American Cricket Enterprises today announced their full founding investor group for Major League Cricket.
News broke of the investment group earlier this month, with several names linked, including PayTM founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Adobe Systems CEO Shantu Narayen and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.
The group of 27 investors includes two part-owners of Major League Soccer’s popular Seattle Sounders: Nadella and former Microsoft SVP Soma Somasegar; and NBA’s Dallas Mavericks minority owner and real estate investor Ross Perot Jr. The three join Shah Rukh Khan’s Knight Riders group as investors with major professional franchise sports history.
Somasegar, currently Managing Director of Madrona Venture Group, was quoted in ACE’s announcement, saying ‘For many years, people have been talking about the potential for cricket in America. With Major League Cricket, we have the first clear opportunity to turn that potential into a reality. I am proud to join an amazing group of investors in backing the drive to bring a successful T20 league to the United States. I know from my own experience here in Seattle that there is a huge appetite for sports that are newer to the American market. I am certain that over the coming decade we will see Major League Cricket begin a trajectory of growth and bring the brilliance of world-class cricket to the wider American public. I am looking forward to working with both ACE and USA Cricket to collectively grow cricket in the USA.’
Originally set for 2021, Major League Cricket’s debut season was delayed a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic crisis, and now eyes a 2022 launch. Minor League Cricket will precede the MLC throughout the summer of 2021, and will feature many of the best domestic cricketers throughout the continent.
| Investors | Description |
| Aditya Agarwal | Ex-Facebook and Dropbox CTO |
| Amish Mehta | Founder of SQN Investors |
| Amit Singhal | Former Senior Vice President at Google and Head of Google’s Search team |
| Anand Rajaraman | Founding Partner at Milliways Ventures and Rocketship VC |
| Anurag Jain | Chairman of Access Healthcare, Co-Founder of Perot Jain, L.P. |
| Aravind Melligeri | Chairman & CEO of Aequs and founder of QuEST Global Services |
| Ashok Krishnamurthi | Managing Partner, GreatPoint Ventures and Founder of CAPP Medical and Xsigo. Former EVP at Juniper Networks. |
| The Baheti Family | Owners of YASH Technologies |
| Divesh Makan | Founder at ICONIQ Capital |
| Harsh Shroff | Quantitative Trader |
| Mayank Upadhyay | Distinguished Engineer, Google |
| Neeraj Arora | Former Chief Business Officer at Whatsapp |
| Raju Reddy | Founder and former CEO of Sierra Atlantic |
| Rishi Chandra | VP/GM of Google Nest |
| Rohyt Belani | Co-Founder and CEO, COFENSE |
| Ross Perot Jr. | Chairman of The Perot Group and Hillwood, Co-Founder of Perot Jain, L.P. |
| Sanjay Govil | Chairman of Infinite Computer Solutions and CEO of Zyter, Inc |
| Sanjeev Rao | Private Wealth Manager |
| Satya Nadella | CEO of Microsoft, part owner of Seattle Sounders |
| Shantanu Narayen | Chairman and CEO of Adobe |
| Shashin Shah | Founder, Think Investments and Director, Dream 11 |
| Soma Somasegar | MD of Madrona Venture Group, former Microsoft SVP, part owner of Seattle Sounders |
| Sravish Sridhar | Founder/CEO of Kintent and Angel Investor |
| Subrah Iyar | Founder of Webex, Founder and CEO of Moxtra |
| Troy Detrick | Founder of Canyon Oak Ventures and Commercial Real Estate Investor |
| Venky Harinarayan | Founding Partner at Milliways Ventures and Rocketship VC |
| Venu Palaparthi | CCO + Head of Regulatory Affairs at DASH |
| Vijay Shekhar Sharma | Founder and CEO of Paytm |
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