Athletes Network

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.

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

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

• Athlete career transition
• Sports talent network
• Athlete recruitment platform
• Career coaching services
• Athlete community platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Educational Institution Partnerships: Partnerships with educational institutions offering location- and time-independent learning for athletes, with discounts and scholarships facilitated through the network.
4. 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

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core 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

Named customers16 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

24 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Sunrise (Main Partner)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerSunrise 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.
• AccenturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal professional services company partnering with Athletes Network to recruit elite athletes and support career development initiatives.
• Hilti SchweizcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHilti 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.
• SWICAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealth insurance company partnering with Athletes Network for athlete recruitment and employer branding. Multiple success stories of athletes hired including Elisa Zeller.
• HelvetiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInsurance company partnering with Athletes Network to recruit athletes and benefit from their mindset attributes. Success stories include Bastien Dayer, former telemark champion.
• Bank ClercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss bank partner recruiting athletes through Athletes Network. Success story includes Luca Dall'Oglio.
• PostFinancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss financial services provider with athlete program for recruiting elite athletes. Success story includes Matthias Aebersold.
• BaloisecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss insurance and banking group offering BEM internships to athletes through Athletes Network. Success story includes Robin Heinis (handball).
• VontobelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss private bank partnering with Athletes Network. Brian Fischer (Head Global Business & Services) participates in Athletes Day breakout sessions.
• Zurich InsurancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal insurance company partnering with Athletes Network. Success story includes Roxane Héritier (former curling player).
• RaiffeisencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss banking group partnering with Athletes Network for athlete recruitment. Success story includes Marco Gämperle (former ski racer).
• Universitätsklinik BalgristcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity clinic partnering with Athletes Network. Success story includes Yannick Scheidegger (football player) who found internship and permanent position in HR.
• RicolacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss herbal candy manufacturer employing athletes through Athletes Network. Success story includes Simon Laubscher (floorball player at SV Wiler-Ersigen) working in marketing.
• Swiss OlympicflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational 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.
• EvodropcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss 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 GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss 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 SchweizcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss bank recruiting former ice hockey players through Athletes Network. Success story includes Philip Åhlström.
• FC BaselcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor Swiss football club partnering with Athletes Network to support player career development beyond sports.
• HC Davos (HCD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading Swiss ice hockey club partnering with Athletes Network for player career support.
• FC ZürichcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss football club partnering with Athletes Network for player career development.
• Swiss SkicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational skiing federation partnering with Athletes Network for athlete career support.
• Wenger VieliminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss law firm (sport sponsoring panel) participating in Athletes Network events and supporting with legal expertise.
• Axa, Vaudoise, ZurichcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple insurance companies partnering with Athletes Network for talent recruitment and employer branding.
• LGT, Swiss Life Select, OBTcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFinancial services companies (private banking, insurance, consulting) partnering with Athletes Network.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad 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

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCjr-UShZuvvan02Wgxlx9VA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/athletes-network
• Instagraminstagram.com/athletes_network

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Network