Startups to watch
Profiles of startups reshaping sporting goods across the value chain—from materials innovation, design and advanced manufacturing, and retail tech and AI to new product categories and community-driven business models.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
LifeLabs and the science of a cooler swing
A materials science company chose golf—not Everest—to prove its cooling fabric works where people actually play. The strategy reveals how innovation reaches mass markets
Circular Economy
Startups building the infrastructure for circular sporting goods—from take-back platforms and resale marketplaces to recycling technology and material-to-material systems.
Startup SuperCircle raises $24m for AI waste platform
SuperCircle’s AI-powered platform sorts complex athletic materials, enabling sporting goods brands to build take-back programs and meet circularity goals.
Startup brands
Startups creating new product categories, serving underserved segments, and building community-driven models that challenge how consumers experience sporting goods.
Athleisure brand Cheak opens first flagship in Singapore
Founded by ex-ClassPass colleagues, Cheak celebrated its fifth anniversary with a flagship store debut at one of Singapore’s premier luxury malls.
Australian startup challenges global shoe brands
Melbourne-born Tarkine reports fivefold growth with locally designed, eco-focused running shoes aimed at displacing foreign brands.
BRANWYN named top Athletech startup to watch
Oregon-based women’s performance innerwear brand BRANWYN earns a spot on Athletech News’ Startups To Watch 2025–26, highlighting its Merino-based innovation and sustainable practices.
Materials & manufacture
Startups transforming how sporting goods are made through materials innovation, advanced manufacturing, and digital design systems that compress timelines and unlock performance.
LifeLabs and the science of a cooler swing
A materials science company chose golf—not Everest—to prove its cooling fabric works where people actually play. The strategy reveals how innovation reaches mass markets
Intelligence, analysis and advice for the global sporting goods industry.
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