Tennis fans need no introduction to Andy Roddick, who once held the title of No. 1 tennis player in the world. Known for his powerful serves reaching speeds of up to 155 miles per hour, Roddick holds a slew of honors as a professional athlete in the early 2000s: U.S. Open champion, three-time Wimbledon finalist, and 2017 first ballot inductee into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Now retired from the sport, he focuses his time on the Andy Roddick Foundation, his nonprofit dedicated to enriching the lives of children outside of school, and investing in health and wellness companies like Cure Hydration.
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Startup: Cure Hydration
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Location: New York City
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Year founded: 2019
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Valuation: Not disclosed
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Investment level: Seed
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Number of employees: Seven
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Other major investors: Lerer Hippeau, Beliade, Silas Capital, Silicon Valley Bank, Nasir “Nas” Jones
Why he invested, in his own words
Angel investing has really replicated a lot of the adrenaline I used to get from tennis. I was introduced to Lauren Picasso, the founder and chief executive officer of Cure Hydration, through one of our mutual investors prior to their launch in 2019. I invest in a lot of health and wellness companies, so connecting with Lauren was a no-brainer.
I’m a huge believer in what Cure is doing. It’s effective hydration without the added sugar and artificial ingredients that most sports drinks have.
I was a massive sweater throughout my entire career. It was always a challenge staying hydrated with the amount of fluids I would lose on a given day. I wish Cure had been around when I was playing. We would find solutions, but often felt like there was a tradeoff of some kind. Nothing was both enjoyable and made responsibly. Cure has figured that out. Leveraging plant-based ingredients to achieve science-backed hydration with no added sugar is a breakthrough in the space. Once you try Cure, you'll never go back to any of the old hydration products you’ve used in the past.
Five things that are important when I invest: 1) A first-person trusted reference for the founder of a given company goes a long way. 2) Would I use the product? 3) Does it solve a problem? 4) Can it scale? 5) Do I want to work with the founder? Cure met these requirements easily, and I’m lucky to have had the opportunity to invest. I believe in their mission to create premium and effective products as a baseline for health and well-being. I see the opportunity for expansive growth in hydration and other categories in the near future. It’s an added bonus if I can add some value along the way. Selfishly, I love learning by watching these awesome founders building great brands.
This story was originally featured on Fortune.com