Kobe Bryant Bryant Stibel
Bryant Stibel Co-Founder, General Partner and retired NBA player Kobe Bryant speaks during an interview on CNBC at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., August 22, 2016. Reuters/Brendan

After retiring from the National Basketball Association, Kobe Bryant is venturing on capital funds with the launch of his US$100 million investment firm Bryant Stibel Monday.

The former Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard has partnered with investor Jeff Stibel of Dun & Bradstreet for the new venture capital company that has already invested in 13 media, technology and data companies.

Bryant launched Bryant Stibel after he rang the opening bell on the New York Stock Exchange Monday.

For his part, brain scientist Stibel also took to social media his excitement over his new venture with Bryant. Stibel is the chairman of brain implant system BrainGate and former president of Web.com.

As of press time, Bryant Stibel has already invested on The Players’ Tribune, video game designer Scopely, LegalZoom, clothing company Represent, Chinese e-commerce firm Alibaba and VIPKid.

Kobe Bryant businesses

Aside from investing in Bryant Stibel, the professional athlete has already been making significant business ventures throughout his 20-year NBA career, starting with his clothing company Kobe, Inc. founded in 2014. He also invested in BodyArmor, a sports drinks company which partnered with the LA Lakers for his final game merchandise.

The 38-year-old investor-publisher ended his sports career after playing for the 2015-2016 NBA season. He scored 60 points during his final NBA game in April 13, 2016 against the Utah Jazz.

Despite retiring from the sports industry, Bryant remained as one of the world’s top-earning athletes. The LA Lakers’ all-time leading scorer ranked 10th on the Forbes magazine’s list after making US$50 million (AU$65 million) for the past 12 months. His earnings came from his salary, winnings and endorsement contracts. (Click here for detailed story)

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