Athlete+

What Athlete+ does

Athlete+ is a Coral Gables, Florida-based sports consulting agency founded in 2022 by CEO Juanjo Márquez that operates two service lines. The primary line is student-athlete scholarship consulting, matching international and domestic athletes (primarily high school students in grades 9-12) with NCAA coaches, international scouts, and a reported network of 527 high school and university programs across eight sports (basketball, soccer, volleyball, golf, tennis, track and field, swimming, and rowing). The firm cites 2,500+ scholarships arranged and a $23,500 average scholarship amount as operational metrics, though these are scholarship values facilitated for athletes rather than firm revenue. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed; distribution is via sport-specific online application forms on the website (athleteplus.org), social media, and event sponsorships such as the Sevilla-Betis Regatta.

The secondary line is AthleteMAS, a sports marketing and media consultancy division offering sponsorship activation, media rights, event management, and hospitality services to federations, rights holders, cities, academies, media agencies, and television networks. A flagship strategic partnership with SL Benfica and Saint Leo University produces the Benfica Residential Academy, a residential soccer training program for grades 9-12 in Tampa Bay, Florida, with a stated 100% college acceptance rate. Athlete+ holds no disclosed proprietary technology platform; applications are routed through Wix-hosted web forms and there are no public app stores, SDKs, or APIs. NBA player Franz Wagner serves as an ambassador. In October 2024, Maltese venture capital firm BILLC acquired a majority stake, and in February 2025 a strategic collaboration with Dubai Basketball was announced, indicating ongoing geographic and product-line expansion from a sub-10-employee base.

Name

Athlete+

Legal name

Athlete Plus LLC

Website

https://athleteplus.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Athlete+ is a Coral Gables-based sports consulting agency that connects student-athletes with scholarship opportunities and US universities. It operates a scholarship consulting platform across eight sports, the AthleteMAS sports marketing division, and the Benfica Residential Academy soccer program in partnership with Saint Leo University.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Athletic Scholarship Consulting

NAICS

Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (7114), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events (7113), Sports Teams and Clubs (711211)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

College Recruiting & Scholarship Advisory / Athlete Placement (HSADAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Athlete Endorsements & Brand Ambassador Programs (MPAKALAD), Athlete Marketing, Endorsement & Sponsorship Representation (MPAKAMAC), Full-Service Athlete Talent Agencies (Contract Negotiation & Career Management) (MPAKAMAA)

Keywords

• Athletic scholarship consulting
• Student athlete recruiting
• Sports marketing services
• Athletic talent scouting
• College sports consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Coral Gables

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Scholarship Consulting Services: Consulting services connecting talented athletes with schools and scholarships that match their skills and ambition. Consultants navigate the complex world of scholarships to help athletes reach academic and athletic dreams.
2. Sports Marketing & Media Consultancy (AthleteMAS): Consulting division providing strategic expertise to federations, rights holders, cities, academies, sporting events, media agencies, and television networks. Services include sports event management, sponsorship consultancy, media rights, and hospitality solutions.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Athlete+ is a sports consulting agency that provides athletic scholarship consulting, connecting student-athletes with NCAA coaches, international scouts, and schools offering scholarships across basketball, soccer, volleyball, golf, tennis, track & field, swimming, and rowing. Through its AthleteMAS division, the company also delivers sports marketing, sponsorship activation, media rights, and event management consultancy to federations, rights holders, cities, academies, and sporting events.

Product overview

Athlete+ is a student-athlete development agency and scholarship consulting platform that operates as a unified service offering. The core platform (Athlete+) provides athletic scholarship consulting and recruiting services, connecting athletes with NCAA coaches and international scouts. The subsidiary division AthleteMAS offers sports marketing and media consultancy services. The Benfica Residential Academy partnership provides elite soccer training combined with academic programs. Sport-specific scholarship programs cover basketball, soccer, volleyball, golf, tennis, track & field, swimming, and rowing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Athlete+ Scholarship Consulting Student-athlete mentorship and scholarship consulting service connecting talented athletes with NCAA coaches, international scouts, and schools offering scholarships across eight sports (basketball, soccer, volleyball, golf, tennis, track & field, swimming, rowing). For high school student-athletes (grades 9-12) and their families.
• AthleteMAS Sports Marketing Consultancy Sports marketing and media consultancy division providing strategic expertise to Federations, Rights Holders, Cities, Academies, Event organizers, Media Agencies, and Television Networks. Services include event management, sponsorship activation, media rights management, and hospitality solutions.
• Benfica Residential Academy Premier soccer residential academy in Florida at Saint Leo University campus, offering elite soccer training combined with world-class education (AP, Dual Enrollment, Honors courses) for grades 9-12. Achieves 100% college acceptance rate.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2500+ scholarships arranged
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

