What SPORTA does

SPORTA is a UK-based private fintech building what it describes as the first bank dedicated to sport, serving grassroots to elite sports clubs, athletes, sport-adjacent businesses and fans. The company was founded in 2023 by Andrew Smith, co-founder of ClearBank, and operates from Abbey House in Reading, UK. Its target market is the UK sporting community, where sport generates over £100bn in annual social and economic value and 30 million people play sport or take part in physical activity every week (Sport England 2025), yet financial services are not designed for sport-specific cash flow cycles.

The platform is positioned as an AI-native, mobile-first digital banking offering comprising Insurance, Funding Hub (Gift Aid recovery), Banking (current accounts, savings), Loans, Rewards and Sporta Pass. Core banking products are gated behind a UK PRA/FCA banking licence application currently in regulatory review, with authorisation targeted for Q4 2026 and full launch in 2027. To generate near-term activity, SPORTA distributes products through regulated intermediary partners: Everywhen (FCA-authorised insurance broker) for personal and club insurance, Grassroots Sports Funding for Gift Aid claims, and a 150+ lender panel for equipment, vehicle, cash flow and tax loans. A separate February 2026 partnership with Performance Sailcraft and Magic introduced a manufacturer-backed access model for Olympic-class sailing dinghies, reducing upfront equipment costs by up to 70%.

SPORTA is privately funded by founders and early supporters, closing a $6.58M round led by Lazaroo-Hood Group on 7 November 2025 followed by a December 2025 Crowdcube community equity raise. The current revenue model is a mix of pre-revenue banking (planned post-authorisation) and pre-launch referral/affiliate fees from insurance, Gift Aid and loan intermediation. The go-to-market is community-led, leveraging The Clubhouse editorial platform, a YouTube docuseries, organic social, an MVP waiting list, and direct relationships with sport governing bodies (British Olympic Association, GB Snowsport, Invictus Games).

Name

SPORTA

Legal name

Sporta Limited

Website

https://sporta.team

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SPORTA is a UK fintech building an AI-native digital bank dedicated to sport, serving grassroots to elite sports clubs, athletes, sport-adjacent businesses and fans via insurance, Gift Aid funding, lending and forthcoming banking products distributed through regulated partners ahead of a Q4 2026 UK licence.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Sport Banking

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211)

SIC

National Commercial Banks (6021)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports Fundraising & Development Services (Foundations, NIL Collectives Support) (MPAKAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sponsorship Sales, Valuation & Analytics Services (Rights Sales, Measurement, Consulting) (MPAKALAK), Athlete Financial Management & Wealth Advisory (Tax, Accounting, Investment) (MPAKAMAG)

Keywords

• Sports club banking
• Sports insurance intermediation
• Gift aid funding services
• Athlete financial services
• Grassroots sport finance

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Banking Products (Planned): SPORTA plans to generate revenue through digital current accounts, savings accounts, lending, and wealth products tailored to the sports sector, once regulatory authorisation is received. Revenue model types include subscription_recurring (current/savings accounts), transaction_fee (payments/transfers), and professional_services (loan arrangement fees through partners).
2. Insurance Intermediation: Sporta acts as an introducer for insurance products through its partner Everywhen (Advisory Insurance Brokers Limited), earning referral/arrangement fees for directing clubs and individuals to tailored sports insurance coverage.
3. Funding Hub / Gift Aid Services: Sporta, in partnership with Grassroots Sports Funding, helps sports clubs claim Gift Aid on volunteer expenses and qualifying donations, generating service fees for facilitating backdated and ongoing claims.
4. Business Loans Arrangement: Sporta arranges loans for sports clubs through a panel of 150+ lenders via its finance partner, earning arrangement fees for matching clubs to appropriate funding solutions including equipment finance, vehicle finance, cash flow support, and tax loans.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

SPORTA is building an AI-native, mobile-first digital bank dedicated to the UK sporting community. Today it distributes sport-tailored financial products via regulated partners — insurance through Everywhen (FCA-authorised), Gift Aid recovery through Grassroots Sports Funding, and business loans through a 150+ lender panel. Forthcoming in-house banking products (digital current accounts, savings, lending, rewards, Sporta Pass) await UK PRA/FCA authorisation targeted for Q4 2026.

Product overview

SPORTA is building the UK's first dedicated bank for sport, offering a multi-product financial platform consisting of Insurance (delivered through partner Everywhen), Funding Hub (for Gift Aid claims), Banking (digital current accounts, coming after regulatory approval), Loans (access to 150+ lenders), Rewards, and Sporta Pass. The company is an AI-native bank designed for grassroots to elite sport, currently in the regulatory review stage for a UK banking licence.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sports Insurance (Business & Personal) Tailored sports insurance protection for UK sports clubs (business) and individual athletes/supporters (personal — home, travel, car, buildings), distributed through SPORTA's insurance partner Everywhen working with a panel of insurers.
• Funding Hub (Gift Aid) Service helping UK sports clubs (CASCs and charities) claim Gift Aid on volunteer expenses and qualifying donations, recover backdated funding, and unlock additional income streams through compliant donation structuring. Delivered in partnership with Grassroots Sports Funding.
• Business Loans (Sports Clubs & Sport-Adjacent Businesses) Loan arrangement service providing sports clubs and sport-adjacent businesses with access to 150+ lenders via a finance partner, covering equipment finance, vehicle finance, cash flow support and tax loans.
• Sporta Banking (Current Accounts, Savings, Wealth — Personal & Business) Forthcoming digital current accounts, savings accounts, lending and wealth products for UK sports clubs (business) and athletes/supporters (personal), built on SPORTA's AI-native digital banking platform. Launch is contingent on UK PRA/FCA banking authorisation targeted for Q4 2026.
• Rewards Sport-native rewards programme designed to empower clubs, supporters, members and athletes with benefits tied to participation and engagement in sport.
• Sporta Pass Digital pass offering exclusive benefits and access for sporting community members across the UK.

