Key Takeaways:
- Out2Win raises $1.3 million in seed funding to expand its AI-powered athlete marketing platform.
- The platform tracks over 250,000 college athletes and helps brands like Rhoback and universities like Michigan State.
- Out2Win uses a unique scoring system to measure athlete marketability.
- The funding will improve AI capabilities, boost sales, and add new features.
- Female athletes led in sponsorships during March Madness but male athletes had higher engagement.
Out2Win, a company that helps brands and universities connect with college athletes, just got a big boost. They raised $1.3 million in seed funding to grow their AI-powered platform. This money will help them make their tools better, reach more people, and add new features.
What Does Out2Win Do?
Out2Win is like a matchmaking service for brands and athletes. They have profiles of over 250,000 college athletes. These profiles help brands and schools decide which athletes are best for their marketing campaigns.
Instead of guessing who might be a good fit, Out2Win uses something called the Out2Win Score. This score is like a modern version of the Q-score, which measures how marketable an athlete is. The score looks at social media stats, how well an athlete’s name, image, and likeness (NIL) is doing, and how brands are spending money.
This makes it easier for brands to pick athletes who will help their campaigns succeed. “When athlete marketing is backed by data and AI, it’s not just more effective—it’s also more measurable,” said Jack Adler, Out2Win’s CEO.
Who Invested in Out2Win?
The $1.3 million funding round got support from people in sports, business, and tech. Some big names include:
- Barbara Jones from Outshine Talent
- Patrick Zubrow from Activent Marketing
- MLS player Daniel Lovitz
- Michael Gibbons from Fox Sports
- Celebrity chef Michael Schulson
- Matt Littman from AFC Fitness
- John Brody from Learfield
These investors see the potential of Out2Win to change how athlete marketing works.
How Will Out2Win Use the Money?
Out2Win has three main goals for the funding:
- Better AI and Data Science: They want to make their athlete analytics even smarter.
- More Marketing and Sales: They plan to promote their platform to attract more brands and schools.
- New Features: They’ll add tools to meet the changing needs of the athlete marketing industry.
Since starting, Out2Win has already helped brands partner with athletes hundreds of times.
Insights from March Madness 2025 Report
Out2Win recently released a report on March Madness 2025. It looks at the most marketable athletes, how brands are spending, and NIL trends.
Here’s what they found:
- Brands did nearly 800 social media sponsorships with college basketball players during the 2024 tournament.
- These sponsorships got over 4.4 million engagements.
- Female athletes got 63% of the sponsorships (496 deals).
- Male athletes got 37% of the sponsorships (288 deals).
- But male athletes had way more engagement—over 3.2 million compared to 1.2 million for female athletes.
This shows that while female athletes are getting more deals, male athletes are driving more engagement.
What’s Next for Out2Win?
With the new funding, Out2Win is ready to grow. They want to help more brands and schools find the right athletes for their campaigns. Their focus on data and AI gives them an edge in this fast-growing field.
As athlete marketing continues to evolve, Out2Win is positioning itself as a leader. Their tools are making it easier for everyone to win—brands, schools, and athletes alike.
Let us know what you think about Out2Win and the future of athlete marketing in the comments below!
