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Footballers no longer wait until retirement to think about life after the game. Across Europe, players are now stepping into tech, media, and private equity.
The competition is no longer just on the pitch. It is also in boardrooms and startup cap tables.
Some athletes want safe returns. Others want influence. The smartest ones look for both.
From a Liverpool point of view, this matters. The players of the club are global brands.
What they do away from Anfield shapes how they are seen. When a player shows sharp business instincts, it reflects well on the club.
It also shows discipline. You see the same mindset in how top players train and how they plan for the future.
Behind the scenes, the tech and venture world is ruthless. Thousands of startups chase a few serious investors.
Only companies with real products and real traction survive. In AI, the race is even tighter. Many firms just wrap basic software.
Only a few build tools that businesses actually depend on.
In climate tech, the challenge is even harder. Hardware is expensive. Results must be proven. That is why investors choose carefully.
This is where Cody Gakpo has quietly been making moves. The Liverpool forward confirmed vis his LinkedIn that “2025 was the year when I really started diving deeper into venture investing.”
He added, “I enjoy being an angel investor backing ambitious founders and their transforming ideas.”
Gakpo revealed he has now backed “seven new startups and several funds.” He highlighted three in particular.
On Fyxer AI, he said, “Earlier this year, I joined a $10m Series A round led by 20VC.” He explained that the company already had “their AI agent, which helps organize your workflow and handles tasks like replying to emails.”
He then noted how fast it moved, saying, “Within a few months, Fyxer AI raised another $30m in a Series B led by Madrona.”
On Jack & Jill, Gakpo said, “I participated in a $20m Seed round led by Creandum to back the AI agent that revolutionizes the hiring process by talking to both the employee and the employer side to find the perfect match.”
His most personal deal was SEA Water. He said, “SEA Water deals with an issue that is at my heart.” He explained, “By filtering seawater into an endless supply of drinking water, they have developed a solution to water scarcity.”
He also shared why it matters, adding, “This issue is also present in my father’s home country, Togo.”
From a Liverpool angle, it shows a player thinking long term. Gakpo finished by saying, “There is already more to come that I cannot announce yet. But it makes me excited for what 2026 holds!”
Read more: Eddie Howe provides injury update ahead of Liverpool fixture
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