Mario Götze is celebrated in football history for scoring the winning goal that crowned Germany the 2014 FIFA World Cup champion. Now, the active football star is building an equally impressive legacy off the pitch as a seasoned angel investor, demonstrating a structured and professional approach to venture capital.
Through his personal investment vehicle, Companion M, Götze has built a portfolio of over 70 companies. His strategy has already yielded significant success, with two portfolio companies achieving unicorn status in 2025: Danish fintech Flatpay and German AI startup Parloa.
The Investor’s Playbook
Götze’s investment strategy is disciplined, focusing on pre-seed and seed rounds with ticket sizes typically ranging from €25,000 to €50,000. Rather than chasing trends, Companion M concentrates on sectors where it has cultivated deep expertise and a strong network.
The firm’s primary focus areas include B2B SaaS, software infrastructure, cybersecurity, and health and biotech. The latter is a natural fit for a professional athlete interested in human performance. This strategic focus led to a prescient investment in the German cannabis startup Sanity Group in 2020, long before institutional capital felt comfortable entering the space.
A Professional Operation
Inspired by American athlete-investors like Kevin Durant, Götze is actively preparing for his post-football career. He established Companion M not as a passive fund, but as a dedicated team that supports him with deal flow, due diligence, partnerships, and brand building. This professional structure allows him to balance the demanding schedule of a top-tier athlete with his growing investment activities.
“I have to schedule calls before or after practices and align meetings with weeks when I don’t have away games or play Champions League,” Götze explained. This hands-on approach is not just about financial returns but also about building a long-term brand identity beyond sports.
From Angel to LP
Demonstrating a sophisticated understanding of long-term wealth consolidation, Götze extends his activities beyond direct angel investments. As a limited partner (LP), Companion M has backed more than 20 leading venture capital firms across Europe and the United States.
His LP portfolio includes prominent names such as 20VC, Cherry Ventures, EQT Ventures, Planet A, and Visionaries Club. This dual strategy of direct and indirect investment provides diversification and deepens his integration into the global venture ecosystem.
Relevance for the MENA Ecosystem
Götze’s journey offers a powerful blueprint for the growing number of high-profile athletes and celebrities in the MENA region who are entering the venture capital space. While figures like Cristiano Ronaldo have also begun investing, Götze’s model highlights the importance of building a professional team, defining a clear investment thesis, and engaging in the ecosystem as both a direct investor and an LP.
His success underscores that celebrity capital can be most effective when paired with deep sectoral knowledge, a disciplined process, and a long-term vision. For MENA’s emerging athlete-investors, this approach provides a roadmap for transforming personal brand and capital into a sustainable and impactful venture career.
About Companion M
Companion M is the personal investment vehicle of German football star Mario Götze. The firm focuses on pre-seed and seed stage investments in sectors such as B2B SaaS, software infrastructure, cybersecurity, and health and biotech. In addition to direct investments, Companion M acts as a Limited Partner in over 20 venture capital funds across Europe and the US, managing a portfolio of more than 70 companies.
Source: TechCrunch
