Let’s skip the small talk,
Major news in the CPG space: Grüns, the daily nutrition gummy brand with an extensive list of athlete investors, has been acquired by Unilever Global for an undisclosed amount.
If you aren’t paying attention to what is going on in women’s sports, you are missing out and likely falling behind. According to Deloitte, women’s elite sports revenues are set to reach $3 billion in 2026, but this is still only the beginning.
Let’s get into it on this week’s edition of Backstage.
LINEUP
1. Headlines of the week 🗞️
2. Unilever Acquires Grüns 🍬
3. Women’s Sports to the Moon 🚀
4. Invitations, Invitations 💬
5. Company of the Week Presented by OPTYO: DEFI Snacks 🍫
NEWS
🚨Headlines of the Week🚨
Unilever has acquired Grüns, which has numerous athlete investors including Shaun White, DK Metcalf, Klay Thompson, Weston McKennie, and more (see more below).
Women's elite sports revenues to reach $3 billion in 2026 (Deloitte, see more below).
Muggsy Bogues and Jaylen Brown fill the final two General Manager/Owner spots for Tracy McGrady’s Ones Basketball League.
Shaquille O'Neal partners with TNT Sports to launch DUNKMAN, a new global competition platform set to launch this summer.
Asian University Basketball League, started by Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai, receives investment from Yao Ming in Series A raise.
A&A IN DEPTH
Unilever Acquires Grüns
Founded in August 2023 by Chad Janis, Grüns was last valued at $500M (April 2025 funding round led by Headline) and was profitable within 14 months of launch.
The investor list includes three active NFL athletes: DK Metcalf, Dak Prescott, and Joe Burrow, and seven active NBA athletes: Klay Thompson, Paul George, Aaron Gordon, Domantas Sabonis, Marcus Smart, Alex Caruso, and Kelly Olynyk. The list also includes Isaiah Thomas, Weston McKennie, Ian Happ, and Shaun White, who is also a paid spokesperson for the brand.
Shaun White, DK Metcalf, Joe Burrow, Dak Prescott, Klay Thompson, and Paul George all invested in the Series A raise through the PLUS Capital collective as members of the group.
When athlete investors in a functional CPG brand like Grüns align with the product, and with other athletes on board, it is a more comfortable investment to make. Grüns made it easy for athletes to align with the brand for its functionality and nutritional value, and it is reflected in their investor list.
Now with the acquisition by Unilever, the early athlete investors are likely to see positive outcomes from taking equity over a pure cash endorsement.
ATHLETE MONEY
Women’s Sports to the Moon
Women’s sports have been rapidly growing, not only in revenue and viewership, but as an asset class and overall ecosystem as well.
“Deloitte Global predicts the women’s elite global sports market will reach at least US$3 billion in 2026, an increase of 340% since 2022” (Deloitte).
Since drafting Paige Bueckers, the Dallas Wings’ ticket revenue is up 154%, national viewership up 41%, and local audience up 411% (Sports Business Journal).
The women's March Madness final drew 9.9 million viewers, short of the Caitlin Clark spike two years ago, but more than double the pre-Clark era numbers (Sportico).
Unrivaled Basketball, founded by Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, raised capital at a $340 million valuation heading into the 2026 season and generated around $45 million in total revenue this year.
Project B, with Candace Parker and Novak Djokovic as investors, has player deals starting at $2 million annually, with players also getting equity stakes in the league.
These opportunities are being laid out for athletes to invest in; an ecosystem that is rapidly growing and has increasing potential as more and more women athletes become the main event. Unrivaled and Project B are still young, but show how athletes are actively expanding opportunities for other athletes, adding to the overall value of the environment and asset class.
Exclusive Offer:
OPTYO helps sports, fitness, and wellness brands grow their online presence by improving how they market and reach customers.
They are offering one month of their services for free (up to a $2,000 value) for Athletes and Assets™ Backstage readers.
To claim this, interested brands should visit the "Get Started" page at https://www.optyo.net/contact to schedule a Growth Strategy Intro Meeting. When prompted with "How did you hear about us?", select "Athletes & Assets."
MOST VALUABLE PLATFORM
Invitations, Invitations
We shipped a new feature this week that quite frankly solves a pet peeve of mine.
It's amazing how much email, texting, and DM-ing back and forth between brands and athletes results in lost partnership opportunities. Both sides forget. Finding a time seems to be the hardest part.
I've seen this happen over and over and over again.
Now, founders can directly send and propose times for athletes to schedule a call through Athletes & Assets™ with in our private chat interface.
Sync your calendar, and within 2 clicks the whole "for sure let's meet, what works for you?" is solved.
Once a call is schedule it syncs to both parties calendar and then meeting notes are sent to the athlete - https://lnkd.in/ejCU4fFD
There's no excuse. Either you want to connect, or you don't.
You build SaaS, we build NBSaaS (no B.S. as a service) 😂
- Noah
COMPANY OF THE WEEK
Company of the Week Presented by OPTYO: DEFI Snacks
DEFI Snacks (Delicious Energizing Fitness Indulgence) combines chocolate with functional ingredients like buckwheat and protein. Watch Noah’s interview with Tatyana Jones, founder and CEO of the brand, here:
Why should athletes care?
Built by athletes for athletes
Protein CPG opportunity
Combination of fast and slow-absorbing proteins
Protein CPG is one of the most prominent in the space, and an elite opportunity for athletes to endorse for equity, especially in young companies like DEFI. As a brand built for “fitness loving foodies,” DEFI aligns with athletes on multiple levels.