Avoli is a technology company.
Avoli has raised $2.0M across 1 funding round.
Avoli has raised $2.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Avoli is a Portland, Oregon-based athletic brand launched in 2023, dedicated exclusively to the performance needs of women and girl volleyball athletes.[1][3][4] It builds specialized footwear, apparel, and equipment, such as the Avoli VOL I shoe with active venting, octopus-inspired traction, and cushioning tuned for volleyball movements like jumping and lunging, serving high school, collegiate, and professional players in women's sizes 5.5 to 14.[1][3][5] Avoli solves the problem of athletes using ill-suited men's basketball shoes, which contribute to high repetitive stress injuries from volleyball's unique demands—jumping up to four times more than basketball—while preventing injuries and optimizing court performance.[3][4] The company has strong early momentum, raising $3.1M total (including a $2.1M angel seed round exceeding its $1.5M target) from investors like Ho Nam (Altos Ventures), Blythe Jack (ex-TSG Consumer Partners), and Pete Saperstone (Greycroft), funding hires, marketing, and product expansion amid surging girls' volleyball participation as the top U.S. team sport for girls.[1][4]
Avoli was founded in 2023 by Mark Oleson and Rick Anguilla, footwear industry veterans with decades at adidas, Lululemon, Nike, and Under Armour, motivated by their daughters' experiences as high school and collegiate volleyball players.[3][4] They repeatedly heard complaints about the lack of shoes designed for volleyball, observing athletes wearing men's basketball footwear despite the sport's distinct movements and injury risks.[3] This personal insight, combined with their expertise, led to Avoli's creation in Portland, Oregon, starting with a women-led design team engineering the Avoli VOL I shoe from the ground up.[3] Early traction came swiftly: the company closed its first $1M phase of a $1.5M seed round shortly after launch in July 2023, overshooting to $2.1M with backing from tech, consumer, and footwear leaders, enabling rapid scaling.[1][4]
(Note: While Avoli operates in sportswear manufacturing, its appeal to tech investors like Altos Ventures—known for Roblox/Coupang—highlights a tech-adjacent play on data-driven design and direct-to-consumer scaling in the $100B+ global athletic footwear market.)[1][4] Avoli rides the explosive growth of girls' volleyball, the #1 U.S. participation sport for girls, fueled by Title IX expansion, social media visibility, and post-pandemic youth sports booms.[3][4] Timing aligns with rising demand for gender-specific athletic gear amid women's sports investments (e.g., NWSL/WNBA surges), where underserved niches like volleyball offer first-mover advantages over giants like Nike/Adidas.[1][3] Market forces favoring Avoli include e-commerce direct sales, personalized performance tech (e.g., traction/cushioning innovations), and investor interest in consumer products with viral potential via athlete endorsements.[4][5] It influences the ecosystem by pioneering women-focused sportswear, potentially inspiring similar specialization in lacrosse/field hockey, and amplifying volleyball's cultural rise through campaigns featuring top collegiates.[4]
Avoli is poised to dominate the underserved women/girl volleyball niche, with upcoming releases like Avoli Mid/Low variants in mid-October 2025 and January 2026 signaling aggressive expansion.[5] Trends like AI-optimized footwear design, sustainable materials (echoing founders' Adidas/Unless experience), and women's sports media deals will propel growth, potentially capturing 10-20% of the volleyball shoe market as participation swells.[1][3] Its influence may evolve from specialist to category leader, attracting acquisitions from big players or further VC rounds—watch for pro athlete partnerships and international push, building on that initial $3.1M raise to fuel the next volleyball revolution.[1][4] Avoli proves personal passion plus industry chops can redefine athletic performance, one Ah-Volley at a time.[3]
Avoli has raised $2.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Avoli's investors include Altos Ventures, Kevin Hart, Vernon Davis.
Avoli has raised $2.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $2.0M Seed in June 2023.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 1, 2023 | $2.0M Seed | Altos Ventures, Kevin Hart, Vernon Davis |