CiCi Bellis [#13]: From Pro Athlete to Launching a $10M Sports and Health Tech Venture Fund

Today’s episode, I’m joined by CiCi Bellis. 

Cici is the Founder and General Partner of Cartan Capital as well as a former professional tennis player. Still only 24 years old, she’s never let age be a barrier, famously having won a match at the 2014 US Open as a 15 year-old against a top 20 opponent.

Having failed to shake-off a recurring injury, CiCi announced her retirement in 2020 and she has set to work on reaching the top in the world of venture.

This was initially set in motion thanks to WTA’s partnership with Indiana University where CiCi got her degree. She then joined leAD Sports and Health Tech Partners Investment Team before setting up as a solo GP and launching Cartan Capital in 2023, a $10 million pledge fund focused similarly on sports and health but more specifically now leveraging her network and her experience as an athlete. 

Time Stamps 

2:00 - Early Professional Tennis Career 

5:00 - Developing an Interest in Venture Capital 

12:00 - Cartan Capital's Areas of Interest 15:00 - The Opportunity in the Wearables Space 

18:00 - Cartan’s Investment into Proto Holograms

23:00 - Investing into Sports Betting 

27:00 - Finding a Silver Lining to First Hand Experiences in Rehab and Recovery

29:00 - The MASSIVE Opportunity to Invest into Femtech 

35:00 - Attracting attention from Female Founders and Athlete Founders 

Additional Links

Cartan Capital's Monthly Newsletter

Former tennis pro CiCi Bellis on launching her own VC to invest in sports and health tech

How former WTA World No. 35 launched a $10MM Sports & Health Tech Fund

Cartan Capital Invests in Proto Hologram

Flo Health on how its content drove daily app usage with pregnant mothers - 
ABBA Voyage passes 2 million tickets sold

Connect with CiCi on LinkedIn - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Connect with Andy on LinkedIn - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here