What ACE Group International does

ACE Group International is a boutique sports agency founded by Patricio Apey, who previously worked at one of the "big three" sports management agencies. The company operates with a deliberately small client roster across offices in Gerrards Cross (UK), Zagreb, and Miami, providing full-service athlete management, sponsorship brokering, and event creation and management. Its core customer base consists of elite tennis and golf professionals, with named clients including Grand Slam champions and major winners such as Alexander Zverev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Andy Murray, and Sebastian Korda. The agency reports cumulative outcomes of 780 commercial deals brokered and 412 titles won by represented athletes, with an average client ranking rise of 198 positions.

The company's product surface is organized into three offerings: Talent Management (athlete representation, career guidance, brand building), Sponsorship Brokering (commercial deal negotiation with brands including Adidas, Rolex, Red Bull, Head, and Wilson), and Event Creation & Management (founding and managing premium sporting events such as The Boodles tennis tournament and RedBull Bassline). ACE Group does not operate a proprietary technology platform; its value proposition is built on direct client relationships, personalization, and curated athlete access rather than software-as-a-service. The events division functions as both a revenue stream and a brand-building asset, providing visibility for athlete clients and commercial partnership opportunities.

The business model is professional services-based, generating revenue through athlete commissions on sponsorship deals and event management fees. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is negotiated individually. The agency is privately held with no disclosed funding rounds, parent company, or institutional investors. The team consists of six named members including a Founder/CEO, Head of Events, Head of Talent, Head of Talent ID, Head of Partnerships, and Head of Digital & AI. Marketing and distribution operate through direct relationships, owned events, and limited social media presence (Website, LinkedIn, Facebook). The company positions itself explicitly against overrepresentation and underdelivery from larger agencies, using its boutique scale as a core differentiator.

Name

ACE Group International

Legal name

ACE Group International

Website

https://acegrp.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

ACE Group International is a boutique sports agency providing full-service athlete management, sponsorship brokering, and event creation for elite tennis and golf professionals across offices in the UK, Croatia, and the US.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Management & Athlete Representation

NAICS

Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (7114)

akta.pro primary industry

Athlete Legal & Contract Advisory (Sports Law, Arbitration, Disputes) (MPAKAMAF)

Keywords

• Athlete representation
• Sports management
• Sponsorship brokering
• Talent management
• Event management

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Talent Management & Athlete Representation: Full-service athlete management including career guidance, sponsorship brokering, and commercial deal negotiation for tennis and golf professionals.
2. Event Creation & Management: Founded and manages sporting events internationally, generating revenue through event sponsorship, hosting fees, and brand partnerships.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

ACE Group International is a boutique sports agency providing full-service athlete management, commercial sponsorship brokering, and event creation and management for elite tennis and golf professionals. The firm represents a small, exclusive roster of athletes (including Grand Slam champions and major winners) and negotiates commercial partnerships with global brands such as Adidas, Rolex, Red Bull, and Nike. Its events division has founded and operates internationally recognized properties including The Boodles and RedBull Bassline.

Product overview

ACE Group International is a boutique sports agency offering a unified suite of services centered on full-service athlete management, sponsorship brokering, and event creation and management. The company maintains a selective, small roster to ensure personalized attention for each athlete client. Services are provided through three interconnected offerings: Talent Management for athlete representation, Sponsorship Brokering for commercial deals, and Event Creation & Management for founding and operating prestigious sporting events. The agency has represented multiple Grand Slam champions and golf major winners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Boodles: A prominent luxury sporting event managed by ACE Group's events division.

Products and services

• Talent Management Full-service athlete management service for elite tennis and golf professionals, providing career guidance, brand building, and personalized representation. The service is delivered to a deliberately small, exclusive client roster to ensure high-touch, bespoke support.
• Sponsorship Brokering Commercial deal negotiation and sponsorship acquisition service, connecting represented athletes with global brand partners such as Adidas, Rolex, Red Bull, Nike, and Tag Heuer. ACE Group has brokered 780 commercial deals across its roster.
• Commercial Partnerships Managing and brokering commercial partnerships between represented athletes and brand sponsors, serving as the overarching commercial deal-making function within ACE Group's service suite.
• Event Creation & Management Founding, producing, and managing international sporting events for ACE Group, including the proprietary properties The Boodles (luxury tennis event) and RedBull Bassline. The events division generates revenue through sponsorship, hosting fees, and brand partnerships while providing exposure platforms for represented athletes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Ranking improvements from 809 to 3 (Zverev), 576 to top tier (Tsitsipas), 64 to 4 (Murray), unranked to 15 (Korda)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• The BoodlescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACE Group founded and manages The Boodles, a prominent luxury sporting event. The Boodles is an internationally recognized tennis event held in exceptional settings.
• RedBullcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACE Group founded and manages RedBull Bassline, a dynamic sporting event. Event creation and management partnership with RedBull for high-profile sporting events.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Excel Sports Management: US-based boutique sports agency with a comparable tennis and golf athlete-representation focus. Closely matches ACE's boutique positioning, sport mix, and sponsorship-brokering business model, making it the most directly comparable peer.
• GSE Worldwide: Golf-focused athlete management and event agency. Overlaps with ACE's golf-side talent representation and event creation, providing the closest golf-specific peer comparison.
• Stellar Sports: Boutique athlete management firm with a strong tennis focus. Directly comparable to ACE in business model and target client profile, particularly in tennis commercial representation.

Broad incumbents

• Octagon: Major global sports marketing agency with athlete representation, consulting, and event capabilities. Overlaps with ACE in tennis/golf talent representation and event management, but as part of a much wider portfolio.
• IMG (Endeavor): Global sports agency and rights holder, part of the Endeavor / TKO Group network. Competes with ACE for the same elite tennis and golf clients but operates at vastly larger scale with bundled events, media, and licensing.
• SPORTFIVE: Global sports marketing agency (formerly Lagardère Sports) covering athlete representation, sponsorship, and event rights. Comparable event- and partnership-driven model but at meaningfully larger scale and broader sport coverage.
• WME Sports (Endeavor): Sports representation arm of WME/Endeavor, handling elite athlete deals across categories. Overlaps directly with ACE's sponsorship-brokering and athlete-management services but at much greater scale and scope.
• CAA Sports: Sports division of Creative Artists Agency representing elite athletes across multiple sports. Competes for the same high-end tennis and golf talent while offering broader entertainment crossover for endorsements.

Emerging players

• ROAD Athlete Management: Emerging boutique athlete management firm operating in adjacent tennis and golf talent spaces. Less established than ACE but pursues a similar high-touch, low-roster model and is therefore a relevant emerging peer.
• Key Sports Group: Sports talent and event management firm with a tennis and golf footprint. Comparable in scale and category mix to ACE but with a less established marquee-client roster.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

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 ACE Group International