STAGEUP

What STAGEUP does

STAGEUP is a Bologna-based Italian research and consulting firm founded in 1999/2000 that specializes in sponsorship valuation, market research, and economic impact analysis for the sports, culture, and entertainment sectors. The company operates three core lines: Research & Advisory (ongoing market research and media relations for sports properties), Digital Services (AI- and blockchain-based technology solutions), and Sponsor Value (a longitudinal sponsorship monitoring study conducted since 2000 in partnership with Ipsos Doxa, Italy's leading market research firm). On top of this, StageUp has built two proprietary platforms: Football Sponsor 360 (launched June 2026), an AI-powered platform that generates ex-ante commercial valuation reports for over 2,000 sponsorships across all 20 Serie A clubs within 48 hours at €390 per report, and ChainOn (launched March 2022), a blockchain and AI-based international sponsorship marketplace. The company also operates Risk Report, a SaaS crisis-prediction service developed with Harvard, and a suite of compliance/IT services under Docbit Solutions.

The business model combines long-cycle enterprise service contracts with Italian sports leagues (Lega Basket Serie A through 2027, Lega Nazionale Pallacanestro, Lega Pallavolo Serie A), project-based work with Serie A football clubs and brands (Bologna FC, Virtus Bologna, Fastweb, FAAC, Discovery, Coca-Cola, Mediolanum), lead-generating gated research downloads, and a growing self-serve transactional stream via Football Sponsor 360. Underlying technology is built on a proprietary database of over 130,000 interviews collected over 24+ years, proprietary media analysis algorithms combining traditional and social data, AI applied to sponsorship valuation and crisis prediction, and blockchain for sponsorship transaction transparency. The go-to-market is hybrid: long-standing institutional sales relationships for league/club contracts, complemented by a product-led self-serve channel for report purchases and thought-leadership content marketing (Gazzetta dello Sport, Corriere della Sera, La Repubblica, ANSA, Calcio e Finanza).

Name

STAGEUP

Legal name

StageUp

Website

https://stageup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

STAGEUP is a Bologna-based Italian research and consulting firm that provides AI-powered sponsorship valuation, market research, and economic impact analysis for sports leagues, clubs, sponsors, and brands, anchored by a 24-year proprietary database and platforms Football Sponsor 360 and ChainOn.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bologna

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Research Reports and Subscriptions: StageUp generates revenue by selling research reports (e.g., Sponsor Value, Indagine Predittiva, Football Sponsor 360 reports) and ongoing subscription-based research services to sports properties, sponsors, and media companies. Reports are distributed via download (requiring business email registration) or as part of multi-year service agreements with leagues.
2. Media Analysis and Sponsorship Valuation Services: StageUp provides media coverage measurement (traditional TV/press and social), sponsorship ROI analysis, and economic impact studies to Lega Basket Serie A, clubs, and institutional partners under multi-year supplier contracts. This includes ex-ante valuation reports for Football Sponsor 360 (€390 per report) and long-term service agreements with LBA (renewed through 2027).
3. ChainOn Marketplace: StageUp co-founded and operates ChainOn (launched March 2022), a blockchain and AI-based sponsorship marketplace that facilitates sponsorship transactions and placements. Revenue derives from marketplace commission on sponsorship deals facilitated through the platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

StageUp is a Bologna-based research and consulting firm that provides market research, media coverage analysis, and sponsorship valuation services for the sports, culture, and entertainment sectors. Its portfolio includes the proprietary Sponsor Value research program (with Ipsos Doxa), the AI-powered Football Sponsor 360 platform for ex-ante Serie A sponsorship valuation, the ChainOn blockchain sponsorship marketplace, and crisis-prediction SaaS (Risk Report). The company also delivers custom digital solutions, economic impact studies, and corporate compliance services (electronic invoicing, digital preservation).

Product overview

StageUp is a consulting and services company specializing in market research, advisory, and digital services for the sports, culture, and entertainment sectors. The product portfolio includes three core offerings: Research & Advisory (market research and consulting services operational for over 20 years), Digital Services (AI and blockchain-powered technology solutions), and Sponsor Value (ongoing sponsorship monitoring research since 2000). These are complemented by specialized platforms including Football Sponsor 360 (an AI-powered platform for evaluating Serie A sponsorships launched in June 2026) and ChainOn (a blockchain and AI-based sponsorship marketplace launched in March 2022). Additional services include Risk Report (crisis prediction SaaS), Custom Solutions, Electronic Invoicing, and Digital Preservation services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ChainOn: Blockchain and AI-based marketplace for sponsorships, launched in March 2022
• Football Sponsor 360
• Sponsor Value
• Risk Report

Products and services

• Research & Advisory Market research, consulting, and media relations services provided to sports, cultural, and entertainment organizations for over 20 years. Includes audience measurement, brand tracking, and communications strategy support.
• Digital Services
• Sponsor Value Ongoing longitudinal research study conducted with Ipsos Doxa that measures audience, sponsorship performance, and engagement for major sporting events. Used by leagues, clubs, and sponsors to evaluate sponsorship effectiveness.
• Football Sponsor 360 AI-powered self-serve platform that generates ex-ante commercial valuation reports for over 2,000 sponsorships across 20 Serie A football clubs within 48 hours. Each report covers Brand Equity Value, TV/Streaming Exposure Value, Digital Owned Media Value, Relationship Value, and Total Value. Built on 25 years of proprietary research data.
• ChainOn Blockchain and AI-based international sponsorship marketplace that connects sponsors with sports, entertainment, and cultural properties, enabling transparent and measurable sponsorship transactions. Operated as a wholly-owned subsidiary of StageUp.
• Risk Report SaaS service that uses a proprietary algorithm developed with Harvard University to identify and predict business crises for corporate clients.
• Custom Solutions Customized mono- and multi-client solutions built on web applications, business intelligence, blockchain, and artificial intelligence for enterprise clients.
• Electronic Invoicing Accredited intermediary service for electronic invoicing transmission, receipt, and management through SOGEI, provided to Italian businesses.
• Digital Preservation Legally valid digital document preservation service for tax, fiscal, and civil purposes, covering invoices, accounting books, minutes, emails, contracts, and bank documents.

