For tennis fans, and once the world's number one, Andy Roddick is a big name, and his famous stunt is a powerful serve, which is as high as 155 miles per hour (about 249.45 kilometers). As a professional tennis player, Roddick has received a series of accolades in the early 2000s, reaching three Wimbledon Championships finals and winning the U.S. Open. Open) champion, who was shortlisted for the International Tennis Hall of Fame for the first time in 2017.
Now, he's quitting sports to focus his time on the Andy Roddick Foundation, a nonprofit that works to enrich the lives of children outside of school and invests in health and wellness companies like Cure Hydration.
Andy Roddick. Photo credit: Dia Dipasupil — Getty Images/IHG Hotels & Resorts
• Startup: Cure Hydration
• Company location: New York City
• Year of establishment: 2019
• Valuation: Undisclosed
• Investment Round: Seed Round
• Number of employees: 7
Other major investors: Lerer Hippeau, Beliade, Silas Capital, Silicon Valley Bank, Nasir "Nas" Jone
Why invest in this company? Hear what Roddick himself had to say
Angel investing is like fighting on a tennis court. Before Cure Hydration was founded in 2019, I met Lauren Picasso, the company's CEO, through an investor friend I knew both. Because I had invested in many companies in the medical and health care fields before, I quickly got along with Lauren.
We know that sports drinks mostly add sugar and other artificial ingredients, and Cure's beverage products can achieve good hydration without adding such ingredients, and I am very optimistic about its development prospects.
As a professional athlete, a lot of sweating is a common thing, so replenishing the lost water in the body in time during the game has always been a problem in front of me. Although we also tried to replenish water in some ways at the time, it was as good as fish and bear paws. Cure solves this problem by pioneering the use of plant ingredients without adding sugar to scientifically hydrate. After tasting Cure's products, you'll be left behind by previously drunk hydrating drinks. How nice it would be if I had such a great product as Cure when I was playing!
When making investment decisions, I focus on five big questions: 1) Are there any reliable people who can introduce the founders of the company? 2) Will I use their products? 3) What problems can its products solve? 4) Can large-scale production be achieved? 5) Do I want to work with this founder? Cure has earned my trust very easily and I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to invest in this company.
I believe that this company, whose mission is to create high-quality, effective products and is committed to improving the health and well-being of consumers, will achieve its goals. And it can be imagined that in the near future, they will also make great strides in beverages and other fields. If I can contribute my part in the process, that's certainly better. But to be honest, I prefer to witness these amazing founders build great brands and enjoy the opportunity to learn from them. (Fortune Chinese Network)
Translator: Liang Yu
Reviewer: Charlene
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