The Icon League, a Berlin-based five‑a‑side soccer competition, announced today they raised €15 million in Series A financing to professionalise league operations, strengthen team rosters and support expansion across Europe.
The round was led by HV Capital – appointing former HV partner David Fischer as group CEO to oversee the next phase of growth. Existing investors are staying on, including Jürgen Klopp (via his family office), entrepreneur Thomas Hagedorn and Luigi Berlusconi’s H14 S.p.A.
The long‑term goal is to build Icon League into an international sports company with strong competitive integrity and a fan‑first culture.
This Series A by The Icon League aligns with a broader pattern of investment activity in Europe’s sports and SportsTech sectors during 2025, though at a considerably higher scale than most publicly disclosed rounds.
In June, ReSpo.Vision (Poland) secured €4.2 million to advance its football analytics technology aimed at deepening fan engagement. Sports Impact Technologies (Ireland) closed a €650k pre-Seed round in August to scale its wearable for detecting head impacts. In October, Jabbr.ai (Denmark) raised €4.3 million to enhance transparency in combat sports through AI-driven analytics, while Weebora (Italy) collected €1.3 million in July to expand its padel-travel marketplace.
Compared with these 2025 examples – focused largely on technology, analytics and niche sports – the Icon League’s raise represents one of the year’s more substantial financings within the European sports entertainment category.
In 2024, Baller League, a German indoor football competition, raised €31 million to expand its six-a-side format internationally – indicating that The Icon League’s Series A continues a regional trend of investor appetite for franchise-based, entertainment-driven football leagues.
Launched in 2024 by Toni Kroos and Elias Nerlich, Icon League has allegedly become one of the most‑followed sports formats in German‑speaking markets among younger audiences.
Season one generated more than 1.3 billion social‑media impressions; current‑season matchdays draw up to 3 million viewers across platforms, with livestreams averaging about 1.4 million.
Live events have sold out with as many as 20,000 spectators. Follower counts on Instagram and TikTok are on par with clubs such as Union Berlin, 1. FC Köln and Hamburger SV, and engagement rates exceed those of other leagues, according to Icon League.
The 14‑team competition uses a US‑style franchise model. Players were drafted centrally in the inaugural season; teams now assemble rosters within defined transfer windows and can market themselves and their athletes independently.
The top four playoff teams share €500k in prize money, including €300k for the champion. Several franchises have raised seven‑figure investments and some have reported six‑figure profits since Season 1, the company said. League revenue streams include ticketing, sponsorships, media rights and merchandise.
Icon League games are played indoors in a five‑on‑five format with two 12‑minute halves and “Rulebreaker” features designed to increase attacking play. Former Bundesliga professionals compete alongside top amateurs, aiming to deliver tight contests and reduce the odds of scoreless draws.
Read the orginal article: https://www.eu-startups.com/2025/11/e15-million-boost-for-germanys-the-icon-league-as-top-amateurs-and-ex-pros-chase-e500k-prize-pool/