Quantifiable outcome

• Football Sponsor 360 reports show real sponsorship value is 30% higher than current investment levels, indicating significant untapped revenue potential for clubs with well-structured digital commercial strategies.
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ChainOncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2022StageUp co-founded ChainOn (www.chainon.it) in March 2022 as the blockchain and AI-based sponsorship marketplace. StageUp contributes its research data and analytical capabilities while ChainOn provides the marketplace transaction infrastructure. ChainOn serves as the platform for distributing StageUp's Indagine Predittiva and other research reports.
• Lega Basket Serie A (LBA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStageUp serves as official supplier to LBA for media coverage analysis, sponsorship visibility measurement, ROI evaluation, demoscopic research, and economic impact studies for LBA and its 16 associated clubs. Contract renewed in 2025 for seasons 2025/26 and 2026/27. The partnership includes Football Sponsor 360 integration and the Sponsor Value research program conducted with Ipsos Doxa.
• Ipsos DoxacoreTechnology or IntegrationStageUp's partnership with Ipsos Doxa is centered on the Sponsor Value research study for measuring audiences, sponsorship performance, and engagement across sports, cultural, and entertainment sectors. Ipsos is one of the world's leading market research companies and Italy's #1 in the sector. Ipsos Doxa serves as Research Partner for Football Sponsor 360 platform.
• European Sponsorship Association (ESA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStageUp is affiliated with the European Sponsorship Association, the leading industry body for sponsorship professionals across Europe. ESA brings together brands, rights holders, agencies, and suppliers since 2003, promoting best practices, professional development, and innovation.
• ASSIRMminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStageUp is associated with ASSIRM, the Italian Association of Market Research, Opinion Polling, and Social Research Companies. Since 1991, ASSIRM has united Italy's leading organizations operating in market research, opinion polling, and social research.
• InfrontminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInfront serves as advisor to Lega Basket Serie A in its expanded engagement with StageUp, facilitating the broadening of StageUp's mandate to include media analysis (traditional and social), sponsorship ROI correlation with demoscopic data, and economic impact studies.
• Adnkronos Nord-EstminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAdnkronos Nord-Est is the regional branch of Adnkronos Comunicazione, specializing in strategic communications, media relations, and stakeholder engagement. StageUp leverages this partnership to strengthen client communication and public affairs initiatives.
• Lega Nazionale Pallacanestro (LNP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStageUp partnered with LNP to organize a workshop on valorizing partnerships in A2 and Serie B national basketball championships, presenting Sponsor Value research findings to club representatives.
• Lega Pallavolo Serie AcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExpanded collaboration for sponsorship valuation in SuperLega volleyball. Partnership includes Sponsor Value research and media analysis services, building on the growing volleyball sponsorship market (€35 million in 2025).

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Nielsen Sports: Global leader in sports sponsorship valuation, media analysis, and fan research. Directly comparable to StageUp's Sponsor Value and Football Sponsor 360 offerings but operates at global scale with significantly broader portfolio.
• Sportfive: Global sports marketing agency handling sponsorship sales, valuation, and strategy for leagues and clubs. Comparable value proposition in sponsorship monetization, though at much larger international scale.
• Repucom (now Nielsen Sports): Legacy sponsorship research firm (merged into Nielsen Sports) with deep sports valuation heritage. Direct analog to StageUp's 25-year longitudinal research methodology.

Others

• Ipsos: Global market research firm and StageUp's research partner via Ipsos Doxa. Comparable market research methodology but with vastly broader scope beyond sports sponsorship.
• GMR Marketing: Experiential sports and entertainment marketing agency. Adjacent peer in the sports sponsorship value chain, with comparable client base of brands seeking sponsorship ROI measurement.
• Infront Sports & Media: Sports marketing and media rights company advising leagues and clubs on sponsorship deals. Comparable institutional client base (sports leagues and clubs) and overlap with StageUp's LBA advisory work.

Direct peers

• Hookit: Sports marketing analytics platform measuring sponsorship ROI across social and digital media. Comparable AI-driven sponsorship valuation capability targeting brands and rights holders, similar to StageUp's media analysis offering.
• Blinkfire Analytics: AI-powered sponsorship valuation platform focused on media exposure and engagement for sports organizations. Direct competitor in the sponsorship analytics space with comparable valuation methodology.
• SponsorUnited: US-based sponsorship analytics platform providing data-driven valuations and marketplace intelligence for brands and rights holders. Highly comparable to Football Sponsor 360 and ChainOn in business model and customer base.

Emerging players

• Zoomph: Sports sponsorship analytics platform providing AI-driven valuation and measurement. Comparable technology stack targeting similar sports marketing customers, though at smaller scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/StageUpSrl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stageup
• Instagraminstagram.com/stageupsportbusiness
• TikToktiktok.com/@stageup_it

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 STAGEUP