Own the Podium
Own the Podium is a Canadian not-for-profit sport technical agency that delivers funding recommendations, strategic priorities, and athlete support services to National Sport Organizations for Olympic and Paralympic high-performance sport.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersOttawa, Canada
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Own the Podium does
Own the Podium is a Canadian not-for-profit organization established in 2010 that operates as the country's independent sport technical agency for the Olympic and Paralympic high-performance sport system. The organization provides advice and support to National Sport Organizations (NSOs), delivers strategic priorities, and produces funding recommendations aligned with the priorities of its funding partners. Its end beneficiaries are Canadian Olympic and Paralympic athletes, who receive comprehensive support services including biomechanics, nutrition, sports psychology, physical therapy, physician support, performance analysis, and professional enhancement, alongside coaching development programs.
Rather than operating a commercial product or technology platform, Own the Podium functions as a funding intermediary and capacity builder. Its primary revenue stream is Government of Canada funding, which committed $775 million over five years plus $118 million/year ongoing starting 2026-27. This is supplemented by contributions from the Canadian Olympic Committee, Canadian Olympic Foundation, Canadian Paralympic Committee, Canadian Paralympic Foundation, and corporate partners. Operating from Ottawa with a team of 39+ professionals, the organization is led by CEO Anne Merklinger and Board Chair Rob Hatch (the third Chair in OTP's history), and recently restructured its Board to include elected Olympic and Paralympic athlete Directors. Strategic priorities include the Pursuit of Podium, sport system capacity building, culture and psychological safety, sport science and innovation, and support to non-targeted sports.
Own the Podium firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Own the Podium
- Legal name
- Own the Podium
- Website
- https://ownthepodium.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Own the Podium is a Canadian not-for-profit sport technical agency that delivers funding recommendations, strategic priorities, and athlete support services to National Sport Organizations for Olympic and Paralympic high-performance sport.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Own the Podium industry classification
Industry- Product category
- High-Performance Sport Services
- NAICS
- Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)
- akta.pro primary industry
- National Governing Bodies (NGBs) (MPAKAFAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Olympic & Multi-Sport Movement Organizations (NOCs, Olympic Committees) (MPAKACAI), Sports Fundraising & Development Services (Foundations, NIL Collectives Support) (MPAKAKAK)
Keywords
Where Own the Podium is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ottawa
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Own the Podium business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Government Funding: Primary funding from Government of Canada with $775 million over five years and $118 million/year ongoing starting 2026-27 announced in Spring Economic Update
- Sport Organization Funding: Funding provided to national sport organizations to support Olympic and Paralympic athlete development
- Corporate and Foundation Support: Additional funding from Canadian Olympic Committee, Canadian Olympic Foundation, Canadian Paralympic Committee, Canadian Paralympic Foundation, and corporate community
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Own the Podium product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Own the Podium is Canada's independent sport technical agency that provides advice, strategic priorities, and funding recommendations to National Sport Organizations (NSOs) to enhance Olympic and Paralympic performance. It delivers sport science, biomechanics, nutrition, sports psychology, physical therapy, physician support, performance analysis, professional enhancement, and coaching support services to athletes and coaches across Canada's high-performance sport system.
Product overview
Own the Podium is a Canadian not-for-profit organization that serves as an independent sport technical agency focused on enhancing Canada's high-performance sport system. Rather than offering a commercial product, the organization provides advisory services, strategic priorities, and funding recommendations to national sport organizations. Its work encompasses supporting Olympic and Paralympic athletes through programs including pursuit of podium achievement, sport system capacity building, culture development, sport science and innovation, and support to non-targeted sports. The organization is primarily funded by the Government of Canada with additional contributions from the Canadian Olympic Committee, Canadian Paralympic Committee, and corporate partners.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Pursuit of Podium
- Capacity Building
- Sport Science and Innovation
- Funding Recommendations
- Culture Development
- Support to Non-Targeted Sports
Quantifiable outcome
- Best-ever Olympic performance at 2024 Paris Games
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Own the Podium
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Own the Podium technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Own the Podium partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Abuse-Free Sport / Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner (OSIC)coreOTP joined the Abuse-Free Sport program as of April 1, 2023, providing access to the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner (OSIC) services for OTP, its staff, Directors, contractors and volunteers. This ensures a safe and welcoming sport environment for Canada's sport community.
