Cikers Sports

What Cikers Sports does

Cikers Sports (legal name: CIKERS) is a Beijing-based, privately held personalized sportswear manufacturer founded in 2016 by Tianli Zhao (CEO) and Bo Peng (Co-Founder, North America Marketing Director). The company designs and produces custom jerseys, shorts, jackets, hoodies, and accessories across soccer, basketball, baseball, handball, training, and kids categories, serving individual consumers, amateur teams, and licensed professional sports clubs. Its core technology stack combines digital sublimation printing for custom decoration with a proprietary AI-driven automated production system that the company reports was co-developed with MIT and Cornell and backed by investment from Sequoia Capital; this system is positioned as the basis for reduced production costs and lower minimum order quantities.

Cikers operates a direct-to-consumer e-commerce model through a Shopify storefront at us.cikers.com, shipping to approximately 60+ countries with fixed unit pricing (jerseys priced $88.99–$120). It supplements DTC with a B2B licensing channel via official merchandise partnerships with three Australian A-League clubs: Brisbane Roar, Central Coast Mariners, and Canberra United. Revenue streams are therefore a mix of one-time DTC sales and club licensing royalties, with no subscription or recurring billing model.

The company has raised approximately $7.9 million in disclosed venture funding across a $7.6 million round in November 2017 (led by Innoangel Fund, with Fenghou Capital, Sea of Stars Capital, and ZhenFund) and a $300,000 follow-on in July 2018. The firm employs between 11 and 50 people, with no public revenue or GMV disclosed. Marketing is concentrated on Instagram, the e-commerce site, and club-driven referral traffic.

Name

Cikers Sports

Legal name

CIKERS

Website

https://cikers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cikers Sports is a Beijing-based personalized sportswear manufacturer founded in 2016 that uses digital sublimation printing and an AI-driven automated production system to sell custom soccer, basketball, baseball, handball, and training apparel direct-to-consumer globally, with additional official licensed merchandise partnerships with Australian A-League clubs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Custom Sportswear / Athletic Apparel

NAICS

Sporting and Athletic Goods Manufacturing (339920), Sporting Goods Retailers (45911)

SIC

Sporting & Athletic Goods, Nec (3949), Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)

akta.pro primary industry

Team Sports Equipment & Uniforms Retail (CRAMABAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Customized & Personalized Fan Gear Retail (CRAMAOAJ), Fan Apparel & Wearables Retail (Licensed) (CRAMAOAE), Team Sports & On-Field Performance Apparel (CRAAAEAE)

Keywords

• Custom sportswear manufacturing
• Personalized athletic apparel
• Digital sublimation printing
• Team sports jerseys
• Club licensed merchandise

Headquarters

HQ city

Beijing

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Direct Product Sales: Revenue generated through direct e-commerce sales of personalized sportswear to consumers. Products include jerseys, shorts, jackets, and accessories across multiple sports categories (soccer, basketball, baseball, handball, training). Sales are one-time transactions with prices ranging from $88.99 to $120 for jerseys.
2. Licensed Club Merchandise: Revenue from officially licensed merchandise sales for partner sports clubs including Brisbane Roar, Canberra United, and Central Coast Mariners. The company produces and sells official club apparel.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Cikers Sports designs, manufactures, and sells custom personalized sportswear using digital sublimation printing, marketed under its own brand and through official licenses with professional football clubs. Customers configure apparel (jerseys, shorts, training wear, accessories) with names, numbers, and graphics, which are then printed on demand. The company also offers officially licensed club merchandise for Brisbane Roar, Canberra United, and Central Coast Mariners, sold globally via its Shopify storefront.

