PAYBACK
PAYBACK is a Rio de Janeiro-based basketball and urban culture platform that produces live events, social impact projects, music, and creative services for brands, while selling branded merchandise whose proceeds partly fund public court revitalization. Founded in 2017 by former professional player Daniel Lorio, it serves basketball enthusiasts, underprivileged communities, and brand partners.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersRio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What PAYBACK does
PAYBACK is a Brazilian basketball and urban culture platform founded in 2017 in Rio de Janeiro by former professional basketball player Daniel Lorio (Danielzinho), who previously played for Clube de Regatas do Flamengo, Minas Tênis Clube, and Botafogo Futebol e Regatas, together with co-founder Rodrigo Lorio. The company began as a single grassroots 1v1 basketball tournament (Payback 1x1) and has since expanded into a multi-initiative ecosystem spanning live events (PAYBACK 1x1, PAYBACK Festival Pocket), social impact projects (Paraíso do Basquete public court revitalization, Tabelas Recicladas sustainability, Vakinhas PBK crowdfunding), a music division (PBK Music), a creative services agency (Payback Lab), a podcast/live content platform (Payback 2 Back), an athlete travel program (Payback USA with a Syracuse camp pipeline), an interactive basketball court map (Mapa de Quadras), and a branded merchandise e-commerce store. With a team of nine employees, the company serves three distinct audiences: basketball players and urban culture enthusiasts (consumer merchandise and events), underprivileged youth and communities (court revitalization and free training clinics via partnerships with Arena Lagoa and public agencies), and brands seeking authentic cultural engagement (Payback Lab activations).
The platform is not technology-driven. The underlying infrastructure is a WordPress-based website with a Supsystic Google Maps integration for court mapping, supported by organic social media distribution across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube, plus PR handled by the Urbanamente agency. There is no proprietary software, no mobile app, no API, and no AI/ML capability disclosed. The merchandise catalog visible on the e-commerce store is small — a Dad Hat at R$79.00 and an Origem T-shirt at R$119.00 — and the platform describes itself as a movement and cultural philosophy ("tudo que vai, volta") rather than a technology product. Operations are concentrated in Rio de Janeiro (with events held in Leblon and Lagoa), with one cross-border touchpoint in New York through Payback USA.
The business model rests on four revenue streams: (1) DTC merchandise sales at unit pricing in Brazilian Reais, with proceeds partly funding the Paraíso do Basquete project; (2) event production income from 1v1 tournaments, festivals, and community activations; (3) project-based creative services through Payback Lab, including curations, consulting, event activations, and customized campaigns for brands; and (4) music-related services through PBK Music, covering artistic career management, production, and soundtracks. The company is founder-owned and private, with no disclosed venture or institutional funding, no parent company, and no subsidiaries. Pricing is pay-as-you-go on merchandise and quote-based on Payback Lab engagements.
PAYBACK firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- PAYBACK
- Legal name
- Payback Oficial
- Website
- https://paybackoficial.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- PAYBACK is a Rio de Janeiro-based basketball and urban culture platform that produces live events, social impact projects, music, and creative services for brands, while selling branded merchandise whose proceeds partly fund public court revitalization. Founded in 2017 by former professional player Daniel Lorio, it serves basketball enthusiasts, underprivileged communities, and brand partners.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
PAYBACK industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sports Events & Urban Culture Platform
- NAICS
- Sporting Goods Retailers (45911)
- SIC
- Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Performance & Incentive-Based Endorsements (Bonuses, Royalties, Affiliate/CPA Deals) (MPAKALAI)
Keywords
Where PAYBACK is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Rio de Janeiro
- HQ country
- Brazil
- HQ region
- Latin America
Offices1 record
Markets served
PAYBACK business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others
Revenue model
- Merchandise Sales: E-commerce sales of branded apparel and accessories including t-shirts and caps. A portion of proceeds funds public basketball court revitalization projects.
- Event Production: Organization of basketball events including Payback 1x1 tournaments, Payback Festival Pocket, and cultural activations featuring music, dance, and basketball activities.
- Creative Services (Payback Lab): Creative lab offering curations, consulting, event activations, and customized campaigns for brands and partners wanting to connect with basketball and urban culture audiences.
- Payback Music: Music division managing artistic careers, musical production, and soundtracks within the basketball and urban culture universe.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Payback Full Brand Dad Hat |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Payback Origem T-shirt |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
PAYBACK product offering
Product offeringCore offering
PAYBACK is a Brazilian basketball and urban culture platform that organizes competitive basketball events (Payback 1x1, Festival, Pocket), sells branded merchandise through its e-commerce store (caps, t-shirts), and operates a portfolio of culture-driven initiatives including a music division (PBK Music), a creative agency for brands (Payback Lab), and social impact projects such as court revitalization (Paraíso do Basquete) and recycled basketball backboards (Tabelas Recicladas).
