MatchKit, a South African start-up aiming to help athletes make money in the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic. MatchKit is an app where athletes or their agents highlight their sporting pedigree and sponsors, with sites going live in a matter of minutes.
Matchkit was co-founded in 2020 by Mike Sharman and World Cup Rugby winner Bryan Habana.
The system connects with existing social media networks such as TikTok, displays the reach and quality of an athlete’s influence to potential sponsors, and also provides a user-friendly e-commerce store where fans can purchase anything from custom branded goods to personalized video and audio. It also enables them to accept payments for their foundation or charity.
The concept for the start-up originated when Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mike Sharman heard from 2007 Rugby World Cup winner Bryan Habana, now also involved in South Africa’s start-up space, about the lack of website adoption by athletes – rugby players in particular.
MatchKit seeks to help these athletes get back into the game . The startup has been self-funded by its founders and has had enough deals to ensure that it is financed at least until the beginning of 2022.
Athlete pays a US$20 monthly subscription to the MatchKit, while the start-up also recovers a fee for e-commerce sales made via its platform. Sharman said that it also has some additional fintech and insurtech elements that will be introduced this year to unlock new revenue streams.