FURI Sport
Direct-to-consumer lifestyle brand for performance racket sports gear.
| Date | Investors | Amount | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
* | N/A | Seed | |
| Total Funding | 000k | ||
| USD | 2023 |
|---|---|
| Revenues | 0000 |
| EBITDA | 0000 |
| Profit | 0000 |
| EV | 0000 |
| EV / revenue | 00.0x |
| EV / EBITDA | 00.0x |
| R&D budget | 0000 |
Source: Dealroom estimates
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FURI Sport is a New York-based, direct-to-consumer brand specializing in high-performance tennis and pickleball equipment and apparel. The company was co-founded by Erick Mathelier and Michelle Spiro, who met in the summer of 2014, to challenge the traditional tennis market by making the sport more accessible and inclusive. FURI Sport launched in 2018 with a focus on disrupting the industry starting with technologically advanced, yet inclusively priced, tennis rackets.
Erick Mathelier, a Haitian-American from Brooklyn, discovered tennis after racial tensions in 1980s New York forced him to quit baseball. The sport provided him with a Division 1 college scholarship and inspired an entrepreneurial drive. Michelle Spiro, a Queens native, is a 30-year fashion executive with brand-building experience at global companies like Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, and Ralph Lauren. Together, they aim to merge performance sports with city life and streetwear fashion, creating functional and stylish products.
The company's business model is direct-to-consumer, selling primarily through its website, furisport.com. Their product line includes the 'Arma' series of tennis rackets for adults and juniors, pickleball paddles developed with Komodo Pickleball, strings, bags, overgrips, and apparel such as t-shirts and hoodies. The rackets are engineered with proprietary materials claimed to be stronger than graphite, incorporating Energy Return Technology (ERT) and Vibration Reduction Technology (VRT). FURI Sport targets a diverse customer base, from competitive athletes to recreational players, who are overlooked by traditional brands. A key part of the company's mission is its give-back program, through which it partners with non-profit organizations like Kings County Tennis League (KCTL) to donate equipment and support youth in under-privileged communities.
Keywords: racket sports, tennis equipment, pickleball paddles, direct-to-consumer, sports apparel, inclusive sports brand, Erick Mathelier, Michelle Spiro, urban sportswear, tennis rackets, performance gear, sports lifestyle, FURI Arma, give-back program, New York startup, Black-owned business, woman-owned business, streetwear, tennis bags, sports accessories, Komodo Pickleball