From M&A Advisory to Early Stage Sports Tech Investor - Uday Khanna, 1406 Park Lane Partners #263

In this episode of the Sports Tech AllStars Podcast, we present Uday Khanna, Co-Founder of 1406 Park Lane Partners and angel investor in sports tech. The conversation explores how a career in M&A transaction advisory led Uday to co-found an early stage investment syndicate focused on sports, emerging sports and wellness, why bringing institutional rigour to pre-seed investing is a genuine edge, and how groups like EBAN Sports are filling a critical gap in the European sports tech funding landscape. Takeaways 1406 Park Lane Partners combines M&A advisory, investment banking and private equity experience to bring institutional discipline to early stage sports tech investing The syndicate's core value proposition is smart capital Emerging sports, data infrastructure and wellness and fitness are the three primary thesis areas for the syndicate Most business angels invest locally by default — cross-border early stage sports tech investment in Europe remains rare and underserved Communities like EBAN Sports are crucial for connecting sports industry insiders with experienced investors who understand how to scale businesses The gap between early stage venture and PE is exactly where 1406 Park Lane Partners tries to add value — helping founders understand what institutional readiness looks like before they need it Sports tech is still early as an asset class — the deal volume and value has not yet caught up with sectors like healthcare or fintech, but the trajectory is clear Pre-seed and early seed is where angel syndicates can have the most impact — founders are more open to collaboration before institutional VCs arrive To learn more, visit: https://www.linkedin.com/company/1406-park-lane-partners Get in touch with Uday Khanna at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/uplusk Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Leading source of Investment and Innovation insights in sports. STX Intelligence Hub: sports tech company, investor, and deal database: intelligence.sportstechx.com As promised, here's your small surprise: Unlock your 30-day growth plan (worth €49) on the SportsTechX Intelligence Hub for free! Simply verify your company details and you get access to 1,500+ investors, programmes, initiatives and events in the sportstech ecosystem. Here's how to get set up and if you'd like a walkthrough of the platform, feel free to book a call here. Download the latest Industry Reports here: https://intelligence.sportstechx.com/reports/gster26 Sign Up for the Sports Tech Weekly Newsletter for more news, features & insights on Sports Tech: https://newsletter.sportstechx.com/ Chapters 00:00 Introduction 00:41 What Is 1406 Park Lane Partners and Where Did the Name Come From 02:54 From M&A Advisory to Early Stage Sports Tech Investor 03:38 Combining M&A, Investment Banking and PE Experience in One Syndicate 06:02 Check Size, Deal Stage and Who 1406 Invests In 07:54 Smart Capital — Helping Founders Become VC Ready 09:19 Thesis Areas: Emerging Sports, Data Infrastructure and Wellness 12:23 Pre-Seed and Early Seed as the Sweet Spot for Angel Syndicates 13:21 Why Uday Joined EBAN Sports and What It Has Delivered 15:25 Using EBAN Sports as a Deal Flow Source and Jury Member 16:03 What EBAN Sports Is and How to Get Involved 17:44 What PE Experience Brings to Early Stage Investing 20:11 What PE Readiness Actually Looks Like and Why It Matters for Founders 21:48 The Growing Wave of PE Interest in Sports and Sports Tech 22:01 What the Next 12–18 Months Look Like for 1406 Park Lane Partners 25:17 Training for a Half Marathon in Madrid and the Tech Used Along the Way 27:42 Favourite Sporting Moment Stay Connected with SportsTechX Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/sportstechx/ Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/the-sports-tech-allstars-podcast/id1271329751 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sportstechx YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SportsTechX