Startups Investment Recap – January 12

Real Salt Lake Acquired in ‘US$400m’ Deal

David Blitzer and Ryan Smith have been confirmed as the new owners of Real Salt Lake after completing a $400 Million takeover.

In a £100 Million Move, Southampton FC is Under New Ownership

Gao Jisheng’s controlling stake in the club has been bought by Sport Republic, a sports investment firm headed up by Serbian billionaire Dragan Solak.

New York Times Purchasing The Athletic for $550 Million

In the latest move in their strategy to expand the audience, The New York Times Co. is buying sports news site The Athletic for $550 million as the newspaper print ads business fades.

Fractal AI Turns Unicorn with $360 Million Funding

Fractal, an Artificial Intelligence startup based in New York, has raised $360 million from TPG Capital, a global private investment firm.

Fanatics Acquires Topps Trading Cards

Sports e-commerce company Fanatics has acquired sports trading card company Topps, further strengthening Fanatics’ monopoly on the industry.

New Zealand Rugby Team ‘the Blues’ Purchased by Local Investor Consortium

New Zealand Rugby (NZR) has agreed a deal to sell its 40 per cent stake in Auckland-based Super Rugby team ‘the Blues’ to The Better Blues Company Limited for a reported NZ$1.7m.

Smash Ventures Raises $500 Million for New Fund

Smash Ventures, a late-stage venture capital firm founded who backs EPIC Games, has raised $500 million for a new venture fund.