Let’s skip the small talk,
Happy holidays to friends and family. May you all have an easy fast. Lord forgive me, but you know even if I got struck down by lightning I’d still publish a mf Thursday newsletter.
Big updates ⬇️
LINEUP
1. Marketplace Updates 📈
2. Life Collage 📸
3. Casey Toohill on Sleep Tech 💤
4. Let’s Go Golfing 🏌
MARKETPLACE
Updates
PLEASE NOTE: Mock Example— not a real company :)
🚨 Now anyone can be notified of company and brand opportunities…
We’ve built an internal system that notifies up to 1,000 vetted athletes, agencies, and investment managers of a new company featured. To access specific details and directly engage, athletes need a subscription, which we manually vet before approving the subscription purchase.
As a founder, not only do you have direct exposure to the most influential investors in sports, but anyone who connects with you through A&A goes through a vetting process. There have been a couple of athlete applications we could not accept.
Despite our technical powers, the human element is still there and taken very seriously. We’re working with companies, funds, and athletes in close capacity to achieve their respective goals. Yesterday’s price isn’t today’s price ;)
COLLAGE
Recents…
We’re going have some new insane content for you guys soon. In the meantime I’ve switched up the flow by sharing life through videos to photos.
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
Sleep Tech: The Next Frontier in Recovery, by Casey Toohill
I get excited when new recovery gadgets hit the market. The more unique and crazier the benefits, the more I want to check them out. I’m always searching for an edge, no matter how small.
But the more I see these tools, the more I come back to the most important pillar of recovery: sleep.
Why Sleep Is Harder for Athletes
Athletes often sleep worse than the average person. Training stress, late-night games, constant travel across time zones–it all adds up. And when sleep suffers, performance does too. Recovery slows. Injury risk goes up. Focus and reaction times drop.
Everyone’s Paying Attention Now
Teams and leagues are starting to make sleep a priority:
- The NFL has a long-term partnership with Sleep Number for smart beds.
- The NBA, through its venture arm, recently invested in Somnee, a neurotech headband that just launched its 2.0 wearable.
- Athletes like Charles Leclerc, Zak Brown, and Taylor Fritz have backed Eight Sleep.
- The OURA Ring is now common among NBA players, Olympians, and plenty of athlete-investors.
Sleep tech has gone mainstream. And beyond sports, the global sleep tech devices market was valued at $24.9 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow from $29.3 billion in 2025 to $134.7 billion by 2034, at an 18.5% CAGR.
The Tracker Trap
The first wave of sleep tech focused on tracking like OURA, Whoop, and Fitbit. Helpful, yes. A great place to start. But there is a downside: orthosomnia, or anxiety about not sleeping enough, and sometimes tracking can make it worse. I have seen people obsess over a bad score, and that stress alone makes it harder to sleep the next night.
Tracking shows the problem. But we really need solutions.
The Next Wave: Helping You Sleep
This is what excites me. Products that do not just measure sleep but actually help you fall asleep and stay asleep:
- Eight Sleep: smart beds that adjust temperature throughout the night.
- Somnee: neurotech that helps the brain transition into sleep, now NBA-backed.
- Evolv28: tech built around circadian rhythms, with clinical validation.
Here is the key: athletes and teams care about science. Products backed by real research will stand out.
New gadgets are fun, but sleep will always be the most powerful recovery tool. And with the right tech, we can finally get more of it.
For Athletes and Assets readers:
- If you are building the next wave of sleep tech, we would love to showcase your work.
- If you are an athlete curious about what sleep tech can do for you, come join the community.
Sleep is not just recovery. It is performance 💯
EQUITY
Let’s Go Golfing…
Source: Golf Digest Middle East
Athlete equity and venture capital in sports is growing at an unprecedented rate; some big money is coming into play!
Five Iron Golf’s UAE franchisee announced that they have closed a growth financing round with Powerhouse Capital and included participation from NFL legend Larry Fitzgerald Jr., recent PGA Tour winner Kurt Kitayama, LPGA star Alison Lee, and more.
With three locations opening in prime business sports in Abu Dhabi and Dubai in 2026, this deal aims to kickstart the group’s expansion into Asia, Europe, and Africa.
The focus: athlete capital driving ownership stakes.
