ORLANDO, FL, UNITED STATES, September 18, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Orlando Magic announce its official involvement as a venture partner of LEAD ONE, the new pre-seed direct investment vehicle within LEAD’s global family of funds.

The partnership will focus on sourcing innovations and technologies to enhance initiatives for the Magic and its affiliates in several areas, including driving performance, accelerating fan engagement, and driving growth in the sport of basketball.

This strategic partnership between the Orlando Magic and LEAD ONE is designed to accelerate innovation in sports and health technology by pairing LEAD’s industry investment expertise with the Orlando Magic’s continued positioning as an innovator on and off the court. As a venture partner with LEAD ONE, the Magic will have unprecedented access from LEAD to the most cut-ting-edge startups and technologies across the organization to address their corporate initiatives and strategies. The Magic will lend valuable support to LEAD ONE’s portfolio of early-stage organizations with real-life, traction-oriented deliverables to help drive their businesses to the next level.

“LEAD has been a great innovation partner for the Orlando Magic and our affiliates,” said Magic Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer Jay Riola. “LEAD provides access to impressive, high-potential startups, and their team helps keep a pulse on the most innovative trends and cutting-edge technology in the sports realm.”

“We are excited to naturally expand our trusted, long-term partnership with the Orlando Magic by having them join as a Venture Partner to LEAD’s new pre-seed investment vehicle, " said LEAD’s Chief Investment Officer Thomas Rudy. “The Orlando Magic are well regarded as one of the most innovative franchises in the world of sports. We believe this is an amazing fit, given our shared presence in Orlando and now a common business interest and passion alignment in Germany, too.”

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About the Orlando Magic
Orlando's NBA franchise since 1989, the Magic's mission is to be world champions on and off the court, delivering legendary moments every step of the way. Under the DeVos family’s ownership, the Magic have seen great success in a relatively short history, winning seven division championships (1995, 1996, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2019, 2024) with seven 50-plus win seasons and capturing the Eastern Conference title in 1995 and 2009. Off the court, on an annual basis, the Orlando Magic gives more than $2 million to the local community by way of sponsorships of events, donated tickets, autographed merchandise and grants. Orlando Magic community relations programs impact an estimated 100,000 kids each year, while a Magic staff-wide initiative provides more than 7,000 volunteer hours annually. In addition, the Orlando Magic Youth Foundation (OMYF) which serves at-risk youth, has distributed more than $29 million to local nonprofit community organizations over the last 34 years. The Magic’s other entities include the team’s NBA G League affiliate, the Osceola Magic, 2021 G League champions; the Orlando Solar Bears of the ECHL, which serves as the affiliate to the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning; and Magic Gaming of the NBA 2K League. The Magic play their home games at the award-winning Kia Center – voted by fans no. 1 in the NBA for game experience; honored with TheStadiumBusiness Awards’ Customer Experience Award; named Sports Business Journal's Sports Facility of the Year; and awarded the Venue Excellence Award (VEA) by the International Association of Venue Managers. The Magic was also named in the inaugural “Best Places to Work in Sports 2023” awards by the Sports Business Journal, and was the only sports franchise among the four major professional leagues (NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB) to be honored. For ticket information, visit OrlandoMagic.com or call 407-89-MAGIC.

About LEAD
LEAD is a global venture corporation shaping the future of sports and health. As institutional investors with an entrepreneurial mindset, LEAD operates an investment division - sourcing, funding, and driving the growth of early-stage startups worldwide - and an innovation services division - advising organizations on their innovation and investment initiatives. Positioned within LEAD’s family of funds, LEAD ONE is investing $100k checks into pre-seed companies. For more information, visit lead.vc.

Trish Wingerson
Orlando Magic
twingerson@orlandomagic.com

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