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Elysian Park Ventures

Venture capital

Los Angeles · Seed–Growth · 10 people tracked

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Investment thesis

Elysian Park Ventures invests in companies operating at the intersection of sports with major global markets including health, culture, commerce, and technology. The firm takes a thesis-driven approach grounded in deep points-of-view about the future of sports, leveraging its global network spanning professional to youth sports and the media and technology landscape to identify opportunities and provide strategic capital in the form of relationships, creative resources, knowledge, and financial investment.

Invests inSports TechLos Angeles

Source: firm website, verified Jul 21, 2026.

Stage
Seed–Growth
Check
$500K – $100M
HQ
Los Angeles, US
Instruments
Equity
Tracked investments
2

Team · 10 people

from the firm's website
Cole Van Nice· Co-Founder & Managing Partner

Co-founder and managing partner with over twenty years of operating, advising, and investing experience in startups and growth-stage companies. Previously co-founded Flyby Media, a computer vision company acquired by Apple in 2016, and served as partner at Chart Venture Partners focusing on defense and dual-use technologies.

Jay Adya· Managing Partner

Managing partner and investor in sports, media, and technology since 1999. Previously managed director positions at Iconica Partners and Evolution Media Capital, where he negotiated over $30 billion in global media deals and invested in OTT content, autonomous video, and VR/AR technologies.

Nikhil Bahel· Managing Partner

Managing partner with experience as an advisor, investor, and operator in sports, media, entertainment, and technology since 1998. Previously led corporate development at Discovery Communications deploying over $7 billion in capital, and spent fifteen years as an investment banker at Goldman Sachs and Salomon Brothers advising on over $60 billion in transactions.

Pete Vlastelica· Managing Partner

Managing partner and serial entrepreneur with over twenty years in sports, technology, and entertainment. Most recently served as president and CEO of Activision Blizzard Esports, building the Call of Duty League and Overwatch League. Previously executive vice president of digital at FOX Sports overseeing streaming and content development.

Max Feldstein· Vice President

Vice president at the firm since 2017 supporting investment process execution and providing strategic and operational guidance to portfolio companies. Previously worked as an investment banking analyst at Guggenheim Partners in the technology, media, and telecommunications group.

Brendan Bilko· Lead, Robin

Three-time founder and multidisciplinary designer leading Robin, the firm's strategic marketing initiative. Previously co-founded Dexter, a SaaS automation platform, and Mayday, a creative agency, with experience in product design and brand strategy.

Erin Storck· Senior Analyst

Senior analyst and former division one women's basketball player with an MBA. Brings experience from nonprofit operations and product merchandising roles, and is an advocate for developing female-focused sports platforms.

Ilse Paanakker· Director of Strategy, Robin

Founder and entrepreneur in the wellness technology space now directing strategy for Robin. Previously advised early-stage startups at Techstars on go-to-market strategy and held product innovation and marketing roles at L'Oréal.

Luke Kurtz· Associate

Associate focused on companies at the intersection of sports, media, and health. Previously worked as a venture associate at Manhattan West executing primary and secondary transactions including Epic Games and 100 Thieves, and remains active in coaching youth and high school athletics.

Royce Cohen· Operator

Operator with nine seasons in the Dodgers organization leading the Business Strategy and Analytics department, and thirteen seasons in baseball. Leads the Business Enterprises department managing non-baseball revenue streams and co-created Demand Analytics, a SaaS platform for dynamic pricing and sales forecasting.

What they invest in

from 2 of 2 portfolio companies

Media & Entertainment ×2Consumer ×1Marketing Tech ×1SaaS ×1Sports Tech ×1

HQs:United States×3

Investments · 2 tracked

founders shown can be your intro path
LiveLikelivelike.com

LiveLike develops interactive digital engagement tools for sports and entertainment audiences. The platform converts passive viewers into active participants through immersive community experiences.

Marketing TechMedia & EntertainmentSaaSNew York, US

Vauntvaunt.com

Vaunt develops sports competitions and media content blending athletics with pop culture, featuring professional athletes and entertainment icons for a modern fan audience.

ConsumerMedia & EntertainmentSports Tech

Roger Mason Jr.(Co-founder)Omari Ware(Co-founder)

Board seats · per SEC filings · 2

what is this? ⓘ
Sports Innovation Lab, Inc.SEC filing

$5.2M raise · filed Apr 2025 · via Cole Van Nice, Jay Adya

Swish Analytics Inc.SEC filing

$22.1M raise · filed Nov 2021 · via Cole Van Nice

Inferred from directors named on each company's SEC Form D — public regulatory data, not a portfolio list published by the firm.

Frequently asked questions

What stage does Elysian Park Ventures invest at?
Elysian Park Ventures invests at the Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C, Growth stages.
What is Elysian Park Ventures's typical check size?
Elysian Park Ventures typically writes checks of $500K – $100M.
What sectors does Elysian Park Ventures focus on?
Elysian Park Ventures focuses on Sports Tech.
Where is Elysian Park Ventures located?
Elysian Park Ventures is headquartered in Los Angeles, US.

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