TL;DR
Mario Götze, famed for the goal that won Germany the 2014 World Cup, has built an active angel-investing operation called Companion M with a portfolio of more than 70 startups. He typically writes pre-seed and seed checks of €25k–€50k into B2B SaaS, infrastructure, cybersecurity, health and biotech, and has backed companies that became unicorns in 2025.
What happened
Alongside his professional soccer career, Mario Götze has developed Companion M, a personal investment vehicle that now counts over 70 companies on its cap table. The vehicle invests mainly at pre-seed and seed stages with ticket sizes between €25,000 and €50,000, concentrating on B2B SaaS, software infrastructure, cybersecurity, and health and biotech rather than sports tech. Two portfolio companies reached unicorn status in 2025: Danish fintech Flatpay and German AI firm Parloa. Götze made some contrarian bets early, including a 2020 investment in German cannabis company Sanity Group, which in 2024 claimed about 10% of Germany’s medical cannabis market. Companion M also operates as a small team that supports Götze on deals, partnerships and branding; it has backed more than 20 venture funds as a limited partner and has recorded exits such as Berlin-based KoRo. Götze continues to play for Eintracht Frankfurt while balancing family life and investment commitments, and says he plans to focus more on investing after his playing career ends.
Why it matters
- High-profile athletes are moving beyond endorsements into active early-stage investing, influencing deal flow and startup branding.
- Götze’s focus on enterprise software, infrastructure and biotech shows athletes can target tech sectors where they or their networks can add value.
- Early, contrarian bets like the Sanity Group investment illustrate how nontraditional investors can capture upside when markets or institutions are cautious.
- Using a dedicated vehicle and team (Companion M) demonstrates a professionalized approach to managing investments and long-term wealth beyond sport.
Key facts
- Mario Götze scored the winning goal for Germany in the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
- Companion M, Götze’s personal investment vehicle, holds a portfolio of more than 70 companies.
- Two Companion M portfolio companies became unicorns in 2025: Flatpay (Denmark) and Parloa (Germany).
- Götze typically invests at pre-seed and seed stages with checks between €25,000 and €50,000.
- Primary sector focus: B2B SaaS, software infrastructure, cybersecurity, health and biotech.
- In 2020 he invested in German cannabis startup Sanity Group; that company claimed a 10% share of Germany’s medical cannabis market in 2024.
- Companion M has backed over 20 venture capital firms as a limited partner, including names like 20VC, Cherry Ventures and EQT Ventures.
- Portfolio examples include Miami-based Arcee AI and Frankfurt-based Qualifyze; he has exited companies such as KoRo.
- Götze remains an active professional player with Eintracht Frankfurt and is reportedly discussing a contract extension.
What to watch next
- Whether and when Götze will retire from professional soccer and shift to investing full time — he has said he plans to focus on investment activities after his career ends.
- Companion M’s ability to cultivate more late-stage wins or additional unicorns beyond the 2025 successes (not confirmed in the source).
- Any move by Companion M into sports-specific tech investing or other new sector bets — the source notes sports is not a primary focus today (not confirmed in the source).
Quick glossary
- Angel investor: An individual who provides early-stage capital to startups, often in exchange for equity, and may offer mentorship or introductions.
- Pre-seed and seed rounds: Early fundraising stages for startups: pre-seed funds initial product development and market testing; seed funds growth toward product-market fit.
- Unicorn: A privately held company valued at $1 billion or more.
- Limited partner (LP): An investor in a venture fund who provides capital but typically does not take part in day-to-day fund management.
- B2B SaaS: Business-to-business software delivered on a subscription basis, often hosted in the cloud.
Reader FAQ
How much does Mario Götze usually invest per deal?
He typically invests between €25,000 and €50,000 in pre-seed and seed rounds.
What sectors does Companion M focus on?
Companion M concentrates on B2B SaaS, software infrastructure, cybersecurity, and health and biotech.
Has Götze had exits or big wins from his investing?
Yes; some portfolio companies have raised significant follow-on funding, he has exited companies such as KoRo, and two portfolio firms became unicorns in 2025.
Is Mario Götze still playing professional soccer?
Yes. He is playing at the top league level with Eintracht Frankfurt and is reportedly in talks over a contract extension.
Will he stop playing soon to focus on investing?
Not confirmed in the source.
Mario Götze will go down in soccer history as the player who scored the winning goal that made Germany the 2014 FIFA World Cup champion. But he is also an…
Sources
- How World Cup champion Mario Götze built a parallel career as an angel investor
- Meet Mario Götze, the Entrepreneur – Boardroom TV
- Soccer Star Mario Götze Inspired by Joe Montana, Kevin …
- Investor update: Mario Gotze
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