What Upper Hand does

Upper Hand is an Indianapolis-based SaaS company that provides an all-in-one operations platform for youth and amateur sports businesses, including individual coaches, training academies, sports facilities, multi-location operators, and franchise networks. The core platform unifies event registration, scheduling, facility and resource management, membership management, integrated payments, staff and payroll, team management, and retail/inventory tracking, with sport-specific workflows covering at least 20 verticals from Archery to Wrestling. The product surface extends to add-on modules including an AI Dashboard for predictive analytics, WebKIT (a custom website builder priced at $50/month), Camp Pulse for camp management, a mobile app, and Loop, a generative AI chat feature listed as 'Coming Soon.'

The company operates a subscription-based SaaS model with a hybrid go-to-market combining direct website sales, 'Request a Demo' and 'Book a Call' CTAs, a certified partner program, and a UPX ambassador referral program. Upper Hand disclosed $3.6M in ARR and a $10.9M valuation in 2025, supported by 1,000+ customers. The company raised capital across multiple rounds between 2012 and 2024 (including investments from Park Ten Capital and Elevate Ventures) while largely maintaining a self-funded posture. In December 2025, Upper Hand was acquired by H3 Partners, a software-focused search fund backed by family office investors, with H3 co-founders Brad Wills and Brad Greene assuming the CEO and COO roles respectively.

Name

Upper Hand

Legal name

Upper Hand, Inc.

Website

https://upperhand.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Upper Hand is an Indianapolis-based SaaS platform that provides all-in-one scheduling, registration, payment, and facility management software for sports coaches, training academies, sports facilities, and franchise networks across 20+ sport verticals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Indianapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. SaaS Subscription: Upper Hand operates as a bootstrapped SaaS company generating $3.6M ARR. The company has grown without raising venture capital, relying entirely on self-funding.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Upper Hand offers an all-in-one sports business management SaaS platform that consolidates event registration, scheduling, facility management, membership management, integrated payments, marketing automation, staff/payroll management, and retail/inventory tracking for sports coaches, training facilities, academies, and franchise networks. The platform is complemented by add-on modules including Upper Hand AI for predictive analytics, WebKIT for custom website building, Camp Pulse for sports camp management, and a mobile app.

Product overview

Upper Hand offers a unified sports facility management platform with core business software complemented by add-on modules and features. The core Business Software platform handles event registration, scheduling, and facility management. Additional modules include AI Dashboard & Predictive Analytics for data insights, WebKIT for custom websites, Camp Pulse for camp management, Loop (generative AI chat coming soon), and a Mobile App. Key features include scheduling & registration, membership management, marketing campaigns, staff/payroll management, integrated payments, team management, and retail/inventory tracking. The platform serves individual coaches, sports facilities, growing academies with 2+ locations, and franchise networks with 5+ locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Upper Hand Business Software (Core Platform) Core SaaS platform providing event registration, scheduling, facility management, membership management, payment processing, marketing campaigns, staff/payroll management, sports team management, and retail/inventory tracking in one unified system for sports businesses.
• Upper Hand AI Dashboard & Predictive Analytics

Quantifiable outcome

• 8 hours saved per week on average
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature6 records

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• TeamSnap: TeamSnap provides team management, scheduling, registration, and payments software for youth and amateur sports organizations. It directly overlaps with Upper Hand's core scheduling, registration, and member management features for the same SMB sports business buyer.
• LeagueApps: LeagueApps provides league and club management software for youth and adult sports organizations, including registration, scheduling, payments, and communication. It directly competes with Upper Hand for sports facility and league operator customers.
• Playmetrics: Playmetrics offers a club and league management platform for youth soccer and other sports, covering registration, scheduling, communication, and payments. It targets the same SMB-to-mid-market sports operator segment as Upper Hand.
• Jersey Watch: Jersey Watch provides sports league and tournament registration, scheduling, and website-building tools for youth sports organizers. It directly competes with Upper Hand's scheduling, registration, and WebKit website builder offerings.
• DASH Platform: DASH provides sports facility management software including court/field scheduling, memberships, payments, and POS. It directly competes with Upper Hand's facility and resource scheduling, membership, and payment modules.

Broad incumbents

• SportsEngine: SportsEngine, owned by NBC Sports, is a broad youth sports platform offering registration, websites, tournaments, and mobile apps. It competes with Upper Hand across most of its feature set but operates at significantly larger scale and brand recognition.
• Mindbody: Mindbody is a broad incumbent in fitness and wellness business management software, offering scheduling, memberships, payments, and marketing. While not sports-specialized, it overlaps with Upper Hand's scheduling, membership, and payment features for adjacent sports/fitness facilities.
• Acuity Scheduling: Acuity Scheduling, a Squarespace-owned product, is a broad scheduling and appointment management SaaS used by coaches and trainers. It overlaps with Upper Hand's scheduling and registration features for individual coach and trainer customers.
• Active Network (ACTIVE): ACTIVE Network provides activity and recreation management software including registration, scheduling, and facility management for parks, sports, and events. It competes with Upper Hand at the multi-location/facility and franchise end of the market.

Emerging players

• CampMinder: CampMinder provides camp management software for summer camps and youth programs, with registration, health/medical, and communication features. It overlaps with Upper Hand's Camp Pulse module in the youth sports camp niche.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/getupperhand

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds7 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A2 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Upper Hand