Athletes Network
Athletes Network is a Swiss community platform founded in 2020 that connects elite athletes (top-two-league or national-level) with corporate, club, and educational partners through curated membership, events, and partnership programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersZürich, Switzerland
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Athletes Network does
Athletes Network is a Swiss community platform founded in 2020 that connects elite athletes with the business world. The company operates through a dual legal structure: a non-profit association that hosts the athlete community, paired with Athletes Academy AG, the commercial entity managing corporate, club, and educational partnerships. It is headquartered in Zurich with a secondary office in Lausanne (opened October 2023) and employs 26 people. The platform's product surface combines an online community for athletes with offline programming including the twice-yearly Athletes Day, Job & Education Fairs, and workshops. Membership is restricted to athletes competing in the top two leagues of team sports or at the national level in individual sports, and is provided free of charge to athletes.
Athletes Network firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Athletes Network
- Legal name
- Athletes Academy AG
- Website
- https://athletes-network.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Athletes Network is a Swiss community platform founded in 2020 that connects elite athletes (top-two-league or national-level) with corporate, club, and educational partners through curated membership, events, and partnership programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Athletes Network industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Athlete Career Network
- NAICS
- Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Athlete Post-Career Transition & Career Placement (Broadcast, Coaching, Business) (MPAKAMAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Full-Service Athlete Talent Agencies (Contract Negotiation & Career Management) (MPAKAMAA), Athlete Booking & Appearance/Speaking Engagement Agencies (MPAKAMAI)
Keywords
Where Athletes Network is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Zürich
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Athletes Network business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Corporate Partnership Fees: Paid partnerships with companies that gain access to the unique talent pool of elite athletes for recruitment (internships, trainee programs, full-time positions) and booking athletes as speakers for corporate events. Companies benefit from employer branding as an innovative, diverse engagement with social value.
- Club & Association Partnerships: Partnerships with sports clubs and associations that support their athletes' career transition beyond sports. Partners pay for association with the Athletes Network ecosystem.
- Educational Institution Partnerships: Partnerships with educational institutions offering location- and time-independent learning for athletes, with discounts and scholarships facilitated through the network.
- Individual Coaching Services: Athletes Academy offers various services for athletes in career planning or personal development. Individual coaching sessions may incur costs, with financial support available through the Donors Club for athletes who cannot afford full costs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free Membership for Athletes |
| Subscription | Annual | Company Partnership Tiers |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels10 records
Athletes Network product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Athletes Network is a Swiss networking platform operated by Athletes Academy AG that connects active and former elite athletes with the business world. The platform offers free membership to qualifying elite athletes and provides access to an internal job platform, career coaching, education partnerships, and biannual networking events. Revenue is generated primarily through paid corporate partnerships, club and association partnerships, educational institution partnerships, and individual coaching fees through the Athletes Academy.
Product overview
Athletes Network is a Swiss networking platform operated by Athletes Academy AG, connecting active and former elite athletes with the business world. The ecosystem consists of: Membership (free access for qualified elite athletes), Career/Jobs Platform (internal job board with partner companies), Athletes Academy (coaching and career preparation services), Athletes Day (biannual networking events), Job & Education Fair (employer-athlete connection events), Education Partner Program (discounted learning opportunities), Donors Club (financial support for athletes), and Podcast Charakterkoepfe (media content). The association is non-profit while Athletes Academy AG operates the commercial ecosystem through paid partnerships with clubs, associations, educational institutions, and companies.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Corporate Partnership Program
- Athletes Academy
- Athletes Day Events
- Career/Jobs Platform
- Education Partner Program
- Donors Club
- Podcast Charakterkoepfe Podcast series on Spotify featuring interviews with athletes sharing their career transitions and success stories from sports to business. Multiple seasons produced as part of the Athletes Network content offering.
