160 Sapna Shah on Investing in the Next Wave of Sports

Sapna Shah has spent more than a decade investing in startups, and today she is focused on one of the fastest-growing areas of the industry: sports. Her portfolio includes investments in Unrivaled Basketball, the New York Cosmos, World TeamTennis, and more, with a particular focus on women’s and mixed-gender sports.On this episode of the Sports Business Leaders Podcast, Sapna shares why she made the move from retail and consumer investing into sports, what she looks for when evaluating teams, leagues, and startups, and why she believes women’s sports still has significant room to grow. She also breaks down common mistakes founders make when pitching investors, the importance of building a real fan or customer acquisition strategy, and why emerging sports organizations can present compelling opportunities for investors.The conversation also explores where Sapna sees the next wave of opportunity across women’s sports, soccer, youth sports, fan engagement, and sports technology.