the innovative spirit of the Bay Area."
Tech Moguls Back Cricket Unicorns
Last year, the Unicorns almost seized the MLC Championship title and are guided by none other than the charismatic Australian all-rounder, Shane Watson. Their ranks boast English 2019 Cricket World Cup winner Liam Plunkett and US captain Corey Anderson.
Narayen and his venture capitalist cohorts - YouTube CEO Neal Mohan, Iconiq Capital founder Divesh Makan, The Big Bang Theory actor Kunal Nayyar, former CTO of Dropbox Aditya Agarwal, among others, are the key players behind this exciting investment.
Former WhatsApp CBO Neeraj Arora, former Google stalwart Amit Singhal, and UC Investments (The University of California) round up the consortium of major tech investors.
"Cricket has always stirred my heart, being a resident of New Delhi. It's a game that brings people from diverse cultures and continents together," Nayyar mused. "I take immense pride in supporting the San Francisco Unicorns as they work to bring top-notch cricket to the US and ignite a new generation of fans."
Interestingly, Narayen’s connection with the MLC doesn’t begin with the Unicorns. Washington Freedom owners, including Sanjay Govil, are poised to forge a 50-50 percent agreement with Glamorgan-based Welsh Fire—further underscoring Narayen's determination to back cricket ventures.
"The prominent tech moguls, including Shantanu Narayen from Adobe, Neal Mohan from YouTube, Divesh Makan from Iconiq Capital, Kunal Nayyar from The Big Bang Theory, Aditya Agarwal from Dropbox, Neeraj Arora from WhatsApp, Amit Singhal from Google, and UC Investments (The University of California), continue to demonstrate their interest in sports as they have now invested in the cricket team, the San Francisco Unicorns of Major League Cricket (MLC)."
"With their combined investment, the San Francisco Unicorns, led by Australian all-rounder Shane Watson, aim to popularize cricket in the Bay Area and beyond the US, creating a team that embodies the global essence of the sport and the innovative spirit of the region."