AI capability1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Dubai BasketballcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 February 2025Strategic collaboration offering brands and partners the opportunity to align with Dubai Basketball, a newly-established professional basketball franchise competing in the ABA League with aspirations to enter EuroLeague. Athlete+ bridges connections between global brands and Dubai Basketball's growing fanbase.
• Benfica Football ClubflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFlagship partnership to operate Benfica Residential Academy at Saint Leo University campus in Tampa Bay, Florida. The academy combines Benfica's legendary training methodology with world-class academic opportunities for high school athletes (grades 9-12). SL Benfica has produced world-class players including João Félix, Bernardo Silva, and Rúben Dias.
• Andalusian Rowing FederationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOne-year sponsorship deal for the 56th annual Sevilla-Betis rowing regatta. AthletePlus.org serves as headline sponsor, particularly promoting the 'Rising Stars Regatta' featuring under-18 prospects eligible for recruitment by US colleges and sports academies.
• Saint Leo UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner for Benfica Residential Academy located on the Saint Leo University campus in Tampa Bay, Florida. The academy ensures rigorous education with AP, Dual Enrollment, and Honors courses, with 100% college acceptance rate.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• SMWW (Sports Management Worldwide): SMWW provides sports industry education, agent training, and career advisory in the sports business. Adjacent/partial overlap to Athlete+ in educational services and athlete career development support.
• MVPerformer / Sports Recruiting Scouting Services: FieldLevel (formerly BeRecruited's parent category) and similar athlete-to-coach matchmaking platforms share Athlete+'s target segment of high school athletes seeking college placement. Direct overlap on the recruiting workflow.

Direct peers

• CaptainU: CaptainU is a sports recruiting platform focused on connecting high school athletes with college programs, with profile, video, and communication tools. Comparable to Athlete+ as a tech-enabled alternative in the college recruiting space.
• BeRecruited: BeRecruited is a college athletic recruiting network that helps high school athletes build profiles and connect with college coaches. Overlaps with Athlete+'s scholarship and recruiting core across multiple sports.
• SportsRecruits: SportsRecruits is a recruiting platform connecting high school athletes with college coaches, with profiles, highlight reels, and direct messaging. Overlaps directly with Athlete+'s core recruiting/mentorship service in target market and workflow.
• NCSA (Next College Student Athlete): NCSA is the dominant US platform connecting high-school athletes with college coaches across multiple sports. Directly comparable to Athlete+'s scholarship consulting core on sport coverage, athlete profile, and target customer (student-athletes and families).
• International Sports Management (ISM): ISM is a UK-based agency that places international student-athletes at US universities on athletic scholarships, handling recruiting, eligibility, and placement. Closely comparable to Athlete+'s international-to-US college scholarship consulting value proposition.
• IMG Academy: IMG Academy operates elite residential sports academies combined with college-prep academics and recruiting exposure. Closely comparable to Athlete+'s Benfica Residential Academy model of premium training plus college pipeline.

Broad incumbents

• Wasserman: Wasserman is a global sports marketing and talent representation agency operating across endorsements, media rights, and consulting for leagues/federations/brands. Directly comparable to Athlete+'s AthleteMAS division's marketing, sponsorship, and rights-holder consultancy services.
• Octagon: Octagon is a global sports marketing agency providing sponsorship consulting, event management, and athlete representation for federations and brands. Comparable to AthleteMAS in sports marketing, federation servicing, and event activation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/athleteplusorg
• Facebookfacebook.com/athleteplusglobal
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/athleteplus
• Instagraminstagram.com/athleteplusorg/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Athlete+