RX3 Featured on Forbes

Aaron Rodgers Launches $50 Million Venture Capital Fund With Roth Capital

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been one of the most dominant players of his generation. He has a pair of NFL MVP Awards to go with his 2010 Super Bowl MVP. His career passing rating is the highest in the history of pro football. Green Bay rewarded Rodgers in August with a blockbuster four-year, $134 million contract extension that made him the highest-paid player in the sport. He earned $90 million over the last 12 months, including endorsements.

Rodgers is now putting some of those riches to work in the VC world with a new venture and growth stage fund, Rx3 Ventures, focused on consumer brands. His fellow general partners in the fund are Byron Roth, CEO and cofounder of Roth Capital Partners, and Nate Raabe, who formerly ran Roth’s private capital group. All three invested seven figures into the fund, and they raised the balance of the $50 million fund, based in Orange County, California.

“With Rx3, I saw the opportunity to create an investment platform that brings together a group of like-minded influential investors and their respective networks with the backing of institutional resources,” says Rodgers.

Rx3 is backed by a deep roster of influencer investors, with many from the world of sports, including former Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard, auto racing trailblazer Danica Patrick and skateboarder Ryan Sheckler. There are a half-dozen NFL quarterbacks in the fund, including Rodgers and the New York Jets' Sam Darnold.

“A lot of the companies we talk to wouldn’t let us in the deals if it wasn’t for Aaron and some of our other investors. Our check size is not enough to move the needle. The investor base is a door opener and differentiator,” says Roth.

But Rx3 is not just looking at influencers as celebrities with vast social media followings. The Rx3 founders see influencer investors who can add value beyond capital from the world of finance and business. Alex Bhatal, founder of RAJ Capital and minority owner in the Sacramento Kings, and David Vanderveen, who cofounded energy drink brand XS, are also investors who can open doors.