AthleteNetwork

Athlete Network operates as a specialized software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider, focusing on engagement solutions for collegiate and professional athletic organizations. The company was founded by Chris Smith, a former college football player for the University of Hawaii and Missouri State University. Smith's transition from competitive sports to the business world, where he gained experience in pharmaceuticals, finance, and investment banking, informed the company's mission. He established Athlete Network to address the challenge athletes face when their competitive sports careers end, believing their intrinsic mindset is a valuable asset that needs to be leveraged in other aspects of life.

The core of the business is its proprietary software, UNITE, a white-label platform that enables athletic departments and associations to create branded, centralized hubs for their communities. Clients, which include prominent institutions like Penn State, Texas Tech, and Alabama, use the software to organize, promote, and track programs and services for current and former student-athletes. This business model generates revenue by providing these organizations with tools to improve engagement, which in turn helps increase their own revenue and fundraising while supplying valuable data analytics. The platform's features include career services, mentorship programs, content integration, and networking capabilities designed to support athletes' personal and professional development. For instance, the system uses a recommendation engine and an object graph database to deliver personalized content to users.

The company's journey includes a multi-year growth strategy that started with building a foundational network and an on-campus internship program before launching its customizable software for athletic departments. A significant milestone was the acquisition of Athlete Network by Gravyty, a provider of AI-powered engagement solutions for higher education, in June 2025. This acquisition integrated Athlete Network's platform into Gravyty's suite, aiming to enhance fundraising and engagement capabilities for athletic departments, particularly as they face new financial pressures like athlete revenue sharing. The company's estimated annual revenue is approximately $8.1 million.

Keywords: athlete engagement, SaaS, sports technology, alumni relations, career services, athletic department software, fundraising tools, professional networking, athlete development, community platform