Super Slam Dunk

Welcome Shareholders,

First off, a huge thanks to all of the new shareholders joining us. In this daily edition of the Brags Newsletter, we'll cover the latest win for a sports focused VC, how a Facebook Co-founder bagged $2 billion with the latest raise for his Venture Firm, and the future of self-driving trucks. So sit back, grab a snack and enjoy.

Who's Raising?

Courtside Ventures Scores a Three-Pointer With $100 Million Fund

• Courtside Ventures has closed its third early-stage venture fund focused on sports, collectibles, wellness, and gaming with $100 million in commitments from investors.

Investors who participated in the round include the owners of Atlanta Hawks, Golden State Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers, Cleveland Cavaliers, LAFC, Atletico Madrid, and DC United. The Fund has also received capital commitments from minority owners across the NBA, MLB, NHL, and EPL, in addition to key figures like Larry Fitzgerald and Shaquille O'Neal.

Since its launch in 2016, Courtside has invested money int0 more than 80 startups across eight countries. Its first Fund has returned 1.61 times proceeds to LPs in the period. Successful portfolio companies include the Athletic (Acquired by NYT), Beam (Acquired by Microsoft), StockX, FanCraze, and Paceline.

Facebook Co-Founder's VC Firm Closes Third Growth Fund With $2.1 Billion

• B Capital Group, the Venture firm of Facebook Co-founder Eduardo Saverin, has just raised $2.1 billion for its Growth Fund III.

The Fund will primarily target growth and late-stage investments in health care, financial technology, and software. The venture firm raised $821 million for its second growth fund back in June 2020 and $360 million for its first growth fund in early 2018. B Capital typically makes investments between $10 and $100 million in Series B, C & D companies across the US, China, India, and Southeast Asia.

The firm, which was founded in 2015, oversees $6.3 billion in assets under management, from seed to late-stage startups. Its portfolio of investments includes Indonesian Coffee chain Kopi Kenangan, Singapore-based car marketplace Carro, southeast Asian logistics company Ninja Van and Indian Edtech startup Byju's.

Startup of the Day

Outriders Raise $73 Million To Make Autonomous Truck Yards a Reality

• US-based Self-driving truck startup Outriders has just raised $73 million through its Series C to scale its autonomous truck operations.

The funding comes from investors including Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, the venture arm of graphics card and chip maker Nvidia, VC firm New Enterprise Associates, and the venture arm of industrial conglomerate firm Koch Industries. The company said that it would use the funds raised to further develop its autonomous technology and hire staff in the US.

With its most recent round, Outriders has now received total capital commitments of $191 million from investors. The company's self-driving yard trucks connect trailers, interact with loading docks, and keep track of trailer locations throughout the yard. Its customers primarily operate in e-commerce and manufacturing industries, with its activity representing 20% of all yard trucking operations in North America.

Memes and Other Things

Real quick way to kill the vibe tbh