Christoph Sonnen, Co-Founder and CEO of LEAD Sports & Health Tech Partners, is a serial entrepreneur, investor, and former extreme sports athlete who began his career at Red Bull in its early days. After a decade with the brand, he founded and sold several ventures across sports, media, entertainment, and technology. In partnership with the Bente family; the direct descendants of Adi Dassler, the founder of adidas, Christoph co-founded LEAD Sports & Health Tech Partners, a global venture capital firm investing in early-stage startups in sports, media, health, and technology.
LEAD bridges family capital with an international network of founders and investors, continuing the Dassler family’s sporting and entrepreneurial legacy. Beyond financial returns, Christoph champions impact investing that “betters the human condition”, collaborating with NGOs, foundations, and innovators who share his belief that sport and health can unite and uplift communities.
At BRIDGE, Christoph Sonnen will share how purpose-driven investment and sport can spark social change; reflecting on lessons from the surf to the boardroom and how passion, persistence, and partnership can shape a healthier, more connected world.
Legacy, passion, and expertise are powerful currencies, but only if transformed into platforms that back and scale new ideas. The sports tech investment industry stands at an inflection point where heritage meets innovation. How can investors and founders convert legacy into leverage and turn passion into profitable, next-generation ventures?
Department Chair & Professor of Human-Computer Interaction, Mohammed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence
Executive Vice President, Global Information Design, Havas
Content Creator, Director & Founder, Ostol Production
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CEO & Founder, Amini
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