Sportyneo

Sportyneo operates as a financial technology firm, established in February 2021 by co-founders Johan Gouttefangeas and Cyril Guigon-Rech. The company was born from Gouttefangeas's personal experience with the financial friction between sports clubs and their members, following a sports injury that highlighted the difficulty in obtaining a membership refund. His background as a high-level athlete and in managing professional and amateur sports clubs, including co-founding GOAL FC and serving as vice-president of Singapore's Professional Football League, provided foundational insights into the sector's challenges.

The firm's primary service addresses the financial pain points for both amateur sports associations and their members. For members, Sportyneo offers a 'Buy Now, Pay Later' model, allowing them to split their annual membership fees into one, four, or ten installments. This solution is designed to ease the financial burden on families, particularly during the expensive back-to-school season. For the clubs, the platform provides significant cash flow benefits by advancing the full membership fee upfront, regardless of the member's payment plan. This service is provided free of charge to the associations, which also gain access to a dashboard for simplified financial tracking.

Sportyneo's business model is not based on fees to the clubs. Instead, revenue is generated through commissions on optional services such as cancellation/interruption insurance for memberships and sports camps, a cashback and voucher program, and an integrated merchandising solution. The cashback feature allows members to earn discounts on everyday purchases at major national retailers, with the savings being used to offset their sports license costs. The merchandising service enables clubs to offer branded products through an online store without managing inventory or distribution, and the club receives a 10% commission on sales.

Headquartered in Ecully, France, the company has shown significant traction, working with 3,000 clubs as of early 2024. Sportyneo secured a seed funding round of €1.6 million in January 2024 from investors including Groupama Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Obiz, and several business angels. This followed a previous €450,000 round in 2023. The firm plans to use the capital for technological advancements, domestic expansion across France, and international growth, with Spain, Italy, and the UK as target markets. The company is also exploring the adaptation of its model for other sectors, such as music schools and student associations.

Keywords: amateur sports financing, fintech, payment solutions, membership fees, installment payments, sports clubs, association management, BNPL for sports, cashback program, sports merchandising, club fundraising, membership management, sports tech, subscription financing, Johan Gouttefangeas, Cyril Guigon-Rech, athlete financing, club cash flow, online payment platform, sports association tool