Former JPMorgan Chase & Co. banker Karim Ben Rejeb has established Athvance, a new investment fund targeting emerging and under-commercialized sports across Europe. The move capitalizes on growing investor interest in niche sports markets, which have traditionally been overlooked by major institutional capital.

Ben Rejeb's initiative arrives as private equity firms increasingly scout for growth outside mainstream football and rugby. The fund will likely seek deals in sports like handball, volleyball, and regional competitions, where commercial rights and media valuations remain fragmented and undervalued.

Investors will watch how Athvance structures its first deals and whether it can build scalable commercial models for these sports. Success could spur more capital into European sports beyond the traditional powerhouses, reshaping the investment landscape for athletic properties.