🇺🇸 1/7 Americans played golf in 2022
🏌🏻♂️ Off-course golf is now bigger than traditional golf
🧠 50 years of combined experience in building software, growth marketing, UX & sales - with background from companies like: Bekk, Oda, Capra, Visma, Spond, Deloitte, Skalar, dentsu +++.
On Wednesday I hosted the first Alba Investor day for my favorite portfolio company. As I am daily hoping to find and back the next generation of tech superstars, I help my current ones with their next round of funding.
Instead of wasting the investors' and CEO of Alba Erik Holm's time, I suggested inviting all existing and potential new investors to an investor day that we could host together.
130 people showed up and got to enjoy a fireside chat with the eminent Mark Davies interviewing Marius Thorp about his career, both as a professional golfer and now as a sports commentator and businessman. Kudos to Marius for being so open about his journey, with some crazy highs and lows. I am sure there is a lot more greatness to come here, and similar to me I believe he will achieve even higher greatness from the sidelines than "on-the-field".
Then Jonatan Austigard, the "young Steve Jobs" gave a brilliant, effortless and to the point deep-dive into Alba and the next steps ahead. Such a natural and charming communicator, in addition to being so passionate about the problem they are solving.
Anders Skar and I wrapped it up with some reflections on how golf is being disrupted by technology. Even though I love golf, the sport is gradually being optimized and made available to the masses through golf simulators and cutting-edge solutions. As a Venture Partner and LP in APEX we have invested in TGL San Francisco & TMRW Sports, a company Co-Founded by the 🐐 Tiger Woods & Rory Mcilroy. A strong indicator for the changes ahead.
Thanks for doing the hard work, Team Alba - including Håvard Bergersen & Fridtjof Gulseth Høvik here.
Last but not least I want to single out my good friend and former (& first) Co-Founder of Mingl, Jon Freberg. I would not have had the career I have today without you, and therefore it makes it extra rewarding that I was the one who introduced you to Erik in March 2023. To see the joy, enthusiasm, and creative problem-solving that has come out of you over the last 18 months is just a pleasure to witness. You are exactly where you are supposed to be, and I am looking forward to watching you excel further in the years to come.
This rocket has just launched for Alba's journey to "Mars" or within the golf universe I guess the equivalent would be Augusta...💪🏻🔥🚀