In 2023, the performance footwear and apparel brand NoBull, struggling at the time, marked a reset moment following its acquisition by Mike Repole, who is known for the sales of VitaminWater and BodyArmor to CocaCola.

That reset accelerated in January 2024, when NoBull merged with Tom Brady’s brands TB12 Sports and Brady Brand. The result has been a sharper brand position and a more expansive long-term vision.

Today, NoBull is valued at $1 billion, raised $50 million in their latest round, and has added athlete partners and endorsers Livvy Dunne and first pick of the 2025 NHL draft Matthew Schaefer.

Not only did Brady and Repole transform the brand through their shared vision, they have expanded it with the launch of NoBull Nutrition, adding to Brady’s portfolio of health and wellness.

As Brady has invested in various health and wellness startups, including eMed and Aescape, he has experience and understanding in the space. The launch of NoBull Nutrition’s protein and electrolyte line reportedly will result in TB12 winding down operations.

With integrated ownership, athlete partnerships, and calculated expansion, Brady and Repole prove that brands can still unlock enterprise-scale value in the modern sportswear landscape.

The story of NoBull over the past two years is a case study in how athlete ownership and brand alignment can rapidly reshape a company’s trajectory.

It's been cool to see what guys are searching for. There's appetite for different types of companies we didn't expect.

Too many fruitful partnerships are lying in plain sight. Will report more as we get more data. Athletes and Marketing Agencies with accepted applications are welcome to try out our search tool below ⬇️

https://athletesandassets.com/brand-search

Today I want to share a quick update on some of the new features on the Athletes & Assets™ platform and how I think about what they bring to the table.

In the past, I’ve talked about the athlete advisory agreement and why that was an important step for athlete and company partnerships. What we’re continuing to build now goes beyond that, with new preparation and discovery tools designed to support athletes throughout the entire process.

Athletes & Assets™ is with you every step of the way.

A big factor we’re actively accounting for is time. Athletes often don’t have the bandwidth to constantly source and evaluate partnership opportunities. I have lived that experience throughout my career. Especially in my earlier years, this usually meant a lot of Googling, cold outreach, and the occasional warm intro. That approach limited both the scope and quality of opportunities I was seeing. So what’s the solution? Our AI-powered brand search tool that pulls data from thousands of tech, health & wellness, and CPG brands ripe for partnership. Search for interesting industries, companies, geographies etc. You do the search, we set up the meeting. Simple as that.

So let’s say you have a meeting lined up. What’s next?

Here’s where some issues can show up. What should you talk about? What are good questions to ask? Maybe you don’t fully understand the business or the business model yet. Believe me, there's no shame in any of that uncertainty. I have lived those challenges time and time again.,

That’s where the AI meeting prep tool comes in. The benefits of this are two fold. It’s a time-saving tool, but also a way to learn. It helps surface thoughtful questions and gives you a starting point for the conversation. Over time, and with more reps, this becomes a foundation you can build on and add your own perspective and style to.

Shout out to Zak and Noah for leading the charge on listening closely to what athletes want and need and building these features in response. Athletes & Assets™ is constantly working to reduce barriers to entry in this process. The goal is to make partnerships easier, clearer, and more accessible at every step, and we’re committed to continuing to improve the product.

Don’t Quit! offers clean, healthy sports energy and hydration and protein drinks. Their main products include protein sodas and shakes.

The company is backed by Saquon Barkley, Kawhi Leonard, and Damar Hamlin, who made a promotional video for his Cookies and Cream flavored shake and said in a statement:

“Don’t Quit!’s mission, to help everyone persevere through life’s peaks and valleys, and to never give up, is aligned with who I am and what I stand for and exactly what I want to be a part of. I have always been very particular with what I put in my body. Don’t Quit! has the cleanest and healthiest products available and I am so excited to help bring Don’t Quit! to the world.”

If you’re building in the CPG or better-for-you CPG space, please check out https://athletesandassets.com/company/register