leAD Sports & Health Tech Partners, the leading early-stage sports and health tech investment platform, announced today a partnership with adidas. With the ultimate goal of continuing to build the future of sports, the partnership will focus on driving innovation in the sports and health tech space. This could include possibilities for identifying and researching highly promising areas within the industry as well as creating new opportunities for startup pilots and case studies, co-investments, and product development.

“adidas and leAD have very similar DNA. Both companies are built on a passion for sports and a hunger for innovation and tech – always pushing limits to innovate, striving for the best of the best, putting athlete’s needs on the centre stage. That’s what leAD is all about. We are all about empowering the founders of tomorrow” said Christoph Sonnen, leAD CEO & Co-Founder. “We are very excited to continue our journey to shape the future of sports and health technology now with a heavyweight partner in this industry that shares our vision, our DNA, and ambitions.”

leAD – which stands for the “legacy of Adi Dassler” – was founded in 2016. leAD is backed by the Adi Dassler family along with an exclusive circle of international top investors with a strong foothold in the sports and health industry.

“My grandfather would be very proud of our work at leAD and even prouder to have this homecoming moment where we partner with the company he created,” said Horst Bente, leAD Co-Founder and grandson of Adi Dassler. “This partnership has a very important meaning for our family. Together, we'll continue to drive innovation in this industry and empower the pioneers of tomorrow.”

Adi Dassler’s values remain the core foundation of leAD, as the company creates its own legacy. Since its launch, leAD has made 40 early-stage investments in the sports tech and health tech industry and is in the middle of running its fourth Academy program for early-stage sports and health tech startups in Lake Nona, an innovative living lab community in Orlando, Florida.

adidas is the most recent addition to leAD’s strong partner roster and global expansion to further support portfolio growth. Most recently, leAD revealed the selected startups for leAD’s joint venture program with Tavistock in Lake Nona. Earlier this year, leAD also announced a strategic alliance with Women in Sports Tech, a pioneer in driving growth opportunities for women in the sports tech landscape — further supporting female founders by offering joint initiatives to engage and bolster female entrepreneurs.