Coalition Capital, owned by French football superstar Kylian Mbappé, has announced its investment in the France SailGP Team. Mbappé’s ‘Inspired by KM’ (IBKM)association will become the French team’s official charity partner – broadening the foundation’s global reach and inspiring young people through the power of sport.
Celebrating the news, Kylian Mbappé said, “We are excited to be on board with this new adventure with the France SailGP Team, alongside Accor and other investors. I’m also proud that IBKM has the opportunity to engage more young people around the world through this relationship.”
Mbappé continued, “Through Inspired By KM, I want to reach out to young people around the world and give them the strength to believe in their dreams. With our “We Care for All program”, we provide concrete support and hope to those who need it most. Together, we are building a future where every young person can write their own story and achieve excellence.”
Founded in 2019 by five-time America’s Cup winner Sir Russell Coutts and Oracle founder Larry Ellison, SailGP features 12 national teams competing in identical, high-speed 50-foot foiling catamarans. The annual championship brings fans closer to the action than ever before, with close-to-shore stadium racing in iconic global destinations – including Saint-Tropez, France (September 12 – 13).
SailGP CEO Sir Russell Coutts said, “We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Kylian Mbappé into our growing SailGP family of partners and investors – he’s undeniably one of the most influential athletes of our time, and an inspiration to sports fans across the globe.”
The news follows a period of exciting growth for the global racing championship, including the addition of two new teams – Mubadala Brazil and Red Bull Italy – and the sale of others. Coalition Capital joins a consortium of investors behind the now fully privately-owned and operated France SailGP Team, led by driver Quentin Delapierre – French Olympian and America’s Cup helmsman – and a stellar line-up of French sailing talent.
The French team is operated by K-Challenge – the first sport-tech gathering of the best French experts in international sailing – and its co-CEOs Bruno Dubois and Stephan Kandler. Accor, one of the world’s leading hospitality groups, played a key role in facilitating the relationship as a shared supporter of the global SailGP league, the France SailGP team and the IBKM association since 2024.
The Rolex Los Angeles Sail Grand Prix begins this weekend (March 15 – 16) kicking off SailGP’s U.S. slate of events for 2025, including a ‘triple header’ in Los Angeles, San Francisco (March 22 – 23) and New York (June 7 – 8), plus a first-time stop in Rio de Janeiro (May 3 – 4). Tickets to all events are available now at SailGP.com/tickets.
