The Enhanced Video games, an Olympics-style occasion allowing doping and supported by billionaire Peter Thiel, is reportedly in discussions to safe roughly $300 million in funding.
Thiel cofounded Palantir Applied sciences Inc.’s PLTR and PayPal Holdings, Inc. PYPL.
Christian Angermayer, co-founder of the London-based firm, revealed in an interview that they’ve engaged in preliminary discussions with varied traders, together with sovereign wealth funds, to safe a mix of debt and fairness financing for his or her inaugural competitors scheduled for subsequent yr, reported Bloomberg.
Angermayer declined to reveal extra specifics relating to the phrases.
In 2023, the Enhanced Video games made a high-profile debut, saying an annual occasion the place athletes can use performance-enhancing medication, Bloomberg aded.
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The group, supported by Balaji Srinivasan, a crypto investor and former Coinbase International, Inc. COIN government, options sports activities like monitor and area, swimming and weightlifting.
The idea has confronted criticism from the Worldwide Olympic Committee and anti-doping authorities for its disregard of truthful play and potential dangers to athletes’ well being.
Efficiency-enhancing medication are prohibited in most sports activities leagues and federations worldwide.
In line with Angermayer, all rivals will bear medical screenings and are restricted to substances authorized by the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration, together with anabolic steroids and development hormones.
“I consider science is on my facet,” Angermayer remarked, citing nameless surveys indicating widespread doping amongst athletes in aggressive sports activities.
A prolific investor, Angermayer has supported varied firms via his household workplace, Apeiron Funding Group, specializing in biotech, longevity, and psilocybin-based therapeutics.
Apeiron has additionally invested in Venezia FC and partnered with Didier Drogba’s E1 Sequence crew via its sports activities funding group Chiron.
The Enhanced Video games began with roughly $10 million in preliminary capital.
Disclaimer: This content material was partially produced with the assistance of AI instruments and was reviewed and revealed by Benzinga editors.
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Photograph: Gage Skidmore by way of flickr
