Retired tennis player turned venture capital investor CiCi Bellis has made her first investment in hologram tech company Proto. The investment is through her recently founded firm Cartan Capital.
Proto makes video technology that projects a hologram that’s displayed on a seven-foot tall screen called The Epic.
The life-sized holograms include shadows that give the impression the person is there.
Teams in the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and MLS have all used Proto for events, as have F1, the U.S. Open, and the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Proto also has a table-top-sized version, called the M, which retails for $6,900.
Cartan Capital is investing $250,000 in the company as part of Proto’s $5 million fundraise. The round, which still needs about $1.5 million to reach its target, will supposedly be used to fund a new product per Proto CEO David Nussbaum.
In addition to stadium fan engagement, Proto also has applications for retail. The Brooklyn Nets use one in their merchandise shop to show off gear as well as medical training. Nussbaum says about two dozen colleges such as Harvard and MIT use the system, mainly for remote academic lecturers.
To transmit to a Proto device, people need a well-lit space, a 4K camera, and an app from the company.
Two years ago, the company closed a Series A round raising $12 million. Investors in that fundraise included:
- Legendary VC Tim Draper
- Former Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch
- True Cresset Sports & Entertainment, which is a multi-family office for athletes
- Brittney Griner
- Robert Griffin III
- Albert Pujols
- Luke Walton
According to Nussbaum, Proto has three dozen athlete investors, some of whom are current players. Other backers include Howie Mandel, Paris Hilton, Lil Wayne, William Shatner, Mike Walsh, an early Uber investor, and Christie’s Ventures, an investment arm of the auction house, round out the disclosed backers.
This investment is the first for Cartan’s initial $10 million VC fund.
Typically, the fund prefers to invest in seed and Series A deals, but the later-stage investment for Proto fits with her fund’s focus.
Bellis said:
“I was always very impressed with the founders, and their vision with Proto, and felt like it was an incredible first investment for us. We think Proto is the next wave of communication. One of the main things we’re excited about is how many different industries Proto has exposure to.”
Bellis was a tennis pro in the WTA from 2017 to 2022, reaching a rank of 35 in her debut year. The 24-year-old was an analyst at Lead Sports & Health Tech Partners for two years before launching Cartan. She is also an advisor to the social-focused tennis app Break The Love among other sports-focused start-ups and does broadcast work for The Tennis Channel.
