073 Robert Cohen on Building the Next Generation of SportsTech with AR-51

Robert Cohen is a strategic operator and investor with a career that spans global M&A, venture investing, and cutting-edge technology.Robert was part of the team that led the full buyout and transformation of AVG Technologies, helping scale the business internationally and ultimately take it public on the New York Stock Exchange. Since then, he’s invested in over 30 early-stage companies across the U.S., Israel, and Europe, while working closely with founders on everything from product and fundraising to partnerships and growth strategy.Today, he operates at the intersection of sports, media, and frontier technology. As Chief Business Officer at AR-51 and Managing Partner at Benson Oak Ventures, Robert is focused on bringing real-time 3D capture and immersive AR experiences into live events—reshaping how content is created, distributed, and monetized.In this conversation, we dive into Robert’s journey from scaling a public company to backing the next generation of founders, how to think about leverage in business, and why storytelling, structure, and strategic partnerships are the unlocks for growth. We also explore the future of sports and media through emerging technologies like AI, computer vision, and augmented reality—and what it takes to build in markets that are still being defined.