Red Bull KTM Tech3, one of MotoGP’s longest-tenured teams, has been acquired by a new investor group led by IKON Capital and joined by David Blitzer’s Bolt Ventures and Main Street Advisors, bringing two prominent sports-and-entertainment investment platforms into MotoGP team ownership.
The deal is positioned as both a capital infusion and an operational upgrade, with the group aiming to elevate Tech3’s on-track competitiveness while building a more scalable commercial engine around the team.
The new owners have installed Guenther Steiner, a longtime Formula 1 team principal and high-profile motorsport executive, as CEO. The backers said Steiner’s industry experience will be central to professionalizing Tech3’s commercial infrastructure, strengthening brand development, expanding fan engagement, and improving sponsor activation, with the stated goal of building “franchise value” alongside sporting performance.
The announcement frames the deal as part of a broader momentum moment for MotoGP, citing Liberty Media’s acquisition of MotoGP last year and describing the combination of new team-level ownership capital and league-level strategic change as a catalyst for accelerated global growth. The investor group emphasized its ambition to help the championship expand its footprint in North America and Asia and broaden its appeal beyond MotoGP’s traditionally European-heavy fan base.
IKON Capital, founded by Markus Gloël and Damien (Daimo) O’Donohoe, described the acquisition as an inflection point for the team and for MotoGP’s commercial trajectory. Bolt Ventures’ involvement highlights Blitzer’s deep experience across global sports ownership and league ecosystems, while Main Street Advisors brings a platform known for advising and investing alongside influential athletes, entertainers, and entrepreneurs, and for building culture-forward sports and lifestyle businesses.
Beyond IKON, Bolt, and Main Street, the broader Tech3 investor group includes TRAIL SLAM and Pierre Gasly, ALK Capital, Barry English, Tom Stafford, Charles de Carvalho, and Richard Cook. MotoGP leadership characterized the ownership change as a signal of confidence in the sport’s global growth prospects.
KEY QUOTES
“It’s a very exciting time to be entering MotoGP, and it was important to IKON Capital and me to bring together a group of like-minded investors who share a long-term vision for the Tech3 team. We are joined by a strong group that understands motorsport, brings genuine value-added capabilities, and shares our core values. Just as importantly, we are committed to preserving Tech3’s heritage while taking a measured, strategic approach to growth. This is about building on what already works, and I’m looking forward to working together to shape the team’s future.”
Guenther Steiner, CEO, Red Bull KTM Tech3
“MotoGP is well positioned to enjoy the type of meteoric rise we’ve seen with Formula 1, and we’re confident our investment in Tech3 is an investment in the future of motorsports. We’re looking forward to working alongside Main Street Advisors, IKON Capital, and the other members of this like-minded ownership group to resource Guenther and the Tech3 team with everything it needs to compete with the best of MotoGP and grow on and off the grid.”
David Blitzer, Bolt Ventures
“MotoGP is one of the most compelling investment opportunities in sports today and we are thrilled to partner with Bolt, IKON and Guenther to help write the next chapter of Tech3 and support the evolution of the broader series. Our platform, which blends investing, business building, and strategic advisory, is uniquely positioned to help accelerate the growth of Tech3 and MotoGP and we can’t wait for more people, especially in the U.S., to be introduced to this exciting sport and its rich history.”
Paul Wachter, Founder and CEO, Main Street Advisors
“First and foremost, we would like to acknowledge the exceptional dedication of Hervé Poncharal, the former owner of Tech3, and thank the entire Tech3 team and MotoGP for the warm welcome we have received as we embark on this next chapter together. We’re excited to work alongside an esteemed investor group that brings deep experience growing and developing multiple sports properties. Together, we look forward to building Tech3 into a leading team and helping the championship drive global growth for MotoGP.”
Markus Gloël and Damien (Daimo) O’Donohoe,
Joint Founders, IKON Capital
“Having an investor group of this stature acquire a team is a strong endorsement for MotoGP and for the championship’s trajectory of global growth. We are excited to welcome the group to the paddock and look forward to working in partnership to bring the championship to new audiences around the world.”
Carlos Ezpeleta, Chief Sporting Officer, MotoGP
