SportSupporter

What SportSupporter does

SportSupporter, founded in 2015 by Antonia Lanari, is the first Italian online crowdfunding platform dedicated exclusively to sports. The platform enables sports associations, individual athletes, teams, event organizers, and sports innovators to raise funds through donation-based and reward-based crowdfunding models, while offering additional Corporate Crowdfunding and Civic Crowdfunding modules for enterprises and public administrations. Its core technology is a self-serve web platform with a proprietary 'All or Some Step' funding architecture that subdivides project budgets into incremental goals, transferring funds to project creators only when at least 70% of each step is reached, thereby reducing donor risk and allowing partial project success.

The platform operates on a transaction-fee revenue model, charging a 5% commission plus VAT on total donations collected per project, supplemented by paid consulting services (pre-launch support, communication strategy, social media management, partner/sponsor research, graphic design) quoted individually to project creators. Distribution is online-only via sportsupporter.it, with social login via Facebook and Google, and payment processing through PayPal and bank transfer (with Stripe referenced for card transactions). A notable special initiative is the 'Un defibrillatore per tutti' partnership with EMD112 enabling sports clubs to crowdfund HeartSine defibrillators and BLSD training.

The company is privately held and operates only in Italy, serving a long-tail base of small sports associations, amateur teams, individual athletes, and Olympians across disciplines including football, volleyball, roller derby, athletics, swimming, basketball, and rugby. With four core team members and 110+ projects published since inception, SportSupporter functions as a niche vertical micro-financing infrastructure for the Italian amateur and grassroots sports ecosystem rather than a scaled platform business.

Name

SportSupporter

Legal name

SportSupporter

Website

https://sportsupporter.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Short description

SportSupporter is an Italian online crowdfunding platform launched in 2015 that enables sports associations, athletes, teams, event organizers, and sports innovators to raise funds through donation and reward-based models, charging a 5% plus VAT commission on donations collected.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Crowdfunding Platform

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events (7113)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPACAFAJ

Creator Fundraising & Crowdfunding Platforms (Recurring/Project-Based)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Digital Media & Content Platforms (Online Video, Podcasts, Creators)/Creator Monetization & Fan Membership Platforms

SECONDARYMPAKAKAJ

Sports Community Relations & Grassroots Program Management

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Sports Management & Promotion Services

SECONDARYMPAKALAJ

Cause, Community & CSR-Linked Sports Partnerships (Foundations, Youth Programs)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Sports Sponsorship & Endorsements

Keywords

• Sports crowdfunding platform
• Donation crowdfunding
• Reward-based crowdfunding
• Athletic fundraising
• Sports association finance

Headquarters

HQ city

Milano

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Platform Commission (5% + VAT): SportSupporter charges a commission of 5% + VAT on the total donations collected for each project, applicable to all campaigns on the platform. This is the primary revenue stream.
2. Paid Professional Services: Additional revenue from consulting services offered to project creators: pre-launch support, communication strategy, social media management (1 or 3 months), partner research, sponsor research, and graphic design services. These are paid upfront and invoiced at project close.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SportSupporter is an online crowdfunding platform dedicated exclusively to sports, enabling sports associations, athletes, teams, event organizers, and sports innovators to raise funds from individual donors and corporate sponsors through donation and reward-based crowdfunding models. The platform uses a proprietary 'All or Some Step' system that splits each project's budget into incremental goals (Steps) so that funds for any goal reaching at least 70% of its target are released to the project creator, enabling partial project success.

Product overview

SportSupporter is Italy's first sports-focused crowdfunding platform launched in 2015. The core offering consists of the SportSupporter Crowdfunding Platform which supports two main models: Donation Crowdfunding for direct supporter donations, and Reward-Based Crowdfunding where donors receive non-monetary rewards. The platform serves three primary user segments: Progettisti (sports associations, athletes, teams, event organizers, and sport innovators seeking funding) and Supporter (individuals and organizations contributing to projects). Additional service modules include Corporate Crowdfunding for companies engaging in CSR and sponsorship, Civic Crowdfunding for public administrations, and fee-based Progettista Services covering communication strategy, social media management, and sponsor/partner research. A notable special initiative is the 'Un defibrillatore per tutti' defibrillator campaign.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SportSupporter Crowdfunding Platform
• Donation Crowdfunding
• Reward-Based Crowdfunding
• Corporate Crowdfunding
• Civic Crowdfunding
• Progettista Services (Consulting Bundle)
• Social Media Management Service
• Communication Strategy Consulting

