Let’s skip the small talk,
It feels like we have new leagues popping up like whack-a-mole. We have athletes LEADING seed rounds now. Not to mention, we got the exclusive of the new platform where companies can directly pitch professional athletes.
The action does not stop…
LINEUP
1. Headlines of the week 🗞️
2. Grab your Popcorn 🍿
3. Marathon Economy 👟
4. Pitch an Athlete 👀
5. Company of the week: ShapeScale 🧍🏻♂️
NEWS
Headlines of the Week
• Tennis star Novak Djokovic led the $5 million seed round for Cob, a corn-free popcorn brand (see more below).
• Tom Brady’s entertainment and marketing studio Shadow Lion received a strategic investment from Fox Sports with the goal of creating digital content combining sports and culture.
• WNBPA president and former WNBA MVP, Nneka Ogwumike, signed with the upstart women’s league Project B, where players will receive an equity stake, which Ogwumike explicitly cited as a key reason for signing.
• NBA players Aaron Nesmith, Darius Garland, and Payton Pritchard have collaborated to launch Off Court, a social media platform designed specifically for basketball players to engage directly with fans, manage their personal brands, and monetize their content.
• Retired pro tennis star, CiCi Bellis, founded Cartan Capital, a $40 million venture capital fund focused on sports and health technology. It started with a $10 million pledge fund sourced from 15 investors, is now in an ongoing larger fund, and has made eight investments.
OWNER, NOT ENDORSER
Popcorn for the Joker 🍿
Cob, a gluten-free snack brand founded by entrepreneur Jessica Davidoff and co-founded by tennis star Novak Djokovic, has announced a $5 million seed funding round led by Djokovic.
Cob offers a nutrient-dense, sustainable alternative to traditional popcorn and is built around puffed sorghum, an ancient, drought-resistant grain that uses 36% less water than corn.
Davidoff’s search for a corn-free snack for her son inspired the brand’s new sorghum-based “popcorn”, now launching nationwide in four savory flavors.
So why? 2 reasons, equally as important in my opinion.
1. Understanding. Cob’s ingredients meet Joker where he’s at. He already incorporates a lot of ancient grains in his diet, so there is a layer of understanding.
2. Narrative. Cob was created to solve a corn allergy problem amongst Davidoff’s children. The story is essential at this juncture of the company. Finding a safe alternative is a heroic feat that can move decision makers.
In such a noisy category, these are the reasons I believe Cob is worth the time and capital for Djokovic.
IT’S A MARATHON
Scale and Opportunity
I spent the weekend at the New York City Marathon cheering on my wife. It was my first time watching a major marathon, and I couldn’t believe the energy pulsing through the city all weekend. What surprised me most wasn’t just the scale of the event; it was how professional the entire experience has become.
On Friday morning I walked into the marathon expo and was immediately overwhelmed. Hundreds of booths filled the Javits Center: recovery tech, fueling gels, performance wear, compression gear, and every form of data-driven training tool imaginable. What stood out wasn’t just the crowd size but how seriously people treated every detail. Everyone there seemed to be chasing the same goal: prepare like a pro, race like a pro, recover like a pro.
And it’s not just a feeling. Marathons are massive economic engines. According to Brand Finance’s Marathons 50 (2025) report, the world’s fifty largest marathons generate about $5.2 billion in annual economic impact for their host cities. These weekends move real money through travel, hotels, dining, and the expanding world of running gear and tech.
Brands Built for Runners
At the heart of that economy is the expo. It’s not simply about bib pickup anymore; it’s where brands fight for the attention of thousands of highly motivated athletes. The longest line I saw was for a company called Maurten, which makes hydrogel-based energy gels and drink mixes.
They’re known for their minimalist formulas with no syrupy texture or artificial sweetness and for being used by Eliud Kipchoge when he broke the two-hour marathon barrier. Maurten’s appeal is scientific simplicity: fuel that feels elite but is accessible to anyone willing to train.
Why are so many companies competing for these consumers? Because marathoners, most of them amateurs, train with a professional mindset. They track mileage, sleep, and recovery metrics with wearables like Garmin and Whoop, follow data-driven plans on Strava and Runna, and spend hundreds on carbon-plated “super shoes.” Marathon prep is no longer guesswork; it’s performance science for the everyday athlete.
Buying In
That’s what makes this market fascinating. Maurten isn’t fighting for pro endorsements; it’s fighting for the everyday runner who wants to feel like one. The same logic applies to recovery-focused products like Normatec compression boots, which started in elite training rooms but are now fixtures in amateur households. The marathon consumer is aspirational. They might not win the race, but they’re willing to buy the tools of someone who could.
Standing out in niche markets like this is smart business. Why battle for attention in crowded, general sports categories when you can own a performance subculture that’s growing every year? More people run marathons than play professional sports, but they still want to train, fuel, and recover like the pros they admire.
For my athletes and investors out there looking to hire marketing, operations, and finance pros for 80% of the cost, Oceans is a great resource for growing teams. Most quality offshore hiring you could do.
Reach if you have any questions or if you want an intro call with the team.
PUBLIC PROFILES FOR ATHLETES
Pitch an Athlete or Agency 👀
“Well who do you have on your platform?” The #1 question you guys have been asking. Many athletes we work with don’t want to be identified unless they want to reach out, and we’ve been sensitive of that.
However, I am excited to announce; we gave our athlete profiles the option to be public! Now companies can get their product directly into an athlete’s personal inbox.
Agencies have the option to list their client roster on their profile to give companies a peek at who they could be working with. We are going to do our part to encourage as much of our community to be publicly listed as possible.
We’re incredibly excited to offer this to our community, have at it:
COMPANY OF THE WEEK
ShapeScale
ShapeScale scans your body in a photorealistic 3D to give you a visual overview of your progress.
You step on the scale, it captures your body composition, and it can give precise measurements and progress reports on specific parts of the body. ShapeScale is approaching profitability, and potentially looking to work with professional athletes who align with their mission.
If you’re interested in an intro chat with Alex, please respond to this email or click here.
Want to get in front of ~9,000 of the most influential athletes and investors in Sports and Entertainment? Reply to this email and tell us why we should work together.
Athletes and Assets, Inc. accepts no liability for the content of this blog, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. Please invest responsibly and consult a financial advisor before making any investment related decisions.
