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Based in Los Altos, California, American Cricket Enterprises is a sports management organization that develops and operates professional Twenty20 cricket leagues in the United States. The company serves as the commercial rights holder for USA Cricket, managing a six-team top-tier competition called Major League Cricket and a 26-team developmental league. To finance stadium infrastructure and broadcasting operations, the enterprise has secured $120 million in Series A funding alongside $39 million through convertible notes. The organization's ownership and investor syndicate features prominent technology executives and sports entities, including Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen, and the Knight Riders Group. In 2024, the organization secured official List A status from the International Cricket Council for its primary tournament. American Cricket Enterprises was founded in 2019 by Sameer Mehta, Vijay Srinivasan, Satyan Gajwani, and Vineet Jain.
American Cricket Enterprises has raised $44.0M across 1 funding round.
American Cricket Enterprises has raised $44.0M in total across 1 funding round.
American Cricket Enterprises has raised $44.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $44.0M Series A in May 2022.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1, 2022 | $44M Series A | — | Kevin Hartz, Afore Capital, Alsop Louie Partners, ALT Capital, Amplify Partners, C2 Investment, Cervin Ventures, Coelius Capital, Electric Capital, Felicis Ventures, Founder Collective, Goat Capital, Inventus Capital Partners, Madrona Venture Group, Maven Ventures, NKM Capital, Glenn Solomon, Quiet Capital, Rocketship.vc, SAP.iO, Signia Venture Partners, Smartstart Fund, Spark Capital, Trucks Venture Capital, Venture Highway, Y Combinator, Colin Carrier, Emmett Shear, John Collison, Preetha Parthasarathy, SAM Altman, Satya Nadella, Sravish Sridhar, Subrah Iyar, Tikhon Bernstam, Travis Vanderzanden | Announced |
American Cricket Enterprises (ACE) is a sports promotion company founded in 1995, focused on developing professional T20 cricket in the United States through leagues, talent scouting, academies, and infrastructure.[1][2] It operates Major League Cricket (MLC), the premier domestic T20 competition, alongside Minor League Cricket, and has invested over $150 million since 2019 to grow the sport, including facilities in Texas, North Carolina, Florida, and California.[4][5] ACE serves cricketers, fans, and USA Cricket by providing exposure, professional opportunities, and commercialization, though its partnership with USA Cricket ended amid disputes in 2025.[3][4]
Despite raising $39.03 million in a recent convertible note, ACE faces legal challenges after USA Cricket terminated their 2019 agreement, alleging unmet obligations like national team payments; ACE disputes this and runs key tournaments independently.[1][3][4]
ACE traces its roots to 1995 in Los Altos, California, initially as a cricket association promoting T20 leagues and talent development.[1] It gained momentum through founders linked to Willow TV—creators of a U.S. network for international cricket—and principals from India's Times Group, including Satyan Gajwani, Vineet Jain, Sameer Mehta, and Vijay Srinivasan.[2][3] In 2019, USA Cricket selected ACE's $1 billion bid to fund a professional T20 league, developmental circuits, facilities, and national team support, marking a pivotal shift toward commercialization without revenue-sharing risks for USA Cricket.[3]
Early traction included securing exclusive T20 rights and building investor backing from 20+ tech executives, fueling MLC's launch and infrastructure growth.[2][7]
ACE rides the global T20 cricket boom, amplified by IPL success and U.S. sports media growth, positioning cricket as a viable mainstream sport amid soccer and basketball.[3][4] Timing aligns with post-2017 USA Cricket reforms and ICC oversight, where ACE filled funding gaps for professionalization.[3] Market forces like immigrant fanbases, streaming platforms, and tech investor interest (e.g., founding group of executives) favor expansion, influencing the ecosystem by creating jobs, facilities, and player pathways despite USA Cricket tensions.[2][5][7] This power struggle highlights commercialization vs. governance debates, potentially accelerating independent leagues.
ACE's court battle with USA Cricket could redefine U.S. cricket governance, potentially securing MLC's autonomy or forcing renegotiations amid 2026 T20 World Cup momentum.[4] Rising global T20 investments and U.S. media deals will shape its path, with ACE's infrastructure edge positioning it to lead if litigation succeeds. Its influence may evolve toward a fully private model, sustaining growth beyond partnerships and cementing cricket's American foothold.
American Cricket Enterprises has raised $44.0M in total across 1 funding round.
American Cricket Enterprises's investors include Kevin Hartz, Afore Capital, Alsop Louie Partners, Alt Capital, Amplify Partners, C2 Investment, Cervin Ventures, Coelius Capital, Electric Capital, Felicis Ventures, Founder Collective, Goat Capital.
