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§ Private Profile · MA, USA
SidelineSwap is a technology company.
SidelineSwap operates an online marketplace for sporting goods, enabling athletes to buy and sell new and used equipment. The platform provides a structured environment for direct peer-to-peer transactions, streamlining the acquisition and divestment of sports gear. It aims to facilitate efficient exchange for athletic equipment, making sports more accessible.
Founded in 2012 by former college athletes, including co-founder and CEO Brendan Candon, SidelineSwap emerged from an understanding of challenges athletes face with equipment turnover. The founders recognized the need for an efficient system to manage the lifecycle of sports gear, leveraging their personal experiences to build a specialized marketplace.
SidelineSwap serves athletes seeking to purchase and offload equipment. The company's vision is to cultivate a vast and active community for sporting goods, empowering athletes to extend the utility of their gear. It aims to foster a sustainable ecosystem, making participation in sports more affordable and accessible for its users.
SidelineSwap has raised $7.0M across 2 funding rounds.
SidelineSwap has raised $7.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
# SidelineSwap: A Technology-Enabled Sports Resale Marketplace
SidelineSwap is an online marketplace that enables athletes, parents, coaches, and small businesses to buy and sell new and used sports equipment across multiple disciplines.[1][2] Founded in 2014 and based in Boston, Massachusetts, the company has built a community-driven platform that addresses a fundamental problem in sports: the high cost of equipment and the waste generated by gear that's no longer needed.[5]
The platform serves a dual mission: making sports more affordable and accessible while promoting sustainability by keeping used equipment in circulation rather than in landfills.[1] Since its launch, more than 1.5 million athletes have joined SidelineSwap and listed over $1 billion worth of gear for sale, with athletes earning more than $250 million through resales.[2] The company operates with approximately 35-200 employees (depending on the source) and generated $25.9 million in revenue.[7]
SidelineSwap was founded in 2014 by former college athletes who recognized a critical gap in the market.[5] The founders understood firsthand how difficult and expensive it was to find high-quality used sports gear online—a pain point that resonated across the entire sports community. This personal experience drove them to create a solution that would democratize access to sports equipment while creating economic value for sellers.
The company's early traction was substantial. By establishing itself as "the leader in sports resale," SidelineSwap attracted major brand partnerships, including a 2024 deal with Rawlings to become their "Official Resale Partner," complete with a comprehensive trade-in program.[1] This partnership validated the company's model and demonstrated its ability to integrate with established sports equipment manufacturers.
SidelineSwap operates at the intersection of three powerful trends: the circular economy, sports technology, and marketplace platforms. The company is riding the wave of consumer demand for sustainable consumption—particularly among younger athletes and environmentally conscious families who want to reduce waste without sacrificing quality.
The timing is particularly favorable. Sports equipment is expensive, and the barrier to entry for young athletes remains high. By creating a liquid secondary market, SidelineSwap lowers that barrier while capturing value that previously went unrealized. The company's partnerships with major brands like Rawlings signal that established players recognize the strategic importance of circular commerce—it reduces customer acquisition costs, increases lifetime value, and strengthens brand loyalty through trade-up programs.
Within the broader tech ecosystem, SidelineSwap represents a maturing category of vertical marketplaces that combine community, commerce, and sustainability. The company's technology stack—featuring Ruby on Rails, Next.js, and modern analytics tools—reflects a pragmatic approach to building scalable, data-driven platforms.[3] Its influence extends beyond its own marketplace; by licensing trade-in technology to brands, SidelineSwap is becoming infrastructure for the sports industry's transition toward circular models.
SidelineSwap has established itself as the dominant player in sports equipment resale, but its trajectory suggests ambitions beyond being a marketplace. The company's pivot toward B2B trade-in technology and brand partnerships indicates a shift toward becoming the operating system for circular commerce in sports—positioning itself as the backbone that enables retailers and manufacturers to offer resale and trade-in experiences directly to consumers.
The company's $13.9 million in total funding and $25.9 million in revenue suggest it has achieved meaningful scale, though it remains private.[7] Future growth will likely depend on deepening brand partnerships, expanding internationally, and potentially leveraging AI and data analytics to improve matching between buyers and sellers or predict demand for specific equipment categories.
The broader trend working in SidelineSwap's favor is the normalization of secondhand commerce—what was once niche is becoming mainstream. As sustainability becomes a competitive differentiator for sports brands and consumers increasingly expect circular options, SidelineSwap's infrastructure becomes more valuable. The company's influence will likely grow not just through direct marketplace transactions, but through its role in enabling the sports industry's transition toward more sustainable, accessible, and economically efficient models of equipment distribution.
SidelineSwap has raised $7.0M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $5.0M Series A in April 2018.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 24, 2018 | $5M Series A | Global Founders Capital | David Robinson, FJ Labs, Reid Snyder, RiverPark Ventures, The Player's Impact | Announced |
| Sep 1, 2016 | $2M Seed | — | 645 Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, Brand Foundry Ventures, Cantos Ventures, Credo Ventures, Matt Ocko, Equal Ventures, FJ Labs, Flex Capital, Foundamental, Founder Collective, Future Ventures, Index Ventures, Left Lane Capital, Merus Capital, Miramar Ventures, Raine Ventures, Summit Partners, Teamworthy Ventures, Esther Dyson, MO EL Bibany, Richard Rosenblatt, Todd Arky, 01 Advisors, Ansa Capital, Jeff Richards, KKR, Rock Ventures, The Finger Group, Wiley Cerilli, Maria Thomas, Fullstack Sports Ventures, Global Founders Capital, Haystack, RiverPark Ventures, The Player's Impact | Announced |
SidelineSwap has raised $7.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
SidelineSwap's investors include Global Founders Capital, David Robinson, FJ Labs, Reid Snyder, RiverPark Ventures, The Player's Impact, 645 Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, Brand Foundry Ventures, Cantos Ventures, Credo Ventures, Matt Ocko.