Dutch Sport Tech Fund
invests in
golf course platform Zest.Golf

Dutch Sport Tech Fund invests in golf course platform Zest.Golf. The Rotterdam-based startup is using the funding to accelerate its growth and further develop the platform. Dutch Sport Tech Fund is the only Dutch fund that focuses exclusively on investments in sport-tech companies. The fund sees Zest.Golf as the key player to help digitize the golf industry.

Zest.Golf was founded in 2018 by Oliver Dury (CEO), Jo Maes (CCO), and Michael Pentowski. They discovered that less than five percent of all golf tournaments and rounds are booked online. Every year, 728 million rounds of golf are played worldwide by approximately 60 million golfers, which means the digitalization of this market has enormous potential. At the moment, booking a golf course is still done by email or phone.

“Just as well-known tech companies have digitalized the airline and hotel markets, we want to digitalize the golf industry with Zest.Golf. How great would it be if booking a golf course became as easy as booking a hotel room? We are now active in most countries in Europe and are, among others, a partner of IAGTO, the Global Golf Tourism Organisation. This shows that our solution is being embraced by the industry,” says Dury, CEO of Zest.Golf.

Dury: “We see Dutch Sport Tech Fund as the right strategic partner for our company. The fund provides us with resources to accelerate our growth, as well as experience, know-how, and a relevant network in the field of sports and technology. They help us identify and unlock new strategic opportunities in Europe and beyond, in line with our global ambitions.”

Alexander Janssen, CEO of Dutch Sport Tech Fund: “We are delighted to work with the Zest team, which combines technology and expertise in the golf industry with a lifelong passion for the game. We have seen how similar technology has revolutionized the travel market. Zest streamlines a labor-intensive booking process and ensures that golf businesses can meet the higher expectations of golfers. Players and the game will greatly benefit from Zest.Golf.”