The sports industry has 19 unicorn startups, showing a mix of new technology and traditional fan engagement. These companies cover areas from fantasy sports and digital collectibles to athletic performance and merchandise.
Sports merchandise retailer Fanatics leads the group with a valuation of $31 billion. Other major players include fantasy sports platform Dream11, valued at $8 billion, and the blockchain-based game Sorare, valued at $4.3 billion.
Below is the full list of 19 Sports unicorn startups at this time.
Top 10 Most Valuable Sports Unicorns
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Get the Sheet for $50Fanatics creates and sells official fan gear, from jerseys to collectibles, for sports leagues and teams worldwide. Their platform powers the official online stores for many of the world's largest sports leagues, offering a vast catalog of team apparel.
| Valuation | $31B (Joined June 2012) |
| Headquarters | Jacksonville, Florida, United States |
| Year Founded | 2002 |
| Founders | Alan Trager, Jason Watkins, Josh Luber, Michael Rubin, Mitch Trager |
| Funding Amount | $4.9B |
| Company Size | Enterprise Organization (5,001+) |
| Last Funding Status | Private Equity |
| Top Investors | Andreessen Horowitz, Franklin Templeton, Bank of America, Insight Partners, BlackRock |
Dream11 runs a major fantasy sports platform where users build virtual teams of real-life players to compete in various contests. They offer a popular mobile app for sports like cricket, football, and kabaddi, allowing fans to test their knowledge and win prizes.
| Valuation | $8B (Joined April 2019) |
| Headquarters | Bandra, Maharashtra, India |
| Year Founded | 2008 |
| Founders | — |
| Funding Amount | $1.2B |
| Company Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Venture Round |
| Top Investors | Alpha Wave Global, TPG, RedBird Capital Partners, Tiger Global Management, ChrysCapital |
Sorare created a global fantasy sports game where players collect, trade, and compete with officially licensed digital player cards. Their platform uses blockchain technology to give fans true ownership of their digital collectibles, blending the worlds of sports fandom and crypto.
| Valuation | $4.3B (Joined September 2021) |
| Headquarters | Paris, Ile-de-France, France |
| Year Founded | 2018 |
| Founders | Adrien Montfort, Nicolas Julia |
| Funding Amount | $739.2M |
| Company Size | Mid-Size Team (51-250) |
| Last Funding Status | Series B |
| Top Investors | Headline, Benchmark, Bessemer Venture Partners, Accel, IVP |
WHOOP builds a sophisticated fitness wearable that tracks a user's sleep, strain, and recovery around the clock. They are known for providing deep, personalized health insights that help athletes optimize their training and overall wellness.
| Valuation | $4B (Joined October 2020) |
| Headquarters | Boston, Massachusetts, United States |
| Year Founded | 2012 |
| Founders | Aurelian Nicolae, John Capodilupo, Will Ahmed |
| Funding Amount | $404.8M |
| Company Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Series F |
| Top Investors | Two Sigma Ventures, Founder Collective, IVP, Foundry Group, NextView Ventures |
Games24x7 creates some of India's most popular online skill-gaming platforms, including RummyCircle and the fantasy sports app My11Circle. Their data-driven approach to game design has attracted millions of players to their real-money and casual titles.
| Valuation | $3B (Joined March 2022) |
| Headquarters | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Year Founded | 2006 |
| Founders | Bhavin Pandya, Trivikraman Thampy |
| Funding Amount | $75M |
| Company Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Venture Round |
| Top Investors | Tiger Global Management, Malabar Investment Advisors, The Raine Group, Das & Co. |
Suning Sports operates as the sports-focused arm of the Chinese retail giant Suning Holdings Group. Their portfolio includes ownership of major football clubs and the management of broadcast rights for premier sporting events.
| Valuation | $3B |
| Headquarters | Nanjing, Jiangsu, China |
| Year Founded | 1990 |
| Founders | — |
| Funding Amount | $600M |
| Company Size | Enterprise Organization (5,001+) |
| Last Funding Status | Series A |
| Top Investors | SenseTime, YF Capital, Alibaba Group, China Minsheng Bank, Goldman Sachs |
Mobile Premier League runs a popular skill-based eSports platform where players compete in mobile games to win real cash prizes. The platform hosts a wide range of games, giving users a chance to earn money based on their gaming talent.
| Valuation | $2.45B (Joined September 2021) |
| Headquarters | Bengaluru, Karnataka, India |
| Year Founded | 2018 |
| Founders | Sai Srinivas Kiran G, Shubh Malhotra, Shubham Malhotra |
| Funding Amount | $390.5M |
| Company Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Venture Round |
| Top Investors | Sequoia Capital, RTP Global, Gaingels, Peak XV Partners, Titanium Ventures |
Strava operates a social network for athletes that uses a mobile app to track runs, bike rides, and other workouts. They are known for turning individual fitness activities into shared experiences, allowing users to compete on virtual leaderboards and cheer on their friends.
| Valuation | $2.2B (Joined November 2020) |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, California, United States |
| Year Founded | 2009 |
| Founders | Mark Gainey, Mark Shaw, Michael Horvath |
| Funding Amount | $151.9M |
| Company Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Venture Round |
| Top Investors | TCV, Dragoneer Investment Group, Employee Stock Option Fund, Jackson Square Ventures, Sequoia Capital |
SeatGeek operates a mobile-focused ticket platform where fans can buy and sell tickets for sports, concerts, and other live events. They are known for a powerful search engine that aggregates listings from across the web to help users find the best available prices.
| Valuation | $1.24B (Joined August 2022) |
| Headquarters | New York, New York, United States |
| Year Founded | 2009 |
| Founders | Eric Waller, Jack Groetzinger, Russell D'Souza |
| Funding Amount | $400.1M |
| Company Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Series E |
| Top Investors | Founder Collective, TCV, FJ Labs, Accel, Wellington Management |
Teamworks builds an operating system for sports organizations that centralizes their most critical functions. The platform supports everything from talent acquisition and athlete development to daily team operations and logistics.
| Valuation | $1.24B (Joined June 2025) |
| Headquarters | Durham, North Carolina, United States |
| Year Founded | 2009 |
| Founders | Mitch Heath, Shaun Powell, Zachary Maurides |
| Funding Amount | $422.2M |
| Company Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Series F |
| Top Investors | Seaport Capital, Dragoneer Investment Group, Delta-v Capital, Teamworthy Ventures, General Catalyst |
The Remaining 9 Sports Unicorns
The ten most valuable companies are just one part of the story. Founders across the US, Europe, and Asia are building billion-dollar businesses in everything from fitness tech to fantasy sports.
These startups are also growing quickly and changing how we play and watch sports. Here’s a look at the rest of the sports unicorns to watch.
