About
leAD Portfolio.
The leAD Portfolio team is responsible for early-stage investments and portfolio management. They invest in the most promising startups coming out of the Academy to establish a long-term relationship with founders.
In parallel, they work closely with the portfolio startups to provide continuous support in critical areas including strategy, commercial, and fundraising. This hands-on approach enables founders to focus on value creation activities and maximize growth.
Lineup
Team.
Our ever-growing team consists of experts in their respective fields – from strategy, innovation, and entrepreneurship to project management, marketing, and communication. They make the daily running of leAD possible, and they have one thing in common: whether it'll be a special interest in sports tech, health, nutrition, trying out new sports, or focusing on one in particular – they're all fueled by a passion for sports.
Christoph Sonnen
Co-Founder & CEO at leAD, Partner at ADvantage
With a passion for sports and lifestyle and a knack for business, Christoph looks back at over twenty years of founding, managing and structuring businesses. He is a venture capital expert with a passion for great business ideas, startups, and early-stage investment. Christoph is also a Partner at the ADvantage Sports Tech Fund.
Aaron Naisar
Chief of Staff
Aaron is an experienced early-stage investor. He has negotiated and executed more than 15 investments, ranging from pre-seed to Series A in the realm of sports tech. He holds a master’s degree with distinctions in Strategic Entrepreneurship from Rotterdam School of Management and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Mannheim. Aaron is a sports fanatic and has a tennis coaching license.
Email: aaron@leadsports.com
Anne Joachim
Finance Director
Anne joined leAD with a strong background in the startup and VC world. After starting her career in banking, she worked for an eCommerce shop and became part of the startup world very fast. Taking the chance to be part of the most disruptive part of the economy fascinated her. She invested in several FinTech and HealthTech companies and was responsible for all financial processes within a Munich-based VC. She took the opportunity to join leAD as Finance Director to combine her experiences in finance and investing with her passion for sports. Anne loves to support entrepreneurs especially when it comes to questions in finance or fundraising as well as keeping all things in place for leAD.
Email: anne@leadsports.com
Justin Driscoll
Investment Analyst
Prior to leAD, Justin has worked in the entrepreneurial world for a baseball startup, in the corporate world at a Fortune 500 company, and in the venture world at an Orlando-based VC fund. Justin brings 3 years of experience in strategy and finance. Justin currently holds a bachelor's degree in Economics from Rollins College and is working towards completing his Master's in Business Administration. Justin is a collegiate baseball player and sports lover at heart.
Email: justin@leadsports.com
