Justin Jefferson, Khris Middleton Invest in Startup Worth Nearly $2B

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson and Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton have invested in an $85 million Series F round raised by GetYourGuide, an online marketplace for booking travel and tourist experiences.

Joining Jefferson and Middleton were investments from Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Kevin Gausman, and Colorado Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson. Their investments in GetYourGuide all came via Patricof Co, an investment firm whose clients span more than 50 athletes. 

Middleton and Gausman were among a group of 25 Patricof Co athlete clients in January to purchase a 104-acre farm in Iowa, with NFL stars Joe Burrow and Zach Ertz and NBA players Kemba Walker and Blake Griffin contributing investments. 

Patricof Co’s athlete investor clients total more than $13 billion in career salary earnings. The firm’s CEO is Mark Patricof, whose brother Jon Patricof co-founded Athletes Unlimited, which runs women’s pro sports leagues across basketball, softball, volleyball, and lacrosse. 

GetYourGuide is now valued at nearly $2 billion after its latest capital raise, which totaled $194 million when including a $109 million credit facility led by UniCredit with participation from BNP Paribas, Citibank, and KfW. Patricof Co’s Series F funding came alongside a lead investment from Blue Pool Capital with participation from KKR and Temasek.