Former Aston Villa flop – who retired at 30 – invested millions into an agricultural technology company and is now on the verge of becoming a billionaire
With the Premier League being the most attractive competition in world football, it’s no wonder players are desperate to move to England in search of a life-changing payday.
However, a former Aston Villa flop has had much more success since ending his professional career.
Jota endured a dismal spell at Villa Park, making just ten appearances between 2019 and 2020.
The former Brentford and Birmingham City midfielder will retire from football in 2022, but his bizarre career change is absolutely baffling.
The 32-year-old lost motivation to play football and reveals he had a big project in mind after hanging up his boots.
Former Aston Villa flop Jota has had much more success since calling it a day on the pitch
The former professional midfielder is now on the verge of becoming a billionaire after a bizarre career change
Jota is currently the managing director of agricultural technology company Groinn, a company with 80 employees.
His company is in the process of establishing a partnership with the Spanish government to provide digital agricultural assistance – and will be worth more than £600 million ($760 million) by 2025.
Speak with The Athletics, he said: “Football should make personalities stand out,” he says. ‘I did what the manager said, but I didn’t like it. It was a difficult decision because I said no to so much money, but I loved football so much that it was never about the money. I lost my motivation, but I had another big project on my mind.”
‘I knew about Groinn when I played, but I didn’t have time for it. It was a start-up under a different name that needed funding (then it was called Ramalloc Innovation). I like to take risks and there were nervous moments during the process. Once you develop the technology and it works, you’ll have spent millions, but you’ll get much more back. But if it doesn’t work, you lose all your money.’
After investing millions in the company two years ago, Jota now has plans to open another branch just outside his home country.
Groinn is a plantation system that monitors the status of crops and large fields. It works via sensors and can be accessed on any device. It provides instructions on when to water the plants, what nutrients they need and how to prevent fires.
“We’ve had ups and downs because we were investing so much money into something new that you didn’t know was going to work,” he added.
“I’m extremely proud because I know a lot of people said to me, ‘This is crazy.’ Now these people are saying, ‘Oh my word, this is making a ton of money.’
Jota – who also had a brief spell at Birmingham City – is currently the managing man of agricultural technology company Groinn
‘The value of the company is now worth ten times more than the money I invested. I’m already taking offers, but I know that in three years they won’t even be one percent of the value. We are in negotiations with many governments around the world because they want the technology and we are market leaders. We are talking to major companies in America and we are moving faster than we thought.”
Before investment in the company, similar machines would cost around £25,700 to produce and purchase.
However, Groinn can be created for as little as £175, all stored on one device. Since it only officially launched last September, the investments needed to put the software into production were financed through the former footballer.
The 32-year-old reveals the company could be worth £3 billion in three years
“We’re like the iPhone,” he says. ‘Before that you had letters, fax machines and telephones, but the iPhone brings it all in one, doesn’t cost too much and is of better quality. We did the same in agriculture, with all the technology on one machine.’
In the first year alone, Groinn is expected to have at least 150,000 people use the software.
“When I left football, I knew I had something really big on my hands,” says Jota. “We’re not talking about opening a restaurant; I invested so much money in this. The value of the company has forecasts showing that within three years it will be the largest agricultural company in the world.’
After leaving Spanish side Alaves in 2021, Jota was on the verge of securing a big move to Saudi Arabia.
The former Brentford star – who made more than 60 appearances for the club between 2014 and 2017 – had no regrets about ending his career at the age of 30.
His gamble on the investment almost certainly paid off. He reveals that financial forecasts in years two and three will see Groinn expand into major areas, including across Asia.
The company’s annual projection is to be worth over £600 million in the second year, followed by a sensational increase in the third year to £3 billion.
“Our profit projections will be so high, no matter how much money someone offers me (for his stake), it won’t be enough.”
This year the company wants to explore new markets in Portugal, Northern Europe and North America.
The Spanish government plans to invest in the technology and give it to the country’s farmers – with the aim of every farmer having the software by 2030.