Quantifiable outcome

• Clubs can recover up to £2,500 in extra Gift Aid funding per £10,000 in qualifying donations
• +4 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Performance SailcraftcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 February 2026A pioneering partnership to democratise Olympic-class sailing through a manufacturer-backed access and ownership model. Performance Sailcraft provides high-performance dinghies and backs the programme at manufacturer level. The model allows sailors and clubs to access competitive boats with an initial payment of ~30% plus 24 interest-free monthly payments, reducing upfront costs by up to 70%. The partnership launched at the RYA Dinghy Show, Farnborough, on 21st February 2026.
• MagiccoreTechnology or Integration · 20 February 2026Magic is an asset-intelligence fintech that restructures traditional dinghy ownership into a flexible access model sharing risk, embedding insurance, and guaranteeing clear end-of-term options (buy, return, or upgrade). Magic's asset-intelligence platform enables the delivery of the manufacturer-backed access programme alongside Sporta and Performance Sailcraft.
• Everywhen (Advisory Insurance Brokers Limited)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEverywhen is Sporta's insurance partner, providing tailored insurance protection for sports clubs (business) and individuals (personal). Everywhen works with a panel of insurers to offer sports-specific coverage including buildings, contents, sports equipment, employers' and public liability, grounds, floodlights, and trophies/memorabilia. Everywhen is authorised and regulated by the FCA (FRN 313250).
• Grassroots Sports FundingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGrassroots Sports Funding, founded by Neil Wood, helps Community Amateur Sports Clubs (CASCs) and charities unlock Gift Aid funding through volunteer expense donations, backdated claims, and compliant donation structuring. Sporta partners with Grassroots Sports Funding to deliver its Funding Hub service to sports clubs across the UK.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Revolut: Revolut is a UK-headquartered global digital bank serving consumers and SMBs. Comparable as a UK-originated digital banking platform with strong brand-led growth and a multi-product strategy, though operating at vastly greater scale than SPORTA.
• Atom Bank: Atom Bank is a UK digital challenger bank offering savings and mortgage products. Comparable as another UK digital-only bank pursuing authorisation-driven growth, though Atom targets general consumers rather than vertical niches like sport.
• Zopa Bank: Zopa is a UK digital challenger bank offering savings, credit cards, and personal loans. Comparable as a UK digital bank that progressed from peer-to-peer lending to full banking authorisation — a regulatory pathway analogous to SPORTA's current trajectory.
• Tide: Tide is a UK SMB-focused challenger bank serving small businesses and freelancers with current accounts, invoicing, and lending. Comparable to SPORTA in targeting UK SMB customers with vertical-tailored financial products, though Tide's vertical focus is broader (SMBs generally) rather than sport-specific.
• HSBC: HSBC is a UK high-street incumbent bank with sports sponsorship and SMB banking arms. Comparable as an incumbent UK bank that already serves sports organisations and could expand sport-specific features through partnerships, posing a competitive threat to SPORTA's niche.
• Monzo: Monzo is one of the UK's largest challenger banks serving consumers and SMBs. Comparable as a UK digital bank with a strong community-led brand strategy similar to SPORTA's Clubhouse content approach, though operating at much greater scale.
• Allica Bank: Allica Bank is a UK challenger bank focused on SMBs and small company banking. Comparable as a UK digital bank with a vertical SMB focus and reliance on FCA authorisation, though Allica targets established SMBs rather than sport organisations.
• Starling Bank: Starling is a leading UK challenger bank serving consumers and SMBs. SPORTA's CCMO Jess Blakey joined from Engine by Starling, and Starling represents the model SPORTA is emulating for digital-only UK banking, with sport-vertical specialisation as its differentiator.
• Coutts: Coutts is the UK private bank owned by NatWest Group, with established relationships serving elite athletes and sports professionals. Comparable in serving high-end athletes and sports clients, though Coutts is private-banking oriented rather than a sport-vertical challenger.

Direct peers

• ClearBank: ClearBank is the UK's first new clearing bank in over 250 years and was co-founded by SPORTA's founder Andrew Smith. It is the closest analogue: a banking-as-a-service platform serving underserved verticals (fintechs, corporates, embedded finance), mirroring SPORTA's vertical-specialisation strategy in sport.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@sporta-team
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sportateam
• Instagraminstagram.com/sporta.team

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 SPORTA