Quantifiable outcome

• 110+ crowdfunding projects published across Italy (football, volleyball, roller derby, swimming, basketball, athletics, rugby, and more), with campaigns raising from €500 to over €7,000
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• VorticeminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 17 March 2021Vortice (Italian air treatment/ventilation company) served as Match Sponsor for the Udinese-Lazio football match, with SportSupporter covering the story as a sports news item. Vortice is also Ventilation Partner of Udinese Calcio, with visibility through the platform's sports news channel.
• EurostandsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 25 November 2020Eurostands, a leading exhibition fitting company from Brianza, Italy, was Technical Partner for Fondazione Cortina 2021 (World Alpine Ski Championships). SportSupporter covered the partnership as part of its sports industry news coverage.
• EMD112 (HeartSine Defibrillators)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2018EMD112, main importer in Italy for HeartSine defibrillators, partnered with SportSupporter for the 'Un defibrillatore per tutti' (A Defibrillator for Everyone) campaign. The initiative allows sports clubs to purchase defibrillators and training at subsidized rates through SportSupporter's crowdfunding platform. Steps include defibrillator (€1,400), BLSD training for 6 people (€735), pediatric pads (€205), and more.
• Bulldog Rugby SuppliesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBulldog Rugby Supplies is listed as a partner on the SportSupporter homepage. They appear as a sports brand partner, likely involved in promotional activities or campaign support for rugby projects on the platform.
• Dynamo CampminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDynamo Camp (a therapeutic recreation camp for children with serious illnesses) is listed as a partner of SportSupporter. SportSupporter has supported Dynamo Camp through campaigns like 'Quante Storie per un Giretto' (Thomas Cogliati's charity swim).
• Errea OffsideminorGTM or Marketing PartnerErrea Offside is listed as a partner on SportSupporter's homepage. Errea is a sports apparel brand and the partnership likely involves promotional support for sports campaigns on the platform.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• DeRev: Italian crowdfunding and social-impact platform. Comparable in geography and donation-based model, with some overlap in community and civic project fundraising.

Broad incumbents

• Kickstarter: Global reward-based crowdfunding platform. While not sports-specialized, it hosts sports product and innovation campaigns and competes for the same creator base in Italy.
• GoFundMe: Global leader in donation-based crowdfunding, widely used in Italy for personal and community causes including sports team expenses. A broad incumbent that competes for the same donor pool with much larger scale.
• Indiegogo: Global crowdfunding platform with a flexible funding model similar to SportSupporter's All or Some Step system. Operates in Italy and competes for sports innovation and product campaigns.

Emerging players

• Booster: Online fundraising platform for schools, teams, and clubs in the US. Direct functional analog for sports-team fundraising, but US-only and focused on K-12/youth markets.
• Snap! Raise: US-focused team and athletic fundraising platform serving schools and youth sports. Comparably specialized in sports, but operates in a different geography and serves an institutional (school) customer segment.
• 4Sport: Sports-focused crowdfunding and team management platform. Comparable in sport-specific vertical but small scale and limited geographic reach.

Others

• Paypal Giving Fund: Large-scale donation infrastructure provider that powers many sport and community fundraising flows. Acts as adjacent enabling infrastructure rather than a direct competitor, but competes indirectly for the donation dollar.

Direct peers

• Produzioni dal Basso: Italy's leading reward-based crowdfunding platform. While not exclusively sports-focused, it directly competes for Italian creators across categories including sports, with a comparable community-led donation/reward model.
• Eppela: Italian donation and reward-based crowdfunding platform that hosts sports and community projects alongside other categories. Directly comparable in market, language, and target creator base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SportSupportCF

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 SportSupporter