Quantifiable outcome
- 6,000+ members as of July 2026
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Athletes Network
Customer profileNamed customers16 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Athletes Network technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability1 record
Feature1 record
Athletes Network partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
24 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- Sunrise (Main Partner)flagshipSunrise is the Main Partner of Athletes Network. As main partner, Sunrise accesses a unique pool of outstanding personalities and uses the Athletes Network ecosystem for employer branding and recruitment of elite athletes.
- AccenturecoreGlobal professional services company partnering with Athletes Network to recruit elite athletes and support career development initiatives.
- Hilti SchweizcoreHilti partners with Athletes Network to integrate athletes into their workforce. The partnership is based on shared values of courage, integrity, commitment, and teamwork that align with elite sports culture. Athletes like Marc Bischofberger (Olympic ski cross medalist) have been hired through this partnership.
- SWICAcoreHealth insurance company partnering with Athletes Network for athlete recruitment and employer branding. Multiple success stories of athletes hired including Elisa Zeller.
- HelvetiacoreInsurance company partnering with Athletes Network to recruit athletes and benefit from their mindset attributes. Success stories include Bastien Dayer, former telemark champion.
- Bank ClercoreSwiss bank partner recruiting athletes through Athletes Network. Success story includes Luca Dall'Oglio.
- PostFinancecoreSwiss financial services provider with athlete program for recruiting elite athletes. Success story includes Matthias Aebersold.
- BaloisecoreSwiss insurance and banking group offering BEM internships to athletes through Athletes Network. Success story includes Robin Heinis (handball).
- VontobelcoreSwiss private bank partnering with Athletes Network. Brian Fischer (Head Global Business & Services) participates in Athletes Day breakout sessions.
- Zurich InsurancecoreGlobal insurance company partnering with Athletes Network. Success story includes Roxane Héritier (former curling player).
- RaiffeisencoreSwiss banking group partnering with Athletes Network for athlete recruitment. Success story includes Marco Gämperle (former ski racer).
- Universitätsklinik BalgristcoreUniversity clinic partnering with Athletes Network. Success story includes Yannick Scheidegger (football player) who found internship and permanent position in HR.
- RicolacoreSwiss herbal candy manufacturer employing athletes through Athletes Network. Success story includes Simon Laubscher (floorball player at SV Wiler-Ersigen) working in marketing.
- Swiss OlympicflagshipNational Olympic committee has a Projectpartnerschaft (project partnership) with Athletes Network. Swiss Olympic's Post-Sport Athlete Hub project collaborates with Athletes Network. Alina Pätz (Olympic silver medalist) serves as project lead.
- EvodropcoreSwiss water technology company employing athletes through Athletes Network. Success story includes Zoe Merz (ice hockey player at HC Ladies Lugano) working in reception and admin.
- Twing GmbHcoreSwiss give-away company employing athletes through Athletes Network. Success story includes Noemi Ryhner (ice hockey player) who completed internship in marketing and continues with the company.
- LLB SchweizcoreSwiss bank recruiting former ice hockey players through Athletes Network. Success story includes Philip Åhlström.
- FC BaselcoreMajor Swiss football club partnering with Athletes Network to support player career development beyond sports.
- HC Davos (HCD)coreLeading Swiss ice hockey club partnering with Athletes Network for player career support.
- FC ZürichcoreSwiss football club partnering with Athletes Network for player career development.
- Swiss SkicoreNational skiing federation partnering with Athletes Network for athlete career support.
- Wenger VieliminorSwiss law firm (sport sponsoring panel) participating in Athletes Network events and supporting with legal expertise.
- Axa, Vaudoise, ZurichcoreMultiple insurance companies partnering with Athletes Network for talent recruitment and employer branding.
- LGT, Swiss Life Select, OBTcoreFinancial services companies (private banking, insurance, consulting) partnering with Athletes Network.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Athletes Network competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- LinkedIn: The dominant global professional networking platform. Represents both a competing channel for athlete-employer connection and a potential substitution risk; offers much broader scope but lacks Athletes Network's curated elite-athlete talent pool and event-driven matchmaking.
