The Snow League securing 15M feels like that moment on the mountain when the clouds split, the sun cracks through, and everyone suddenly realizes the real run is just beginning. Shaun White planted the seed in 2024 because he knew the freestyle world deserved a global circuit with real structure, real stakes, and real storytelling. Omer Atesmen stepped in as CEO with the kind of serial-entrepreneur discipline that turns vision into infrastructure, while Ian Warda brought the operational muscle he sharpened at Burton. Miles Nathan connected the capital, the strategy, and the long game. Together they built something the industry always wanted but never had the nerve, coordination, or leadership to materialize.

Now the investor lineup reads like a who’s who of people who know momentum when they see it. 359 Capital, BITKRAFT Ventures, and WISE Ventures lead the charge, and Left Lane Capital returns like the friend who always shows up early because they see the potential before the crowd does. New backers stack in quickly: Hillhouse Investment, Linda Henry of Fenway Sports Group, CAZ Investments, Trenches Capital, Purchase Capital, Alumni Ventures, FJ Labs, Fresh Tape Media, and Range Group. This isn’t charity. This is conviction capital, the kind that flows when a market finally gets a team capable of building the missing architecture.

The Snow League earned that confidence by proving the model works. A multievent global season anchored in head-to-head halfpipe matchups. A roster stacked with Olympians and X Games killers. A media partnership with NBC Sports and Peacock that instantly elevates visibility. A circuit designed so athletes stop surviving on fragmented calendars and start thriving in a unified ecosystem. Even the early funding rounds tell the story. Will Ventures led the 4.5M seed. Left Lane Capital stepped up with 15M in early 2025. Will Ventures, Ares Management funds, Bolt Ventures, Ryan Sports Ventures, Boardroom Sports Holdings, Peter Hirschmann, and Kuvare Holdings stayed loud in their support. When investors keep coming back, it isn’t luck. It is architecture meeting opportunity.

The business takeaway is sharp enough to cut through the cold. Markets that run on passion but lack structure always hide oversized potential. The Snow League is converting that potential into a repeatable engine. They are turning freestyle snowsports into an asset class that blends culture, competition, and commercial strategy. With the 2026 Olympic cycle approaching and NBC already in the mix, timing is not just good. It is strategic.

Startups Startup Funding Venture Capital Sports Sports Tech Infrastructure Technology Innovation Tech Ecosystem Startup Ecosystem

Leave A Reply

Exit mobile version