Athlete To Athlete, a mentorship platform connecting young athletes with current college athletes, has raised $8 million in Series A funding in a round led by Rally Ventures. Newbound VC, Scrum Ventures and UpHonest Capital also participated in the round.
The company will use the funding to expand partnerships across youth sports, strengthen safety measures for young athletes and grow its mentorship platform to reach more families across the United States.
Founded in 2023, Athlete To Athlete connects young athletes with college athletes in the same sport through one-on-one virtual mentorship. Its programs run for 12 or 24 weeks and focus on building confidence, resilience and positive habits that can benefit young athletes both on and off the field.
The company has built a network of college athlete mentors across more than 300 universities. It expects to facilitate over 100,000 mentorship sessions this year.
“Our focus is to develop these young athletes as people, helping them build the character, work ethic and belief in themselves that shapes who they become,” said Anthony Waller, co-founder and CEO of Athlete To Athlete. “That makes them better on game day, but more importantly, it carries them through the rest of their lives. Every athlete’s sport ends eventually, and whether that’s at 12 years old or after seven Super Bowl rings, we want them to walk away healthy, confident and ready for whatever comes next. This funding will allow us to bring safe, meaningful mentorship to far more families.”
Building Confidence Through Athlete Mentorship
Young athletes often face pressure as they compete, train and work towards their sporting goals. Athlete To Athlete aims to provide them with guidance from college athletes who have experienced similar challenges.
Through regular virtual sessions, mentors share their experiences and help younger athletes develop confidence, resilience and the habits needed to grow in sports and everyday life.
According to the company, more than 90% of parents report that their children become noticeably more confident after participating in its mentorship program.
The platform also creates paid opportunities for college athletes by allowing them to earn money through mentorship while sharing their knowledge and experience with the next generation.
Creating New Income Opportunities for College Athletes
Athlete To Athlete launched after the NCAA changed its name, image and likeness (NIL) rules in 2021, allowing college athletes to earn money from a wider range of activities.
While NIL opportunities often receive attention through major brand endorsements and sponsorship deals, most college athletes do not secure these high-profile partnerships.
Athlete To Athlete provides another way for college athletes to earn income. Instead of relying on brand deals, they can get paid for mentoring younger athletes and helping them navigate the challenges of competitive sports.
Rally Ventures Brings Sports Technology Experience
The Series A round was led by Rally Ventures, an investment firm with experience in sports technology.
Rally Operating Partner Luke Zaientz previously co-founded Reigning Champs, the parent company of college recruiting platform NCSA, where he served as COO and later CEO.
Rally Managing Director Justin Kaufenberg was also a co-founder and CEO of SportsEngine, a youth sports platform.
Their experience in sports technology and youth sports businesses brings relevant industry knowledge to Athlete To Athlete as it prepares for its next stage of growth.
About Athlete To Athlete
Athlete To Athlete is a Santa Monica-based mentorship platform founded in 2023 by former Division I athletes Anthony Waller and Zach Maisus. The two founders met as lifting partners at UCLA and launched the company while they were undergraduate students.
Anthony Waller serves as CEO, while Zach Maisus is the company’s COO.
The company aims to help develop confident, driven and resilient student-athletes by connecting young sports participants with college athletes who can guide them through one-on-one mentorship.
With its new $8 million Series A funding, Athlete To Athlete plans to expand its reach, build more youth sports partnerships and provide mentorship opportunities to more families across the country.
