Sportona

What Sportona does

Sportona is a UK-based AI-enabled dual-sided SaaS and marketplace platform, founded in 2023 and headquartered in Bradford, that connects sports and recreation coaches with consumers seeking training services. Operated by Crown Automation Limited under the Sportona brand, the platform serves two primary customer segments: coaching businesses (vendors) — including individual coaches, small studios, and academies — seeking to digitise operations, acquire customers, and retain subscribers; and individual consumers (trainees) across both adults and children looking to discover, subscribe to, and engage with local sports services spanning 20+ recreational categories such as swimming, football, martial arts, and cricket.

The product surface combines a consumer-facing mobile application (iOS and Android, launched August 2024) with a vendor-facing SaaS dashboard accessible via web and mobile. Core capabilities include subscription and batch management, financial tracking, staff management, marketing automation, customisable competition and ranking systems, and an AI Trend Recommendation engine positioned at the Elite tier. Consumer-facing features emphasise gamification — XP points, badges, rankings, and cross-vendor competitions — combined with individualised performance feedback and progress monitoring. The vendor onboarding flow is supported by a dedicated sales motion with a 90-day free trial.

Sportona monetises through tiered SaaS subscriptions sold to coaching businesses: a free Starter tier, Pro at £20/month or £200/year, and Elite at £50/month or £500/year. The consumer side of the marketplace is free to end users, with payments flowing to vendors via regulated payment gateways; a marketplace take-rate is structurally implied but not publicly quantified. Commercial distribution is anchored by partnerships with Bradford Council, Leeds Council, UK Active, and the UK government-backed Northern Max accelerator (March 2024 cohort), with the parent entity operating from the University of Bradford Innovation Hub. The company has raised approximately $65,607 in a single October 2024 funding round with undisclosed investors.

Name

Sportona

Legal name

Crown Automation Limited

Website

https://sportona.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sportona is a UK-based AI-enabled SaaS and marketplace platform connecting sports coaches with consumers, offering subscription-based business management tools for vendors and a gamified mobile app for trainees across 20+ recreational disciplines.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Coaching Software

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports Community Relations & Grassroots Program Management (MPAKAKAJ)

Keywords

• Sports coaching platform
• Coaching management software
• Sports marketplace
• Fitness coaching app
• Recreation services platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Bradford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. SaaS Subscription (Vendor Tiers): Coaching businesses pay monthly or annual subscription fees to access the platform's SaaS tools. Three tiers: Starter (free), Pro (£20/month or £200/year), and Elite (£50/month or £500/year). Higher tiers unlock more user accounts, AI features, financial tracking, and marketing automation.
2. Marketplace Commission / Transaction Fees: Consumers purchase subscriptions to coaching services through the Sportona marketplace. While not explicitly stated, the platform facilitates transactions between vendors and consumers, suggesting a take-rate or transaction fee model.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Sportona is a dual-sided SaaS platform that connects sports and recreation coaching businesses with individual consumers. It offers a vendor-facing SaaS tool for managing scheduling, subscriptions, staff, finances, and marketing, alongside a consumer-facing mobile app and web marketplace for discovering, subscribing to, and engaging with local sports coaching services. The platform incorporates AI-powered recommendations and a gamified experience (XP, badges, rankings, competitions) to drive retention and growth for both vendors and trainees.

Product overview

Sportona is a dual-sided sports technology platform consisting of a consumer-facing mobile app for discovering and booking sports coaching services, and a SaaS platform for coaching businesses to manage their operations. The ecosystem connects sports coaches with individuals seeking training, featuring gamification elements (XP, badges, rankings), AI-powered recommendations for both vendors and consumers, and tiered subscription plans (Starter/Pro/Elite) that provide increasing levels of business management tools, marketing capabilities, and AI features.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sportona Mobile App A gamified coaching mobile application for consumers to browse, book, subscribe to, and manage sports and recreation services. Available on Android and iOS, it enables users to discover local coaching services, track progress, compete with others, and receive personalised feedback. Targeted at individuals (adults and children) seeking sports, recreation, and fitness coaching.
• Sportona Vendor SaaS Platform A web- and mobile-based SaaS platform for coaching businesses to manage operations including staff scheduling, subscription management, batch creation, student records, financial tracking, AI-powered trend recommendations, competition creation, and marketing automation. Targeted at sports coaches, trainers, and coaching academies.
• Martial Arts Coaching Services on Sportona Vertical launch of sports-specific coaching services (initially martial arts such as karate, kickboxing, and self-defence) on the Sportona platform, enabling consumers to discover and subscribe to these services through the marketplace.

