Refr Sports

What Refr Sports does

Refr Sports is a cloud-based SaaS platform that automates scheduling, assignment, communication, and payment processing for sports officials (referees and umpires) and the assignors who manage them. Founded in 2022 and based in Minneapolis, the company serves three primary personas: assignors who coordinate officials across leagues and tournaments, sports organizations and schools that require oversight and invoicing, and individual officials who need mobile access to assignments and payments. The platform supports multi-sport officiating across baseball, softball, soccer, hockey, and combined-sport environments.

The technology stack includes a web dashboard, native iOS and Android applications, and an integrated payment processing module called Refr Pay, powered by Stripe Connect Express, which handles automated weekly Wednesday payouts, tax document generation (1099s), and mileage reimbursements. Additional capabilities include an AI-powered schedule importer that auto-maps CSV game data, an auto-assigning dashboard supporting bulk and self-assign toggles, certification tracking, and real-time in-app messaging. The platform is delivered as a multi-tenant SaaS product with both web and mobile interfaces.

Refr Sports monetizes via annual subscription plans priced per game assigned rather than per official. Three published tiers include Starter ($1.25/game, 200 games, $250/year), Professional ($0.75/game, 1,000 games, $750/year), and Commercial ($0.50/game, 5,000 games, $2,500/year), with unlimited officials included on all plans. Distribution is primarily product-led via a 20-game free trial with no credit card required, supplemented by inside sales and demo booking for larger organizations. The company has raised approximately $1,035,000 across four funding rounds between 2022 and 2025, with investors including Techstars and Groove Capital.

Name

Refr Sports

Legal name

Refr Sports Inc.

Website

https://refrsports.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Refr Sports is a cloud-based SaaS platform that automates scheduling, assignment, communication, and payment processing for sports officials, assignors, and sports organizations across multiple amateur and youth sports in the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Officiating Management Software

NAICS

Other Spectator Sports (711219)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports Compliance, Governance & Integrity Services (Safeguarding, Anti-Doping, Match Integrity) (MPAKAKAM)

Keywords

• Referee management software
• Sports officiating platform
• Assignor scheduling software
• Official payment processing
• Sports gig marketplace

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Subscription - Per Game Pricing: Refr Sports generates revenue through annual subscription plans priced on a per-game basis. Customers pay a flat rate per game assigned through the platform, with volume discounts at higher tiers. Plans include a set number of included games with additional games available at the same per-game rate. The platform also supports unlimited officials without per-official charges.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Refr Sports provides a unified SaaS platform that lets assignors import game schedules, assign officials to games, communicate changes in real time, and process payments to referees and umpires via the integrated Refr Pay module powered by Stripe Connect Express. The offering is delivered through a web dashboard and native iOS/Android mobile apps, and is sold on a per-game annual subscription with three tiers (Starter, Professional, Commercial). The platform also functions as a gig-economy marketplace connecting sports organizations and assignors with individual officials who can self-assign to games.

Product overview

Refr Sports is a unified referee operations platform consisting of a core scheduling and assigning system with three integrated solution modules: the Assignors Solution for game scheduling and official management, the Sports Organizations Solution for organizational oversight and invoicing, and the Officials Solution for individual officials to manage availability and payments. The platform is complemented by Refr Pay, a payment processing module that handles automated payouts, tax compliance, and weekly deposits via Stripe Connect Express. Mobile apps for iOS and Android provide on-the-go access for officials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Refr Sports Platform Unified referee management and assigning SaaS platform that enables assignors to import game schedules (CSV or AI importer), assign officials in bulk or via self-assign, communicate game changes in real time, and process payments, sold on a per-game annual subscription across Starter, Professional, and Commercial tiers.
• Refr Pay Payment processing module integrated with the Refr Sports Platform that automates official payouts (game fees and mileage), tax information and 1099 forms, and provides guaranteed weekly Wednesday deposits to officials via Stripe Connect Express.
• Refr Sports Mobile App Native iOS and Android mobile application for sports officials to manage availability, receive and accept game assignments, track certifications, and view payment status on mobile devices.

Quantifiable outcome

• Upload and schedule entire season in less than 2 hours
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability1 record

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Stripe Connect ExpresscoreTechnology or IntegrationStripe Connect Express powers the Refr Pay payment infrastructure, providing encrypted, compliant payouts and automated tax document handling (1099s). Officials receive guaranteed weekly Wednesday deposits through this integration.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• GameOfficials: Payment processing platform specifically built for sports officials, providing fee disbursement and tax document handling. Directly comparable to Refr Pay in its payment-rail focus on the officiating gig economy.
• ArbiterSports: Established sports officiating assigning, scheduling, and payment platform widely used by high school athletic associations and assignor networks across the United States. Direct competitor to Refr Sports, serving the same assignors and sports organizations with a comparable feature set.
• Assignr: Referee assigning and scheduling platform operated within the Arbiter ecosystem, focused on streamlining game assignments for officials and assignors. Directly comparable to Refr's Assignors Solution in product, persona, and target market.
• Officials Hub: Online directory and profile marketplace where referees, umpires, and assignors can list themselves and discover each other. Directly comparable to Refr Sports as it sits in the same officiating ecosystem, and is referenced throughout Refr's customer testimonials as a linked profile destination, indicating overlapping user bases.

Broad incumbents

• SportsEngine: Youth and amateur sports management platform (part of Stack Sports) used by leagues, clubs, and associations for registration, scheduling, and communication. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the amateur sports operations space where Refr's organizational customers also operate.
• LeagueApps: League and tournament management platform serving youth and amateur sports organizations with registration, scheduling, and payment tools. Comparable to Refr as another software layer organizing amateur sports operations, though focused on the league/organizer side rather than officials.
• TeamSnap: Widely adopted team and league management platform for youth and amateur sports, offering scheduling, rostering, communication, and payment features. Comparable as a broader incumbent in amateur sports management that overlaps with Refr's scheduling/communication functionality, though not focused on officiating.
• Active Network (Active.com): Large-scale event registration and activity management platform serving sports organizers, leagues, and recreational facilities. Comparable as an established broad incumbent in amateur/recreational sports software with overlapping organizational customers and scheduling use cases.

Emerging players

• Crossbar: Sports league and tournament management software for organizers, offering scheduling, registration, and communication features. Comparable emerging SaaS player in the amateur sports operations stack where Refr's organizational customers participate.
• Playmetrics: Youth sports club management platform focused on player development, registration, and club operations. Adjacent to Refr as a sibling SaaS play in amateur sports management, with overlapping customer base of sports organizations and clubs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/refr-sports-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors4 records

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Refr Sports