Will Freeman has spent five years building a life in Tampa Bay and a career that moves between technology and operations.
He began at LinkedIn and Oracle, then bootstrapped a marketing analytics agency he sold at the start of this year. He helped scale a services team at a venture-backed startup that later sold for a nine-figure sum.
Last fall, he stepped away from the corporate track and built a career in Tampa as a fractional Chief Information Officer.
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“I serve as a part-time CIO for two companies here in Tampa,” Freeman says. “Community Foundation Tampa Bay and Not Your Mother’s Haircare.” The foundation manages more than $1 billion in assets for charitable giving. The haircare brand is private equity-backed. Both lean on him for technology, data and commercialization.
Discovering a new kind of investment
That operator’s mindset is what drew him into an asset class that most local investors never encounter: direct ownership in global football clubs.
The spark came from a former advisor who had led product innovation at Nike, who had worked alongside an individual who later joined a group that bought the majority stake in a club in Northern Ireland.
Soon after, while visiting family in Charleston, an M&A broker contacted Freeman with a steady flow of off-market opportunities. “It was just endless,” he says. “You don’t read about these deals. You have to talk to the right people.”
A Welsh club with global potential
Freeman’s first move became public this fall. He invested in Haverfordwest County AFC, a Welsh club in the Cymru Premier, and joined as a minority owner and board advisor. “Under current ownership, they moved from the second division to the top league and have qualified for European play,” he says. A league expansion is adding four clubs, which he believes will increase competition and create more room for commercial growth.
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The thesis is simple. Many smaller clubs are strong on the pitch but light on business. “Oftentimes their focus is player recruitment,” Freeman says. “In terms of commercialization, they’re not maximizing all the potential revenue opportunities.”
He compares it to a technical founder with a great product but no effective go-to-market strategy. That gap, he argues, is where value gets created.
Building Catalyst Sports Ventures in Tampa
He is building a vehicle in Tampa to pursue it. Catalyst Sports Ventures, based in South Tampa, will acquire minority and majority positions in clubs across emerging markets, including Wales, Ireland and lower-tier English leagues, with an eye toward select opportunities in the United States.
“Soccer is unique,” he says. “You can get involved at a sensible price. Entry points in other sports are nine figures just to have a seat.”
Freeman is not pitching a celebrity vanity buy. He wants accredited investors who bring capital and know-how. “I’m not trying to run a community crowdfunding round,” he says. “I want a team of people who will be active advisors as we go on this acquisition journey.” He expects to keep the group tight, no more than 25 investors, and plans to diversify across multiple clubs to balance risk.
Opening doors for Tampa investors
For investors wary of the sport he offers a grounded view. “I didn’t know much about European football until I started investing,” he says. “Any investment carries risk. The downside here is lower than traditional sports investments because the entry cost is lower. And with a multi-club model, you’re not putting all your eggs in one basket.”
The Welsh club he joined is debt-free and near break-even today. That profile is rare in major American sports, indicating a shorter path to profitability and cash flow.
Upside can come from transfer fees, sponsorships and media exposure as well as future M&A. “Where you make money is on-field performance and off-field commercialization,” he says. “In markets like Wales, there is global brand interest and sports betting opportunities that can scale.”
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Freeman is already drafting investment teasers to attract a few strategic partners for his current club while he lines up the following targets. “I’d love to commercialize this in a way that creates opportunities for people in Tampa,” he says. “There’s an eagerness here to find new asset classes. Once you have some champions, the flywheel starts.”
Expanding beyond Europe
For Tampa investors who came up through real estate and then early-stage tech, soccer may feel like a stretch. Freeman frames it as the next logical step for a region that now backs founders, funds and niche alternatives. “This market is ready,” he says. “It’s new and different, but it’s tangible. And you can have real governance even in minority positions.”
He says he is open to clubs in the United States if the operators are strong. In those cases, he prefers minority stakes that keep proven people in place while Catalyst helps drive broader strategy. “Let the existing team run the show,” he says. “We bring business knowledge, sponsorships and scale.”
What began as a cold message from a broker is now a local platform with global reach. “I’m trying to bring hidden opportunities to life,” Freeman says. “For people in Tampa who are curious and want to learn by doing, this is a way in.”
Why it matters
- New asset class for Tampa investors: Direct stakes in global football clubs with lower entry points than major U.S. teams
- Operator edge: Clubs often underinvest in sponsorships and commercialization, creating room for hands-on value creation
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- Governance with minority stakes: Cleaner cap tables and negotiated rights allow active oversight without control positions
- Diversification by design: A multi-club model spreads risk across leagues and markets
By the numbers
- $1B+ in assets at Community Foundation Tampa Bay where Freeman serves as fractional CIO
- 1 initial club: Haverfordwest County AFC, Cymru Premier, Wales
- Up to 25 investors targeted for Catalyst’s tight advisor-driven pool
Email Will Freeman, Founder at Catalyst Sports Ventures, to discuss ways to get involved: [email protected]
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