Drive by DraftKings
UnclaimedAt a Glance
- Check Size
- $. – $.
- Stage
- Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A, Series B+
- Sectors
- Gaming, Consumer, Fintech
- Founded
- 2021
- HQ
- Boston, MA
About Drive by DraftKings
Drive by DraftKings is a Boston, Massachusetts venture capital firm founded in 2021 as the venture arm of DraftKings, the sports betting and daily fantasy operator also headquartered in Boston. It invests across pre-seed, seed, Series A and later rounds. Its sector coverage is tagged in this directory as Aerospace & Defense, Digital Health, Consumer, Fintech and other categories, though the fund describes itself more narrowly as a multi-stage investor in sports technology, gaming, entertainment and adjacent consumer technology.
Unusually for a corporate venture program, Drive was not capitalized by DraftKings alone. The firm names DraftKings, General Catalyst, Accomplice and Boston Seed Capital as founding partners, which gives it institutional venture backing and a mandate that does not depend on one sponsor's product roadmap. Meredith McPherron leads the fund as chief executive officer and managing partner, with Kiki Mills Johnston and Jon Von Deylen as partners.
The portfolio spans twenty-one companies. Early positions include Sleeper, TopProp and Simplebet in fantasy and betting infrastructure, and WHOOP in wearables. Later names include Cardless, FEVO, Just Women's Sports, Picklebet, StreamLayer, Nextiles, Spren, Ozlo, Papaya Gaming, Muxy, Jump, Bandit and Burn Ghost.
Investment Thesis
“Corporate venture arm of DraftKings focusing on sports technology, gaming, entertainment, and adjacent consumer technology companies.”
Leadership Team
Meredith McPherron is chief executive officer and managing partner. Kiki Mills Johnston and Jon Von Deylen are partners, Josh Wasserman is a senior associate, and Emily DeJoy runs operations. The investment team is small relative to the deal count, which the fund offsets with an All-Star Network of athlete and executive advisers.
That network is the fund's distinguishing asset. It includes former tennis professional James Blake, baseball executive Theo Epstein, and Boston Red Sox president Sam Kennedy, giving portfolio management teams direct access to league, franchise and media decision makers. Sports technology companies typically stall in distribution rather than in product, so for the management teams Drive backs, that channel is the fund's core value proposition alongside capital.
Sector Focus
Investment Stage
Notable Portfolio Companies
Fund History
Drive by DraftKings operates as a multi-stage venture fund investing in sports technology and entertainment. Rather than a pure balance-sheet corporate venture arm, it was seeded by a consortium: DraftKings alongside General Catalyst, Accomplice and Boston Seed Capital are named as founding partners, a structure that gives the fund institutional venture backers rather than a single strategic sponsor.
The fund does not publish committed capital, and no Form D appears in SEC EDGAR under the Drive by DraftKings name, so fund size and vintage detail are not on the public record. What is disclosed is deployment: twenty-one portfolio companies spanning betting infrastructure, fan engagement, wearables and gaming. Named positions include WHOOP, Cardless, FEVO, Just Women's Sports, Picklebet, StreamLayer, Nextiles, Spren, Ozlo, Papaya Gaming, Muxy, Jump, Bandit and Burn Ghost. DraftKings itself is headquartered in Boston, and the fund runs from the same city.
Frequently Asked Questions
What stage does Drive by DraftKings invest at?
Drive by DraftKings primarily invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A, Series B+ stages. This means they focus on companies that are at the earliest idea or prototype phase.
Where is Drive by DraftKings located?
Drive by DraftKings is headquartered in Boston, MA. Many of their portfolio companies are also based in this region, though they invest across geographies.
What sectors does Drive by DraftKings focus on?
Drive by DraftKings focuses on investments in Gaming, Consumer, Fintech. Their portfolio reflects deep expertise and networks within these sectors.
What is Drive by DraftKings's typical check size?
Drive by DraftKings's typical investment check size ranges from $. to $.. Actual amounts may vary based on the stage, sector, and specific opportunity.
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