Angel City FC is getting another boost of capital investment from a fresh set of Hollywood stars.
Award-winning entertainers Christina Aguilera and Gabrielle Union are among new partners investing into the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) expansion team. The duo is joining a star-studded group of backers through a Series A round that closed last April.
The amount raised was not disclosed.
Ahead of its inaugural season this year, the Los Angeles-based team secured financing for the funding round with help from Alexis Ohanian’s venture capital firm, Seven Seven Six. Initialized Capital is also an investor in the team. The rest of the capital was drawn from a wide-ranging group of investors led by monk-turned-podcaster Jay Shetty, gold medalist Shawn Johnson East and former NFLer Andrew East.
Fashion designers Rachel Zoe and Andrea Lieberman, Los Angeles Dodgers president of business operations Andrew Friedman and XFL LA Wildcats president Heather Brooks Karatz are also part of the new group of investors.
Angel City FC (ACFC) is a female-driven club founded by a mix of athletes, celebrities and other businesswomen. Among the founding investors are actress Natalie Portman and tennis star Serena Williams, who is married to lead ACFC investor and Reddit chairman Ohanian. Actresses Eva Longoria, Uzo Aduba and Jennifer Garner are also part of the original ownership group, alongside several former members of the U.S. Women’s National Soccer team, including Mia Hamm and Abby Wambach.
A slew of current and former female athletes including Billie Jean King, Candace Parker and her daughter, Lailaa, are also part of the growing ownership group. ACFC president and co-founder Julie Uhrman is leading day-to-day operations for the club with support from Upfront Ventures managing partner and investor Kara Nortman. The club is slated to have one of the most celebrity-filled ownership groups in all of pro sports.
The fledgling NWSL looks to move forward after an eventful offseason that included a league-first collective bargaining agreement. ACFC, the 11th club to join the 12-team league, is poised for its opening season this spring after securing investment and a handful of sponsors, including PepsiCo.’s Gatorade and Heineken. ACFC is set to play in NWSL Challenge Cup preseason tournament starting March 19.
(This story has been updated in the fourth paragraph to clarify that Alexis Ohanian is no longer a part of Initialized Capital.)
