Cricketers team up with other sports stars to back new early-stage investment platform

Somerset-born England cricketer Jos Buttler is among a group of sporting superstars throwing their weight behind a new venture capital fund.

The Players Fund will bring together established athlete-led investment platforms 4CAST, ForGood, and B-Engaged which are looking to make early-stage investments.

Buttler will be joined by England Test captain Ben Stokes and recently-retired Stuart Broad, Indian cricketer KL Rahul and footballers including Chris Smalling, Serge Gnabry and Hector Bellerin, in the fund.

Fergus and Ruari Bell, former athletes and siblings, are behind the venture and will act as managing partners.

Broad and Stokes are already heavily involved in 4CAST, an athlete-led venture capital collective.

Stokes said: “Since starting 4CAST we have seen huge benefits of athletes and public figures coming together in business and we strongly believe athletes investing together cannot be underestimated,” Mr Stokes, a partner in The Players Fund, said.

“By combining our resources, networks and experience, we can achieve so much more collectively than as individuals.

“The Players Fund provides a structured way for athletes to confidently step into early stage investing and to do so alongside teammates and fellow athletes.”