Spond

Spond AS, a Norwegian-based company, operates as a provider of a social activities planning and discovery platform, targeting the grassroots sports sector and other group activities. Founded in 2012 by Per-Otto Wold, the company aims to simplify the organizational burdens for volunteers, coaches, and group leaders. Wold, an experienced entrepreneur who previously founded and sold Point Carbon to Thomson Reuters, brought his expertise in building and scaling technology platforms to Spond, where he initially served as CEO before transitioning to the role of Founder and Executive Chairman.

The company's core offering is a free-to-use application designed to streamline team and group management. Key features of the Spond app include event scheduling with automated reminders, availability tracking, and communication tools for groups of up to 500 members. The platform facilitates the organization of various activities, from sports practices and matches to club meetings. For parents, the app allows for the management of their children's activities and communications, including responding to invitations on their behalf. To serve larger organizations, Spond offers "Spond Club," a solution with advanced administrative tools for membership management, payment collection, and integration with the main app.

Spond's business model is centered around transactions processed through its platform. While the app itself is free and ad-free, the company generates revenue by charging a small transaction fee on payments collected for items like membership dues, team fees, and digital fundraisers. This approach allows the company to provide a valuable service without imposing subscription costs on its user base of volunteers and grassroots clubs. Recently, the company has also started incorporating non-intrusive brand partnerships as an additional revenue stream to maintain the free service.

The company has demonstrated significant growth, reporting over 3 million monthly active users globally, with a particularly strong presence in Norway and the UK. Financially, Spond has secured a total of $17 million in funding over two rounds, including a Series B round of $11 million in September 2021, with investors such as Verdane and NewMark Capital. This capital is being used to fuel international expansion and further product development. Keywords: team management, group organization, sports administration, grassroots sports, volunteer tool, club management software, event scheduling, team communication, membership fee collection, fundraising platform, Per-Otto Wold, sports tech, activity planning, mobile app, Spond Club, parent communication, team payments, sports software, group coordination, volunteer management