SidelineSwap, a U.S. online marketplace for new and used sporting goods, today announced a strategic investment from eBay Ventures, the corporate venture arm of eBay Inc. Founded in 2015, SidelineSwap enables the resale of sporting goods through both its peer-to-peer online marketplace and its trade-in partnerships with retailers and brands. The eBay Ventures investment follows another recent investment in SidelineSwap by DSG Ventures, the corporate venture arm of Dick’s Sporting Goods, announced in November 2022. DSG Ventures, FJ Labs and several angel investors are also participating in the round.
SidelineSwap’s trade-in platform includes pop-up events, in-store and online trade-in options for brands and retailers, and a suite of tools for resellers in the SidelineSwap community to enable their own trade-in experiences. Powered by SidelineSwap’s marketplace technology and proprietary resale data, the trade-in platform represents the next generation of resale marketplaces. The hybrid model, which includes both peer-to-peer and first-party sales, gives sellers the ability to choose what works best for them – direct resale or immediate trade-in value. This ensures sporting goods shoppers can find a wide selection of gear at great prices in the marketplace.
SidelineSwap said it will use the investment to expand its trade-in platform and further grow its online marketplace for sporting goods. The collaboration between eBay Ventures and SidelineSwap will enable both companies to better serve the sporting goods community. SidelineSwap already calls itself “the world’s largest online marketplace for sporting goods” and was one of the fastest-growing marketplaces on Andreessen Horowitz’s A16z Top 100 Marketplaces list from 2019-2022.