- Michael Page Switzerland: Established Swiss recruitment firm with dedicated practice groups across banking, insurance, and technology — the same sectors that partner with Athletes Network. Represents the conventional channel against which Athletes Network must demonstrate differentiated value.
- Hays Switzerland: Global recruitment and workforce-solutions firm with a substantial Swiss operation. Competes for the same corporate talent-acquisition budgets and could credibly launch a sports/niche-talent vertical serving similar Swiss enterprise clients.
Emerging players
- Opendorse: US-based athlete-marketing and NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) platform connecting athletes with brands for endorsements and content deals. Adjacent business model — monetizing athlete audiences and profiles through corporate partnerships — but skewed toward endorsement rather than employment placement.
- Sportand (formerly Strive Sponsorship): European athlete-marketing and sponsorship marketplace helping brands activate partnerships with athletes. Comparable in that it bridges the sports/business divide through digital tooling, but focused on endorsements rather than full-time employment placement.
Others
- The Players' Tribune: Founded by athletes to tell athlete stories and support athlete-driven businesses. Thematically adjacent as a content/community platform serving elite athletes, but focused on storytelling rather than career placement or corporate talent sourcing.
Direct peers
- Career Athletes Network: US-based platform providing career resources, networking, and job placement for current and former collegiate/professional athletes. Closely analogous business model to Athletes Network — athlete-side community plus corporate partner access — but operating at larger US collegiate scale.
- NextUp (formerly WISPA): UK-based athlete career-transition program that pairs retiring professional athletes with corporate partners for second-career placements, mentorship, and education. Same core mechanic as Athletes Network (athlete community + corporate partner activation) but oriented to UK sports.
Regional players
- Swiss Olympic (Athlete programmes): National Olympic committee that runs athlete support, post-career, and educational programs. Both a strategic partner (Post-Sport Athlete Hub) and a potential adjacent competitor offering similar transition services through official federation channels.
- JobCloud: Switzerland's leading job-board platform (operator of jobs.ch and jobup.ch). Competes for the same corporate recruiting budgets in the Swiss market and could replicate a sports-specific vertical, though it lacks Athletes Network's curated talent-pool positioning.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Athletes Network social profiles
Digital presenceAthletes Network financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Athletes Network leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Athletes Network funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Athletes Network 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 Athletes Network
What does Athletes Network do?
Athletes Network is a Swiss networking platform operated by Athletes Academy AG that connects active and former elite athletes with the business world. The platform offers free membership to qualifying elite athletes and provides access to an internal job platform, career coaching, education partnerships, and biannual networking events. Revenue is generated primarily through paid corporate partnerships, club and association partnerships, educational institution partnerships, and individual coaching fees through the Athletes Academy.
Is Athletes Network a public or private company?
Athletes Network is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Athletes Network founded?
Athletes Network was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Athletes Network based?
Athletes Network is headquartered in Zürich, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does Athletes Network make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Corporate Partnership Fees are the primary driver. The others are club & Association Partnerships, educational Institution Partnerships and individual Coaching Services.
Who are Athletes Network's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are LinkedIn, Michael Page Switzerland and Hays Switzerland. Emerging players are Opendorse and Sportand (formerly Strive Sponsorship). The Players' Tribune is listed as an others. Direct peers are Career Athletes Network and NextUp (formerly WISPA). Regional players are Swiss Olympic (Athlete programmes) and JobCloud.
Does Athletes Network have an API?
No public API is recorded for Athletes Network.
What industry is Athletes Network in?
Athletes Network's product category is Athlete Career Network. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAKAMAL, Athlete Post-Career Transition & Career Placement (Broadcast, Coaching, Business), with a secondary code of MPAKAMAA, Full-Service Athlete Talent Agencies (Contract Negotiation & Career Management). Its NAICS code is 71394 and its SIC code is 8600.