The Guardian learned that the Monarch Collective Group, which was co-founded by the co-founder, invested in San Diego and Boston women's football teams, plans to acquire up to 49% of West Ham women's football shares at a valuation of about 55 million pounds. The families of existing shareholders David Sullivan, Daniel Kretinski and the late David Gauder are expected to retain a controlling stake, and the club declined to comment.
West Ham will be the second female super club to introduce U.S. investment this year, a trend that reflects the event's growing global appeal. The commercial benefits brought by the English women's football team's European Cup championship this summer are likely to further strengthen this position. In May, Chelsea Women's Football Team sold 10% of its women's football shares to Alexis Ohanian, the husband of the social media platform Reddit co-founder and celebrity tennis star Serena Williams, for £245 million. The deal valued the Chelsea Women's Football Club at £245 million. Aston Villa is believed to be negotiating with U.S. investors about the sale of up to 10% of the women's football club, with the remaining 90% of the shares sold to V Sports, a parent company controlled by owners Nassev Saviris and Wes Edens.
According to people familiar with the matter, Monarch had negotiated with Chelsea this year and turned to West Ham United after failing to reach an agreement, although the two clubs have very different qualities. West Ham United has never been in the top five since their 2018 Women's Super League competition, and is the only women's Super League club that has not played at the men's home court in the past six years. West Ham United is in a dispute with the venue owner E20 due to the cost of renting London Stadium to host women's Super League matches, which has made the club deeply frustrated. The team is currently playing at the Chigwell Construction Stadium, which has only 6,000 people in Dagnum and Redbridge Clubs.
As the world's largest women's sports special fund, Monarch will bring additional investment and professional management experience, including team building, and seek to resolve venue disputes with E20. Founded by venture capitalists Jasmin Robinson and Cara Notman, the fund raised $150 million through a round of financing two years ago, and then added $100 million to women's sports investment. Its all-female investor team includes Melinda French Gates and former Netflix executives Cindy Holland and Anne Imhoff.
Notman co-founded the Angel City Club with Ohanian, Natalie Portman and Julie Ullman, and retained a small stake when the club sold at a record-breaking $250 million valuation last year. Monarch has since invested in the San Diego Waves and the Boston Heritage FC, which will join the NWSL next year. Ohanian is not a Monarch investor, so although he had previously had commercial cooperation with Nottman in Angel City, if Monarch successfully acquires West Ham equity, there will be no conflict of interest.
Since 2023, the West Ham Women's Football Team has been managed by three female directors: Karen Brady, Tara Warren and Nikola Kay. If the deal is reached, Monarch will appoint members of the leadership team on its own.