What Athletes & Assets™ does

Athletes & Assets™ operates a two-sided marketplace platform that matches professional athletes with growth-stage companies for endorsement-for-equity partnerships. Companies apply through a short intake form, are vetted, and gain access to a web platform where they can search a structured brand database, message athletes directly, and book meetings through synced calendars. The platform aggregates 300+ individual athletes plus access to 800+ through partner organizations, with no performance fees and revenue generated exclusively through monthly subscription charges on company profiles. AI features are layered on top of the marketplace: an LLM-powered meeting prep assistant, an AI networking tool that generates custom follow-up messages, an AI-driven brand search across thousands of Tech, Health, and CPG companies, and an automated CEO background-check scraper. Supporting products include an Equity Agreement Template for structuring endorsement-for-equity deals, a Company Dashboard with engagement analytics, and an Athlete Business Dashboard consolidating meetings, messages, and notifications. Athletes and Assets, Inc. is privately held, founder-led by Noah Lack and Zak El-Assaad, and operates out of San Francisco with approximately 5 employees. Beyond the core marketplace, the company runs the Backstage newsletter covering athlete investing trends with approximately 8,500 subscribers, and produces in-person events including Super Bowl weekend gatherings and presence at Expo West.

Name

Athletes & Assets™

Legal name

Athletes and Assets, Inc.

Website

https://athletesandassets.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Athletes & Assets™ is a private marketplace platform that connects professional athletes with growth-stage companies for endorsement-for-equity partnerships, operating on monthly subscriptions and augmented by AI meeting-prep, networking, and brand-search tools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Athlete Partnership Marketplace

NAICS

Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (7114)

akta.pro primary industry

Full-Service Athlete Talent Agencies (Contract Negotiation & Career Management) (MPAKAMAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Athlete Marketing, Endorsement & Sponsorship Representation (MPAKAMAC), Athlete Booking & Appearance/Speaking Engagement Agencies (MPAKAMAI)

Keywords

• Athlete brand partnerships
• Equity endorsement marketplace
• Athlete investor matching
• Brand ambassador platform
• Endorsement-for-equity deals

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Monthly Subscription: Companies pay a monthly subscription for a profile on the platform with no current performance fees attached

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Athletes & Assets™ operates a private marketplace platform connecting professional athletes with growth-stage companies for endorsement-for-equity partnerships. The platform enables vetted companies to discover athletes, send messages, request samples, schedule meetings via synced calendars, and formalize long-term equity deals using standardized agreement templates. The company charges companies a monthly subscription for platform access, with no current performance fees, while athletes receive access to exclusive vetted equity-based opportunities.

Product overview

Athletes & Assets™ is a B2B marketplace platform connecting professional athletes with growth-stage companies for endorsement-for-equity partnerships. The core product is the Main Platform which serves as a private marketplace where athletes can discover, connect, and close deals with companies seeking equity-based brand ambassadors and advisors. The platform operates on a monthly subscription model for companies with no performance fees. Supporting modules include the Brand Search Tool (AI-powered search through thousands of brands), Equity Agreement Template (standardized deal structuring), Business Dashboard for Athletes (meeting and notification management), AI Networking Tool (contact follow-up automation), AI Meeting Prep Tool (question generation), SMS Notifications (opportunity alerts), Company Dashboard (analytics for brands), and Calendar Sync & Scheduling (meeting coordination). The ecosystem also includes the Backstage newsletter covering athlete investment trends.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Main Platform Private marketplace connecting professional athletes with growth-stage companies for endorsement-for-equity partnerships. Enables direct messaging, meeting scheduling with calendar sync, and opportunity discovery for vetted companies.
• Brand Search Tool AI-powered search tool allowing athletes to search through thousands of Tech, Health, and CPG brands ripe for partnership. Search by industry, company, or geography.
• AI Networking Tool AI-powered contact management tool allowing athletes to store contacts in their own database and set reminders with LLM-generated custom follow-up messages to eliminate ghosting.
• Business Dashboard for Athletes Centralized dashboard for professional athletes showing upcoming meetings synced to calendar, inbound brand messages, client roster, and notifications in one interface.
• AI Meeting Prep Tool AI assistant that generates thoughtful questions and discussion topics to help athletes prepare for partnership meetings with companies.
• SMS Text Notifications Notification system that alerts athletes via SMS whenever new partnership opportunities become available on the platform.
• Equity Agreement Template Standardized equity/advisory agreement template used by companies and athletes to structure endorsement-for-equity deals. Includes deliverables, compensation, and vesting schedule sections.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reach includes over 300 individual athletes and access to 800+ through partner organizations
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• HuelminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCPG nutrition brand listed as trusted partner; athletes can partner with Huel through the platform
• PillarcoreTechnology or IntegrationPlatform integration partner; official link-in-bio for New England Patriots; provides calendar and scheduling infrastructure for events like 'The Link' happy hour
• OPTYOcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMarketing partner helping sports, fitness, and wellness brands grow online presence; sponsors 'Company of the Week' feature in newsletter; offers free services to Backstage readers
• OneFluentminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-host of 'The Link' private happy hour event at Super Bowl weekend with Athletes & Assets and Pillar
• Creator Sports NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration partner for athlete content and distribution initiatives; enabled Mountain West Conference athlete live streaming

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Aspire (formerly AspireIQ): Creator and influencer marketing platform used by brands to discover, brief, and pay creators. Adjacent platform technology for partnership management at scale.
• Grin: Influencer marketing platform with creator CRM, content workflow, and payment tools. Comparable technology platform model applied to the broader creator/athlete partnership economy.

Broad incumbents

• Excel Sports Management: Major athlete representation agency handling contract negotiation, endorsements, and career management for elite professional athletes. Closest traditional agency comparable.
• Octagon: Global sports marketing agency with athlete representation and brand consulting arms. Comparable incumbent in athlete endorsement dealmaking.
• Creative Artists Agency (CAA): Global talent and sports agency representing athletes, entertainers, and brands. Has the scale and athlete relationships to launch a competing equity-endorsement platform.
• Wasserman: One of the largest global sports marketing and talent representation agencies. Represents many of the same athlete profile A&A targets and could expand into endorsement-for-equity.

Direct peers

• Opendorse: Marketplace platform connecting athletes (primarily NIL-focused college athletes) with brands for endorsement deals. Most direct functional peer to A&A's two-sided athlete-brand matchmaking model.
• INFLCR: Athlete brand-building and content distribution platform that helps athletes monetize their personal brand and connect with corporate partners. Comparable two-sided athlete-brand model.
• OpenLocker: Equity-for-athlete partnerships platform that lets athletes convert name/image/likeness rights into equity holdings. Closest direct peer to A&A's endorsement-for-equity thesis.

Others

• Republic: Equity crowdfunding and private investment platform. Adjacent to A&A's equity-for-services thesis and a potential ecosystem partner for deal execution and investor introductions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AthletesAssets
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@AthletesandAssets
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/athletesandassets
• Instagraminstagram.com/athletesandassets

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Athletes & Assets™