#194: Vasu Kulkarni - Founding Partner of Courtside Ventures | From Founder to VC: A Journey in Sports and Gaming

Vasu Kulkarni, the self-proclaimed biggest basketball fan in the world, turned his passion for the game into a groundbreaking career. After playing on the JV Basketball squad at the University of Pennsylvania, where he also earned a BS in Engineering, Vasu founded Krossover, a sports analytics company that sold video and data tools to sports teams globally. Pioneering the industry, Vasu eventually sold Krossover to Stack Sports in 2017. His entrepreneurial journey led him to found Courtside Ventures, a leading early-stage venture fund investing in tech and media companies at the intersection of sports, lifestyle, and gaming. Under his leadership, Courtside Ventures has become a trailblazer, backing innovative companies shaping the future of these spaces. In this episode, Vasu shares his journey from founder to investor, insights on evaluating early-stage companies, and the evolving definition of sports investments. We also dive into his passions for sports memorabilia, independent watches, and pickup basketball on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, where he lives with his three cats: Swaggy, Bonsai, and Honkeyburger. Chapters: (01:08) - Vasu’s Journey from Engineer to Sports Entrepreneur (04:40) - Transitioning to Venture Capital: Lessons from Krossover (09:25) - Key Investment Insights: Market Size and Founder Qualities (13:11) - Redefining Sports Investments: Tech, Media, and Gaming (18:10) - Navigating Crypto and Web3 in the Sports World (21:13) - Consumer Behavior: How Courtside Ventures Spots Trends (24:03) - Emerging Leagues and Innovative Business Models (29:40) - Future Directions for Courtside Ventures Vasu Kulkarni: 🌐 Website: https://www.courtsidevc.com/ 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vasudevkulkarni/ Andrew Petcash: 🏠 Website: https://profluence.com 🐣 Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrewpetcash 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewpetcash/ Thanks for listening! Hit the “follow” button to stay updated on new episodes.