Product overview

Cikers Sports is a sportswear company offering high-quality custom-made sportswear across multiple sports categories. The product portfolio includes soccer, basketball, baseball, handball, and training apparel, along with accessories and children's sizes. The company uses digital sublimation printing technology and AI-driven automated production systems (developed with MIT and Cornell, backed by Sequoia Capital) to produce personalized sportswear including jerseys, shorts, pants, jackets, hoodies, bags, socks, and protective gear. Products are available for various clubs including Brisbane Roar, Canberra United, and Central Coast Mariners, with offerings spanning core playing apparel, training gear, and accessories across multiple sports.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Custom Soccer Jerseys Personalized soccer jerseys for men, women, kids, goalkeepers, and sleeveless/long-sleeve variants, printed on demand via digital sublimation and configurable with names, numbers, and graphics. Targeted at amateur players, clubs, and individual buyers worldwide.
• Custom Soccer Shorts & Pants Personalized soccer shorts and long pants sold alongside custom soccer jerseys to complete team kits, configurable via digital sublimation printing.
• Custom Basketball Jerseys Customizable basketball jerseys for men, women, and kids in sleeveless, short-sleeve, and reversible variants, produced via digital sublimation printing with personalized names, numbers, and team graphics.
• Custom Basketball Sportswear Custom basketball hoodies, vests, shorts, pants, and accessories offered as coordinated kit components with the same personalization options as the basketball jerseys.
• Custom Baseball Jerseys Personalized baseball jerseys (button, pullover, sleeveless, and pinstripe styles) configurable with player names, numbers, and team graphics via digital sublimation printing.
• Custom Handball Apparel Personalized handball jerseys, shorts, and pants sold as customizable kits for amateur handball players and teams.
• Custom Training Apparel Customizable training jackets, windbreakers, bibs (training vests), shirts, shorts, and pants for general athletic training use, all produced via digital sublimation printing with personalized graphics.
• Sports Accessories Sports bags, socks, and protective gear sold as accessories alongside the company's custom apparel line.
• Officially Licensed Club Merchandise Officially licensed apparel and merchandise for Brisbane Roar, Canberra United, and Central Coast Mariners, produced and globally distributed by Cikers Sports under licensing deals with the clubs.

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• MITcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with MIT to develop AI-driven automated production system for sportswear manufacturing. This partnership has enabled significant reductions in production costs and minimum order quantities while improving production efficiency.
• Cornell UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Cornell University to develop AI-driven automated production system for sportswear manufacturing. This academic partnership contributes to the company's leadership position in automated production technology.
• Brisbane RoarcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial licensed merchandise partnership where CIKERS produces and sells officially licensed Brisbane Roar FC merchandise including 24/25 season jerseys, jackets, and goalkeeper apparel.
• Central Coast MarinerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial licensed merchandise partnership where CIKERS produces and sells officially licensed Central Coast Mariners A-League Men merchandise including home, away, and goalkeeper jerseys.
• Canberra UnitedcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial licensed merchandise partnership where CIKERS produces and sells officially licensed Canberra United merchandise including 24/25 season jerseys and goalkeeper apparel for the women's professional soccer club.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Alleson Athletic: Custom team sports apparel manufacturer specializing in sublimated uniforms for soccer, basketball, baseball, and other team sports. Closely aligned with CIKERS' team-uniform and multi-sport product portfolio.
• Boombah: Manufacturer and DTC retailer of custom team sports equipment and apparel, with strong presence in baseball, softball, and team uniforms. Comparable to CIKERS in the custom team sports apparel and equipment category.
• SquadLocker: DTC platform for custom team sports apparel and gear, serving schools, clubs, and youth leagues with on-demand personalization. Directly comparable to CIKERS in the custom team-uniform category, with similar B2B (team/club) and B2C (parent/individual) motions.
• Augusta Sportswear: Long-standing US manufacturer of custom team sportswear, uniforms, and athletic apparel sold through team dealers and directly. Comparable to CIKERS as a custom team-uniform manufacturer and supplier.
• Badger Sport: Custom sublimated team sports apparel and uniforms manufacturer serving schools, leagues, and clubs across multiple sports. Comparable to CIKERS in digital sublimation custom teamwear production.
• Prolook: Custom sublimated team sports uniform specialist serving schools, clubs, and leagues across multiple sports with design and production capabilities. Directly comparable to CIKERS in the custom team-uniform space.

Broad incumbents

• Custom Ink: Large US custom apparel platform serving teams, schools, businesses, and groups with screen-printed and embroidered apparel. Overlaps with CIKERS in custom team apparel but operates as a broader platform across multiple customer use cases.
• Adidas (mi Team / Custom): Global athletic brand with mi Team and customization offerings for clubs and individuals. Comparable to CIKERS in custom soccer/team apparel but benefits from incumbent brand equity and broader distribution.
• Champion Teamwear: Brand-customization division of Champion offering custom team uniforms and apparel through dealers. Comparable as a brand-anchored custom team apparel offering, but anchored in a recognized athletic brand rather than a personalization-first manufacturer.
• Nike (Nike By You / Nike Team): Global athletic apparel giant offering customization (Nike By You) and team-uniform programs. Overlaps with CIKERS' custom jersey/apparel category but operates at massive scale with brand-led demand, representing both a competitor and a demand validator for personalized sportswear.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 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 Cikers Sports