Most athletes don’t have a cutting-edge plan to monetize their brands.
A Buffalo startup wants to step into that void.
Co-founders Judd Simon and John Osberg are preparing to launch Brandlete, a place where athletes can build a business around themselves by connecting with brands and fans.
The co-founders describe the concept as a social media marketplace.
But the real key is creating a place that supports all sides of the ecosystem – players and their agents, potential advertisers and fans.
“Most middle-tier athletes don’t have a place where they can connect with fans and find advertising opportunities, whether it’s commercials, billboards or print,” Simon said. “It’s tough for them to capitalize on what’s out there. We want to give them an easy way to find each other.”
Think of it this way: if a small business wants an athlete to be the face of a product, where do they go? Brandlete will be a front door for those connections.
Simon has a master’s degree in sports management from SUNY Cortland and has spent his career in operations management and marketing roles. He’s been kicking around the Brandlete idea for awhile but really started moving things forward in late 2021 when he met Osberg, a familiar face in Buffalo’s startup community who is working as a growth strategist at Incept, a local marketing agency.
From there, the idea started to take form. An initial version of the platform is being built by local firm Helm Experience & Design, with support from Trevor Mattice of Mattice Legal and from Michael Davern at Incept, which will be a core strategic partner moving forward.
The idea is that the athletes will migrate to the platform, then serve as magnets for the people looking to connect with them.
Simon said the platform is an opportunity for collegiate and high school athletes as well.
The duo has spoken extensively with player agents who serve as key gatekeepers in the athletics business.
“We’re not trying to replace what they do, we’re trying to help their clients make more money,” Osberg said. “This is a place to facilitate the connection, for the athlete to find the brands that align with what they’re all about.”
Up next: Launching the minimum viable product with a carefully chosen collection of athletes. The co-founders say several recognizable professional athletes in Buffalo are on board. They’ll finalize their pitch deck and raise pre-seed funding to support full development of the Brandlete platform.
“We’ve been building this thing slowly and organically, making sure we have the right partners whom we like and respect,” Osberg said. “When we’re ready, we think this thing is going to pop.”