Product overview
PAYBACK is a basketball and urban culture platform organized as a multi-initiative ecosystem rather than a single product. The core offerings include: (1) E-commerce Store selling Payback-branded merchandise (Dad Hats, T-shirts) that funds social projects; (2) Live Events including 1x1 tournaments, festivals, and pocket events; (3) Social Projects including Paraíso do Basquete (court revitalization), Payback USA (athlete travel), Tabelas Recicladas (sustainability), and Vakinhas PBK (crowdfunding); (4) Content Platforms including PBK Music (artist management/production), Payback Lab (creative agency), and Payback 2 Back (podcast/lives); and (5) Community Tools including the Mapa de Quadras (court mapping). The products share a unified mission of amplifying basketball and urban culture through events, content, and social impact initiatives.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- PBK: Abbreviated brand name used for various PAYBACK initiatives and communications
- PBK Music
- PBK Lab
- Paraíso do Basquete
- Payback 2 Back
- Vakinhas PBK
- Payback USA
- Tabelas Recicladas
- PAYBACK 1X1
- PAYBACK FESTIVAL POCKET
Products and services
- Payback Full Brand Dad Hat
- Payback Origem T-shirt
- Payback Events
- Payback Lab
Companies that use PAYBACK
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
PAYBACK technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
PAYBACK partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- SomarcoreSomar company (owned by Carol Aragão) provided essential support during the early stages of Payback when it was only an idea. The company helped organize and execute the first Payback 1x1 event in 2017, providing team members Luise, Marquinhos, Rafa and Laars who were instrumental in the event's realization.
- Arena LagoacorePartnership with Arena Lagoa for organizing free basketball clinics and training sessions, providing access to facilities for community basketball development programs.
- Public AgenciesminorCollaboration with public agencies for the Paraíso do Basquete project, which revitalizes public basketball courts in partnership with city government bodies.
- Various Artists and Cultural ContributorsminorCollaboration with artists invited to express themselves on basketball courts during revitalization projects (Paraís o Basquete). Also includes partnerships with dancers (Dance in Rio collective), MCs (Tonny Boss), and podcast/live guests including Dughettu, Gegê, Gui Deodato, Henrique Coelho, Clarissa dos Santos, and Olivinha.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
PAYBACK competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Complex: Global media platform covering streetwear, music, sports, and pop culture. Operates a comparable content-plus-commerce-plus-events ecosystem targeting urban-culture audiences.
- NBA Brazil: NBA's Brazilian presence, including events, content, and basketball culture programs. Much larger incumbent operating in the same basketball-entertainment space with overlapping community and event-driven GTM.
- Red Bull: Global sports-culture brand built around event production, athlete sponsorship, music, and lifestyle content. Operates an analogous platform model (events + content + merchandise + creative services) at massive scale.
Direct peers
- Hocks: Brazilian basketball-inspired apparel and lifestyle brand. Closest comparable peer — both sell basketball-themed merchandise to Brazilian youth and operate as basketball-culture brands with community-driven marketing.
- 4PF Performance: Brazilian streetwear and sportswear brand with strong basketball and urban-culture positioning. Comparable through Brazilian-market apparel sales, lifestyle branding, and youth-targeted marketing.
Emerging players
- High Snobiety: Lifestyle and culture media platform covering streetwear, music, and sports. Comparable through its multi-platform content model and brand-activation services for fashion and culture clients.
- Diamond Supply Co. Streetwear/skate culture brand with limited basketball crossover. Comparable model of culture-driven merchandise with athlete/artist collaborations and community-led brand building.
- Mills: Brazilian sportswear brand with historical association to basketball culture. Comparable as a Brazilian-market sportswear brand with basketball positioning, though operating at larger scale.
Others
- Confederação Brasileira de Basketball (CBB): Brazilian basketball federation governing the sport nationally. Touches the same basketball-community audience and grassroots development space via events and public partnerships.
- Liga Nacional de Basquete (LNB): Official Brazilian professional basketball league. Operates basketball events, content, and fan engagement in the same sport category but as a governing organization rather than a lifestyle brand.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
PAYBACK social profiles
Digital presencePAYBACK financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
PAYBACK leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
PAYBACK funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
PAYBACK 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 PAYBACK
What does PAYBACK do?
PAYBACK is a Brazilian basketball and urban culture platform that organizes competitive basketball events (Payback 1x1, Festival, Pocket), sells branded merchandise through its e-commerce store (caps, t-shirts), and operates a portfolio of culture-driven initiatives including a music division (PBK Music), a creative agency for brands (Payback Lab), and social impact projects such as court revitalization (Paraíso do Basquete) and recycled basketball backboards (Tabelas Recicladas).
Is PAYBACK a public or private company?
PAYBACK is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was PAYBACK founded?
PAYBACK was founded in 2017. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is PAYBACK based?
PAYBACK is headquartered in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in the Latin America region.
How does PAYBACK make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Merchandise Sales are the primary driver. The others are event Production, creative Services (Payback Lab) and payback Music.
Who are PAYBACK's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Complex, NBA Brazil and Red Bull. Direct peers are Hocks and 4PF Performance. Emerging players are High Snobiety, Diamond Supply Co. and Mills. Others are Confederação Brasileira de Basketball (CBB) and Liga Nacional de Basquete (LNB).
Does PAYBACK have an API?
No public API is recorded for PAYBACK.
What industry is PAYBACK in?
PAYBACK's product category is Sports Events & Urban Culture Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAKALAI, Performance & Incentive-Based Endorsements (Bonuses, Royalties, Affiliate/CPA Deals). Its NAICS code is 45911 and its SIC code is 5600.