The Full List of 19 Sports Unicorn Startups (2026)

The Full List of 19 Sports Unicorn Startups (2026)

The sports industry has 19 unicorn startups, showing a mix of new technology and traditional fan engagement. These companies cover areas from fantasy sports and digital collectibles to athletic performance and merchandise.

Sports merchandise retailer Fanatics leads the group with a valuation of $31 billion. Other major players include fantasy sports platform Dream11, valued at $8 billion, and the blockchain-based game Sorare, valued at $4.3 billion.

Below is the full list of 19 Sports unicorn startups at this time.

Top 10 Most Valuable Sports Unicorns

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Fanatics Logo

Fanatics creates and sells official fan gear, from jerseys to collectibles, for sports leagues and teams worldwide. Their platform powers the official online stores for many of the world’s largest sports leagues, offering a vast catalog of team apparel.

Valuation$31B (Joined June 2012)
HeadquartersJacksonville, Florida, United States
Year Founded2002
FoundersAlan Trager, Jason Watkins, Josh Luber, Michael Rubin, Mitch Trager
Funding Amount$4.9B
Company SizeEnterprise Organization (5,001+)
Last Funding StatusPrivate Equity
Top InvestorsAndreessen Horowitz, Franklin Templeton, Bank of America, Insight Partners, BlackRock
Dream11 Logo

Dream11 runs a major fantasy sports platform where users build virtual teams of real-life players to compete in various contests. They offer a popular mobile app for sports like cricket, football, and kabaddi, allowing fans to test their knowledge and win prizes.

Valuation$8B (Joined April 2019)
HeadquartersBandra, Maharashtra, India
Year Founded2008
Founders
Funding Amount$1.2B
Company SizeLarge Team (251-1,000)
Last Funding StatusVenture Round
Top InvestorsAlpha Wave Global, TPG, RedBird Capital Partners, Tiger Global Management, ChrysCapital
Sorare Logo

Sorare created a global fantasy sports game where players collect, trade, and compete with officially licensed digital player cards. Their platform uses blockchain technology to give fans true ownership of their digital collectibles, blending the worlds of sports fandom and crypto.

Valuation$4.3B (Joined September 2021)
HeadquartersParis, Ile-de-France, France
Year Founded2018
FoundersAdrien Montfort, Nicolas Julia
Funding Amount$739.2M
Company SizeMid-Size Team (51-250)
Last Funding StatusSeries B
Top InvestorsHeadline, Benchmark, Bessemer Venture Partners, Accel, IVP
WHOOP Logo

WHOOP builds a sophisticated fitness wearable that tracks a user’s sleep, strain, and recovery around the clock. They are known for providing deep, personalized health insights that help athletes optimize their training and overall wellness.

Valuation$4B (Joined October 2020)
HeadquartersBoston, Massachusetts, United States
Year Founded2012
FoundersAurelian Nicolae, John Capodilupo, Will Ahmed
Funding Amount$404.8M
Company SizeLarge Team (251-1,000)
Last Funding StatusSeries F
Top InvestorsTwo Sigma Ventures, Founder Collective, IVP, Foundry Group, NextView Ventures
Games24x7 Logo

Games24x7 creates some of India’s most popular online skill-gaming platforms, including RummyCircle and the fantasy sports app My11Circle. Their data-driven approach to game design has attracted millions of players to their real-money and casual titles.

Valuation$3B (Joined March 2022)
HeadquartersMumbai, Maharashtra, India
Year Founded2006
FoundersBhavin Pandya, Trivikraman Thampy
Funding Amount$75M
Company SizeLarge Team (251-1,000)
Last Funding StatusVenture Round
Top InvestorsTiger Global Management, Malabar Investment Advisors, The Raine Group, Das & Co.
Suning Sports Logo

Suning Sports operates as the sports-focused arm of the Chinese retail giant Suning Holdings Group. Their portfolio includes ownership of major football clubs and the management of broadcast rights for premier sporting events.

Valuation$3B
HeadquartersNanjing, Jiangsu, China
Year Founded1990
Founders
Funding Amount$600M
Company SizeEnterprise Organization (5,001+)
Last Funding StatusSeries A
Top InvestorsSenseTime, YF Capital, Alibaba Group, China Minsheng Bank, Goldman Sachs

Mobile Premier League runs a popular skill-based eSports platform where players compete in mobile games to win real cash prizes. The platform hosts a wide range of games, giving users a chance to earn money based on their gaming talent.

Valuation$2.45B (Joined September 2021)
HeadquartersBengaluru, Karnataka, India
Year Founded2018
FoundersSai Srinivas Kiran G, Shubh Malhotra, Shubham Malhotra
Funding Amount$390.5M
Company SizeLarge Team (251-1,000)
Last Funding StatusVenture Round
Top InvestorsSequoia Capital, RTP Global, Gaingels, Peak XV Partners, Titanium Ventures
Strava Logo

Strava operates a social network for athletes that uses a mobile app to track runs, bike rides, and other workouts. They are known for turning individual fitness activities into shared experiences, allowing users to compete on virtual leaderboards and cheer on their friends.

Valuation$2.2B (Joined November 2020)
HeadquartersSan Francisco, California, United States
Year Founded2009
FoundersMark Gainey, Mark Shaw, Michael Horvath
Funding Amount$151.9M
Company SizeLarge Team (251-1,000)
Last Funding StatusVenture Round
Top InvestorsTCV, Dragoneer Investment Group, Employee Stock Option Fund, Jackson Square Ventures, Sequoia Capital
SeatGeek Logo

SeatGeek operates a mobile-focused ticket platform where fans can buy and sell tickets for sports, concerts, and other live events. They are known for a powerful search engine that aggregates listings from across the web to help users find the best available prices.

Valuation$1.24B (Joined August 2022)
HeadquartersNew York, New York, United States
Year Founded2009
FoundersEric Waller, Jack Groetzinger, Russell D’Souza
Funding Amount$400.1M
Company SizeLarge Team (251-1,000)
Last Funding StatusSeries E
Top InvestorsFounder Collective, TCV, FJ Labs, Accel, Wellington Management
Teamworks Logo

Teamworks builds an operating system for sports organizations that centralizes their most critical functions. The platform supports everything from talent acquisition and athlete development to daily team operations and logistics.

Valuation$1.24B (Joined June 2025)
HeadquartersDurham, North Carolina, United States
Year Founded2009
FoundersMitch Heath, Shaun Powell, Zachary Maurides
Funding Amount$422.2M
Company SizeLarge Team (251-1,000)
Last Funding StatusSeries F
Top InvestorsSeaport Capital, Dragoneer Investment Group, Delta-v Capital, Teamworthy Ventures, General Catalyst

The Remaining 9 Sports Unicorns

The ten most valuable companies are just one part of the story. Founders across the US, Europe, and Asia are building billion-dollar businesses in everything from fitness tech to fantasy sports.

These startups are also growing quickly and changing how we play and watch sports. Here’s a look at the rest of the sports unicorns to watch.



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