Quantifiable outcome

• Vendors can manage subscriptions, track performance, and access AI-driven growth insights without purchasing separate marketing or business management tools.
• +1 more outcomes

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

AI capability5 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Northern MaxcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 March 2024Northern Max is a prestigious UK government-backed accelerator programme for startups in Northern England. Sportona was selected to join the 2024 cohort, gaining access to mentorship, resources, and networking opportunities to help propel the company's growth and market impact.
• Black Spider AcademycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPremium martial arts academy providing karate, kickboxing, and self-defence training for kids and adults in Bradford. Sportona onboarded Black Spider Academy as one of its first vendor customers, providing the academy's students with a gamified coaching experience and the academy with business management tools.
• Keighley KickboxcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKickboxing coaching academy in the Bradford area. Partnered with Sportona for its market launch, using the platform for student management and subscription handling.
• Physical ImpactcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSelf-defence and martial arts training academy serving kids and adults in Bradford. Onboarded as an early vendor partner to demonstrate how Sportona can transform coaching business operations.
• Leeds CouncilminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal government council in Leeds, UK. Listed as a trusted partner on Sportona's homepage, indicating a collaborative relationship to promote sports and recreation within the Leeds community.
• UK ActiveminorGTM or Marketing PartnerUK Active is a leading health and fitness industry body in the UK. Listed as a trusted partner, indicating collaboration to promote physical activity and support the sports coaching ecosystem.
• Bradford CouncilminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal government council in Bradford, UK. Listed as a trusted partner alongside Leeds Council and UK Active, supporting Sportona's community-focused mission in the Bradford area.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• ClassPass: Consumer fitness marketplace offering credits-based access to studios, gyms, and coaching. Broad incumbent overlapping with Sportona's consumer marketplace side, though ClassPass is consumer-credit based while Sportona is direct subscription based.
• Acuity Scheduling: Widely used scheduling and appointment booking SaaS. Horizontal competitor addressing the same scheduling/subscription needs as Sportona's vendor SaaS, but lacking coaching-specific features like gamification, XP, and inter-academy competitions.
• Mindbody: Established SaaS platform for fitness, wellness, and beauty businesses offering scheduling, payments, and a consumer marketplace. Broad incumbent with overlapping functionality to Sportona's vendor SaaS (subscription, scheduling, marketing) but serves a wider portfolio of verticals beyond sports coaching.

Direct peers

• TrueCoach: Personal training coach platform for client management, programming, and progress tracking. Direct peer addressing individual coaches and small academies — the same SMB coaching segment Sportona targets — with similar subscription management and trainee engagement features.
• ClubReady: Club management SaaS for fitness clubs, studios, and member-based businesses with subscription billing and member engagement. Direct peer serving membership-style coaching businesses that closely mirror Sportona's coaching academy customers.
• TeamUp: Fitness business management software for independent gyms, studios, and coaching academies offering scheduling, membership billing, and branded apps. Closely comparable to Sportona's subscription-tier vendor platform targeting SMB coaching businesses.
• PushPress: Gym and fitness studio management SaaS with member management, billing, and branded app experiences. Direct peer serving independent fitness and coaching businesses with subscription-style business models similar to Sportona's vendor customers.
• Glofox: Vertical SaaS for boutique fitness studios and gyms with membership management, branded apps, and class booking. Directly comparable to Sportona's vendor SaaS offering targeting independent coaching academies with subscription billing and branded member experience.
• WellnessLiving: All-in-one business management platform for fitness, wellness, and coaching businesses with scheduling, membership, payments, and branded apps. Directly comparable to Sportona's vendor SaaS offering for SMB coaching businesses with tiered subscription pricing.

Emerging players

• Arbox: Vertical SaaS for fitness studios and academies with member management, branded apps, and online booking. Emerging player with partial overlap to Sportona's vendor SaaS, focused on similar SMB fitness/coaching customer base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sportonaapp
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sportonaapp
• Instagraminstagram.com/sportonaapp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

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 Sportona