Athlete+
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
Athlete+ firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Athlete+
- Legal name
- Athlete Plus Inc.
- Website
- https://athleteplus.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Athlete+ industry classification
Industry- Product category
- NIL Banking Platform
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sports Fundraising & Development Services (Foundations, NIL Collectives Support) (MPAKAKAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Athlete Financial Management & Wealth Advisory (Tax, Accounting, Investment) (MPAKAMAG), Athletics Fundraising, Sponsorships & NIL Support (EDALAIAN)
Keywords
Where Athlete+ is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Athlete+ business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Interchange / Transaction Fees: A portion of every card swipe generates interchange revenue, a portion of which is allocated to the team's NIL pool (Collective Cashback®) and the remainder may be retained by Athlete+ or passed to the cardholder as cashback. The company earns on net interchange after rewards distribution.
- Merchant Rewards Network (Kard Financial): Cashback rewards are earned through the Kard Financial, Inc. merchant rewards network on qualifying purchases at participating merchants. A portion up to 50% of cashback is allocated to the designated team(s). This creates revenue through merchant network fees and promotional placements.
- Athletic Department / Institutional Partnerships: Revenue derived from activating athletic departments across NCAA conferences. Departments receive sustainable above-the-cap NIL funding without cost; revenue likely derives from transaction volume generated by fan cardholders supporting specific programs, creating a network-effect flywheel tied to department adoption.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Athlete+ Card — No annual fee, unlimited cashback |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Athlete+ product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Athlete+ is a mobile-first fintech platform offering the Athlete+ Fan Card and Athlete+ Athlete Card, built around its proprietary Collective Cashback® mechanism. A portion of every fan card swipe is automatically routed to a compliant NIL pool for the fan's chosen college team, while athletes receive direct NIL deposits, credit-building tools, unlimited cashback, financial literacy resources, and agent/advisor access in a single app. Banking infrastructure is delivered through Cross River Bank (FDIC-insured) with card services by Upward Financial and merchant rewards by Kard Financial.
Product overview
Athlete+ is a unified financial technology platform built for college athletes and sports fans, centered on its flagship Athlete+ Fan Card and Athlete+ Athlete Card products. The core offering is the Collective Cashback® mechanism, which automatically directs a portion of fan spending to team NIL pools. Supporting this are financial wellness tools including real-time credit monitoring, AI-powered spending insights, automated savings goals, and financial literacy modules. The platform targets three distinct segments: athletes (NIL deposits, credit building, agent access), fans (rewards, team NIL contributions, community features), and athletic departments (compliant NIL funding, fan engagement analytics). The platform is currently in pre-launch with a waitlist model, and banking services are provided through Cross River Bank (FDIC Member) with card services handled by Upward Financial Inc.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Collective Cashback®: The core program where a portion of card swipes automatically fund team NIL pools
- Athlete+ Fan Card
- Athlete+ Athlete Card
Products and services
- Athlete+ Fan Card
- Athlete+ Athlete Card
- Collective Cashback® Program
Quantifiable outcome
- Athletes can achieve a credit score of 742 with +38 pts improvement through the Financial Wellness Engine
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Athlete+
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Athlete+ technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
AI capability4 records
Feature5 records
Athlete+ partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Cross River BankcoreCross River Bank (Member FDIC) provides the banking infrastructure for Athlete+. All banking services are provided by Cross River Bank, ensuring FDIC insurance coverage for cardholders. This is the foundational banking partner enabling the entire debit card and transaction processing platform.
- Upward Financial Inc.coreUpward Financial Inc. (operating as 'Upward') handles account linking, ACH transaction services, and card services for Athlete+. They are the program partner for account onboarding and management, with a dedicated support line (+1 (888) 789-1482) and support email ([email protected]).
- Kard Financial, Inc.coreKard Financial, Inc. administers the merchant rewards network that powers the Collective Cashback® program. Transaction data is shared securely and autonomously with Kard Financial to identify eligible cashback rewards and apply them to accounts. This is the engine behind the merchant-linked cashback offers.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Athlete+ competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Chime: Chime is a large digital banking platform with fee-free accounts, debit cards, and credit-building tools. Comparable as a broader incumbent in fee-free mobile banking that could expand into sports-affinity cards.
Direct peers
- Step: Step is a teen-focused banking and credit-building card with no fees and credit score tracking, directly comparable to Athlete+'s athlete debit card and Financial Wellness Engine for credit monitoring.
- Altro: Altro is a credit-building debit card aimed at building credit history for underbanked users. Comparable to Athlete+ as a debit-card-first platform with credit-building and financial wellness features.
- INFLCR (Teamworks Influencer): INFLCR (now Teamworks Influencer) is an NIL collective and brand-building platform for college athletic departments. Directly comparable as an NIL platform serving athletes, collectives, and universities.
- Opendorse: Opendorse is an NIL marketplace and education platform that connects athletes with brand deals. Directly competes with Athlete+ in the NIL infrastructure stack serving athletes, collectives, and athletic departments.
- Current: Current is a digital banking platform for teens and young adults offering debit accounts, spending insights, and savings tools. Comparable to Athlete+ in targeting younger consumers with mobile-first banking features.
- Greenlight: Greenlight is a debit card and financial app for kids and teens, offering cashback, credit-building, and parental controls. Closely mirrors Athlete+'s youth/student debit card, financial literacy, and credit monitoring approach.
- Copper Banking: Copper is a teen banking app and debit card focused on financial literacy for students. Comparable to Athlete+ in serving younger banking customers with educational features and credit building.
Emerging players
- On3: On3 is a college sports media and NIL valuation platform serving athletes, collectives, and athletic departments. Comparable to Athlete+ in the NIL ecosystem for college sports.
- Bilt Rewards: Bilt Rewards is a card that converts everyday spending (rent, dining, travel) into rewards points redeemable for travel. Comparable to Athlete+ in converting routine spending into a non-cash value (NIL vs. travel points).
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Athlete+ social profiles
Digital presenceAthlete+ compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Athlete+ financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Athlete+ leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Athlete+ funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Athlete+ 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 Athlete+
What does Athlete+ do?
Athlete+ is a mobile-first fintech platform offering the Athlete+ Fan Card and Athlete+ Athlete Card, built around its proprietary Collective Cashback® mechanism. A portion of every fan card swipe is automatically routed to a compliant NIL pool for the fan's chosen college team, while athletes receive direct NIL deposits, credit-building tools, unlimited cashback, financial literacy resources, and agent/advisor access in a single app. Banking infrastructure is delivered through Cross River Bank (FDIC-insured) with card services by Upward Financial and merchant rewards by Kard Financial.
Is Athlete+ a public or private company?
Athlete+ is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Athlete+ founded?
Athlete+ was founded in 2021. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Athlete+ based?
Athlete+ is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Athlete+ make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Interchange / Transaction Fees are the primary driver. The others are merchant Rewards Network (Kard Financial) and athletic Department / Institutional Partnerships.
Who are Athlete+'s main competitors?
Chime is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Step, Altro, INFLCR (Teamworks Influencer), Opendorse, Current, Greenlight and Copper Banking. Emerging players are On3 and Bilt Rewards.
Does Athlete+ have an API?
No public API is recorded for Athlete+.
What industry is Athlete+ in?
Athlete+'s product category is NIL Banking Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAKAKAK, Sports Fundraising & Development Services (Foundations, NIL Collectives Support), with a secondary code of MPAKAMAG, Athlete Financial Management & Wealth Advisory (Tax, Accounting, Investment).