One of the most popular business people and philanthropists of his generation, Jeff Vinik has once again made a bold move to invest in a startup company that he believes possesses a lot of promise through Dreamit Ventures.
The well-known owner and developer of Tampa Bay Lightning has given a generous $12 million investment to Dreamit, an early-stage venture fund accelerator, in order to support its vision of helping startup companies.
Dreamit started its great groundwork in 2008, and from there it continued to give assistance to companies, especially those in the fields of urban technology and healthcare.
According to Vinik, “I met the guys from Dreamit almost a year and a half ago. From that very first meeting, I thought they were terrific. The way they’ve approached their business of accelerating companies (and) the way they’re vetting potential investments has been outstanding.”
This gesture from Vinik has allowed him to be part of the rising accelerator. He will become a part of Dreamit as one of the board of directors (BOD). Vinik also served as a BOD for Liverpool Football Club from 2010 until 2013.
Vinik’s investment has also allowed Dreamit to come up with a plan for developing an office in Tampa. News has not been confirmed yet, but if given the green light, office works will begin in the first quarter of 2019.
It’s Not the First Time
It is not the first time that Vinik has helped Dreamit. One of the earlier programs of the rising accelerator was UrbanTech, and reports suggested that Vinik has provided an undisclosed amount of money.
He said, “Over the last year, my partnership with Dreamit has helped us identify emerging technologies and bridge the funding and resource gap between Tampa Bay and larger startup ecosystems like New York and San Francisco.”
There is no doubt, why Vinik is eager to help Dreamit. The startup fund accelerator has already supported a lot of companies such as LevelUp, and Tissue Analytics and Raxar. In return, these companies never failed to impress as they already cultivated $800 million in follow-on funding.
Vinik has an impressive vision to see industries be transformed by these startup companies. He still has a lot to offer and his actions will surely result in creating a bold impact on the society.
