Use sport to build belief, not just awareness.
For new sports businesses and challenger brands in growth. We help you decide whether sport is right for you yet, turn your story into partners and build the right thing first. We've done it ourselves, helping take HiTZ Cricket from a PowerPoint to 15 venues.
Trusted by
Sound familiar?
The conversations we have most often with founders and challenger brands.
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We've got a great product, but nobody knows who we are yet.
Investors want traction, and we need partners to get it.
We can't afford the big rights, so where do we start?
We're founders, not sponsorship people.
How we help
Three places we make the biggest difference when you're launching or scaling.
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Establishing your market position
Sport can build trust fast for a new brand, but only if it fits your audience, budget and stage. We'll tell you honestly if the money would work harder elsewhere for now.
What we do
- An honest view of fit, stage and budget
- Which sport, audience and format to start with
- Low-cost ways to test before you commit
- Knowing when to wait
What we do
- An honest view of fit, stage and budget
- Which sport, audience and format to start with
- Low-cost ways to test before you commit
- Knowing when to wait
Making connections in sport
Your founder story is an asset. We help you shape it into a proposition that wins over brands, venues, athletes and investors.
What we do
- Founder story and proposition
- Partner and investor materials
- Introductions through our network
- Athlete and ambassador partnerships
What we do
- Founder story and proposition
- Partner and investor materials
- Introductions through our network
- Athlete and ambassador partnerships
Build the right thing first
What to launch, what to test and what to scale, so your seed money goes further and each step earns the next.
What we do
- Go-to-market and launch plans
- Commercial model and pricing
- Partner and media collaborations
- Support as your commercial team grows
What we do
- Go-to-market and launch plans
- Commercial model and pricing
- Partner and media collaborations
- Support as your commercial team grows
Built on the 4P model™
All three run through the same four questions: Purpose, Proposition, Positioning and Performance.
Start-up work that moved the needle
From PowerPoint to a growing business: the start-ups we're building with.
From PowerPoint to 15 venues in two years
20,000+ players, Harry Brook as ambassador and a new app, all from seed money.
Read the case study →More start-ups we're working with
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Maiden Cricket
Brand partnership support for a growing cricket brand. [Add one line on the work and its result]
Immersive football experience
A new immersive football experience, built with Stuart Rowson of Lucky Socks.
Building something new?
Tell us what you're working on and we'll tell you honestly whether sport can help.
Talk to usThinking for start-ups
From the Bazballers Scoop and our articles.
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What big organisations forget about growth
Two years taking HiTZ from a PowerPoint to a business, and the start-up habits big sport shouldn't grow out of.
"If this is worth doing, how could we find the resources to do it?"
6 Sep 2026 · Read the issue →
Robots in disguise:
why robot lawnmowers are showing up in sport
Why brands asking people to change behaviour, from cinch to robot lawnmowers, turn to sport to build trust.
"Sport isn't just something people like. It's something people care about."
3 May 2026 · Read the issue →
Starting from scratch: two years learning the new rules
Eight lessons from leaving a senior role to build a business from nothing.
"Titles don't solve problems, solutions do."
12 Apr 2026 · Read the issue →
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Start-up questions
Straight answers to what founders and challenger brands ask us most.
Is sport right for a start-up?
Sometimes, and sometimes not yet. Sport can build trust fast for a new brand, but only if it fits your audience, budget and stage. We'll tell you honestly if the money would work harder elsewhere for now.
How much do we need to spend?
Less than you might think, if you're focused. Rising athletes, new formats and grassroots partnerships can be accessible starting points, but activation needs budget too. Start with what you need to prove, then spend where it counts.
Can sport help us raise investment?
It can help. Credible partners and early traction make a stronger story for investors, and the right partnership opens doors. At HiTZ Cricket, raising money venue by venue helped turn one or two planned sites into 15.
Should we sign an athlete ambassador?
Only if they genuinely fit, use the product and want to build something with you. Harry Brook's relationship with HiTZ started with him in the nets, early on. Be clear about the job, the content and how you'll measure it, and plan for injury or loss of form.
What do you actually do for a start-up?
Typically we test whether sport is right, shape your proposition and partner story, make introductions and help you plan and launch. We can stay involved as you grow.
