Manhattan West Makes Strategic Growth Investment in Volo Sports, the Largest Social Sports Network in the U.S.
April 18 2024 - 2:00PM
Business Wire
Manhattan West, a global strategic investment firm offering an
integrated platform of investments and services, announced today
that Manhattan West Private Equity completed its growth equity
investment in Volo Sports (Volo). Founded in 2010 as a 16-person
bocce league in Baltimore, Md., Volo is the premier provider of
community-focused, tech-enabled adult social sports and curated
events in major cities across the U.S. With over 450,000 annual
registrations, Volo has grown its presence to nine major
metropolitan cities through organic launches and strategic
acquisitions. Volo’s mission is to build strong communities that
promote genuine human interaction and an active lifestyle. In
partnership with its non-profit arm, Volo Kids, Volo supports the
creation of free youth sports programming designed to promote
active, resilient, and confident kids.
Through its consumer app, Volo’s comprehensive offering includes
access to sports, fitness programs, structured tournaments,
volunteering through Volo Kids, and social activities enabling
users to meet and connect both on and off the field. The app allows
players to create teams as a captain, invite their friends,
register/pay for leagues, chat with members of their team, and see
their schedules and standings. Volo Pass, Volo’s monthly membership
program, allows players to access unlimited pickup games,
practices, league drop-ins, fitness classes, and social events.
Supported by a loyal user base and brand recognition in the
communities it serves, Volo will leverage Manhattan West’s
investment and partnership to continue its momentum and capitalize
on the evergreen social sports sector by continuing its rapid
growth into new markets. “We are embarking on a game-changing
partnership with Manhattan West that we feel will take Volo to the
next level of growth. Our ultimate goal is to grow our Volo
community, create deeper social connections in our cities, and
expand the impact of Volo Kids,” said Giovanni Marcantoni, Founder
and CEO at Volo Sports. “We see Manhattan West as the perfect
teammate to help us achieve further growth. The network, funding,
and intellectual capital from this partnership will help us better
serve our existing user base, improve our product offering, and
bring the Volo experience to even more cities throughout the
U.S.”
“Volo's reputation speaks for itself—they are the champions of
social sports and community building. We're excited to join them at
this pivotal moment and fuel Volo's next chapter of the business,”
said Matt Gibbons, Managing Director of Private Equity at Manhattan
West. “At Manhattan West, we partner with amazing management teams
to drive exponential growth, and with Volo's momentum and future
plans, we're confident we'll accomplish this together."
About Manhattan West
Manhattan West Private Equity is an active value-add investor in
the lower-middle-market focused on the media, entertainment,
sports, and consumer sectors. As part of a global strategic
investment firm, Manhattan West also provides private wealth, tax
services, business management, and proprietary alternative
investments across private equity, venture capital, real estate,
and private debt. For more information about Manhattan West’s
diverse team and investment approach, visit manhattanwest.com.
About Volo Sports
Volo Sports is the country's largest provider of
community-focused, tech-enabled adult social sports and curated
events. The company offers unlimited access to sports, fitness
programs, structured tournaments, social activities, and virtual
events, enabling users to meet and connect on and off the field.
Volo builds strong communities that promote genuine human
interaction and an active lifestyle. In partnership with its
nonprofit arm, Volo Kids, Volo supports the creation of free youth
sports programming designed to build communities of active,
resilient, and confident kids. To learn more, visit
www.volosports.com.
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