Athlete To Athlete Secures $8M in Series A Funding

Athlete To Athlete, a Santa Monica, CA-based provider of a one-on-one virtual mentorship platform connecting youth athletes with current college athletes, raised $8M in Series A funding.

The round was led by Rally Ventures, with participation from Newbound VC, Scrum Ventures, and UpHonest Capital.

The company will use the funding to expand its partnerships across youth sports, strengthen safety measures for young athletes and grow its mentorship platform to reach more families across the US.

What is Athlete To Athlete?

Athlete To Athlete operates a one-on-one virtual mentorship platform that connects young athletes with current college athletes in the same sport.

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The company offers 12-week and 24-week mentorship programmes designed to help young athletes build confidence, resilience and positive habits that support them both in sports and in everyday life.

Through these programmes young athletes receive guidance from college athletes who have experienced similar challenges. The platform also gives college athletes paid opportunities to share their knowledge and support the next generation of players.

How Much Funding Has Athlete To Athlete Raised?

Athlete To Athlete has raised $8 million in it's Series A funding round. The company has not disclosed details of any previous funding rounds or its total funding to date.

Who Invested in Athlete To Athlete’s Series A Round?

The $8 million Series A round was led by Rally Ventures.

Other participating investors included Newbound VC, Scrum Ventures and UpHonest Capital.

Why the Funding Matters

Young athletes often face pressure as they progress through competitive sports. Access to guidance from experienced athletes can help them manage these challenges, and develop skills beyond their performance on the field.

Athlete To Athlete also creates earning opportunities for college athletes. The platform launched after the NCAA introduced changes to its name, image and likeness (NIL) rules in 2021 allowing college athletes to earn money through activities beyond traditional brand endorsements.

The new funding will help the company expand its youth sports partnerships, improve protections for young participants and make its mentorship programmes available to more families.

Who founded Athlete To Athlete?

Athlete To Athlete was founded in 2023 by Anthony Waller and Zach Maisus, former Division I athletes who met at UCLA.

The company is headquartered in Santa Monica, California.

"Our focus is to develop these young athletes as people, helping them build the character, work ethic and belief in themselves that shapes who they become," said Anthony Waller, co-founder and CEO of Athlete To Athlete. "That makes them better on game day, but more importantly, it carries them through the rest of their lives.

Market and Business Growth

Athlete To Athletes college athlete network spans more than 300 universities. The company expects to facilitate more than 100,000 mentorship sessions this year.

According to the company, more than 90% of parent's report that their children become noticeably more confident after participating in its programmes.

The platform serves two groups: young athletes seeking guidance, and college athletes looking for paid opportunities to share their sporting experience.

What Happens Next?

Athlete To Athlete plans to expand it's partnerships across youth sports and strengthen protections for young athletes using its platform.

The company will also scale its mentorship programmes to reach more families across the country, and increase opportunities for college athletes to mentor younger players.

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