- JumpstartminorRob Hatch, OTP's Board Chair, was a founding director and former Board Chair of Jumpstart - a charitable organization that has helped more than three million kids access sport and recreational activities across Canada.
- Master Leaders MentorscorePartnership program with Canadian Olympic Committee's Pursuit Program connecting coaches with experienced mentors including Max Gartner, Graham Barton, Debbie Muir, Patrick Jarvis, Catriona Le May Doan, and Mark Smith to develop Canada's coaching leadership.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Own the Podium competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Japan Sport Council: Japan Sport Council oversees national sport promotion, including high-performance athlete support, with government backing — paralleling Own the Podium's government-funded sport-development function in a different market.
- German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB): DOSB is Germany's umbrella national sport organization coordinating Olympic and Paralympic sport and channeling federal support — structurally similar to Own the Podium but operating as a federation rather than a focused technical agency.
- Sport England: Sport England distributes government and National Lottery funding across English sport with a stronger community-sport emphasis, but shares the government-funded advisory and funding-recommendation function for high-performance pathways.
- Korea Sports Promotion Foundation: The Korea Sports Promotion Foundation is a government-backed entity that funds and develops elite sport in South Korea, including Olympic and Paralympic pathways — analogous in mandate and funding model to Own the Podium.
- French National Sports Agency (ANS): The ANS is France's government agency responsible for sport development funding and policy, including high-performance pathways — a comparable government-funded counterpart to Own the Podium in a different national context.
Direct peers
- High Performance Sport New Zealand: High Performance Sport New Zealand is the government-funded national agency that invests in and supports New Zealand's Olympic and Paralympic athletes, operating a structurally similar model to Own the Podium at smaller scale.
- Australian Institute of Sport: The AIS is Australia's high-performance sport agency delivering sport science, coaching, and athlete development services to Olympic and Paralympic athletes — directly comparable to Own the Podium's high-performance support mandate.
- UK Sport: UK Sport is the UK government's high-performance sport agency that directs National Lottery and government funding to Olympic and Paralympic sports — operating the same government-funded, performance-driven funding-recommendation model as Own the Podium.
- Sport Australia: Sport Australia, through the Australian Sports Commission, oversees the funding and development framework for high-performance sport in Australia — closely analogous to Own the Podium's funding-recommendation and strategic-priorities role.
- United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee: The USOPC is the U.S. national body responsible for coordinating and funding high-performance Olympic and Paralympic sport organizations — the closest direct functional equivalent to Own the Podium in another country.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Own the Podium social profiles
Digital presenceOwn the Podium financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Own the Podium leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Own the Podium funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Own the Podium M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Own the Podium
What does Own the Podium do?
Own the Podium is Canada's independent sport technical agency that provides advice, strategic priorities, and funding recommendations to National Sport Organizations (NSOs) to enhance Olympic and Paralympic performance. It delivers sport science, biomechanics, nutrition, sports psychology, physical therapy, physician support, performance analysis, professional enhancement, and coaching support services to athletes and coaches across Canada's high-performance sport system.
Is Own the Podium a public or private company?
Own the Podium is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Own the Podium founded?
Own the Podium was founded in 2010. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Own the Podium based?
Own the Podium is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Own the Podium make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Government Funding is the primary driver. The others are sport Organization Funding and corporate and Foundation Support.
Who are Own the Podium's main competitors?
Regional players on record are Japan Sport Council, German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB), Sport England, Korea Sports Promotion Foundation and French National Sports Agency (ANS). Direct peers are High Performance Sport New Zealand, Australian Institute of Sport, UK Sport, Sport Australia and United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee.
Does Own the Podium have an API?
No public API is recorded for Own the Podium.
What industry is Own the Podium in?
Own the Podium's product category is High-Performance Sport Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAKAFAC, National Governing Bodies (NGBs), with a secondary code of MPAKACAI, Olympic & Multi-Sport Movement Organizations (NOCs, Olympic Committees). Its NAICS code is 611620.