Built For Athletes
Warrington
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Summary
Built For Athletes was founded in 2018 by Nick Costello, with brother Danny Costello joining shortly after. Since launching the business, which designs stylish, functional and durable carry goods and accessories for fitness enthusiasts, it has enjoyed rapid growth globally, distributing to more than 160 countries.
In 2022, Built For Athletes secured a seven-figure equity injection from River Capital that will support the business in strengthening the product pipeline and expanding into new markets.
As a result of the brand’s strong performance and since partnering with River Capital, Built For Athletes has collaborated with several high-profile ambassadors and sports organisations including the Red Bull Racing Formula One Team, German football giants Borussia Dortmund and NCAA Div 1 University, Texas A&M.
The transaction followed a period of strong growth, and was the first investment from the £10m North West Private Equity Fund.
Alongside Garry Smith, the board was bolstered by the introduction of two experienced Non Executive Directors, Gary Lasham and David Meltham, both of whom have a wealth of experience in the industry and growth businesses.
Since the investment, Barons has seen significant development with revenue growth exceeding expectations, a newly built showroom, an increase in staff to 65 FTE and a hands-on management team.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with River Capital for this exciting next phase for Built For Athletes. Mark and his team understood our business and the future potential of the brand from the outset. They bring with them a strong track record in supporting companies like ours scale. The last three years have been a great period for us as we have grown the business and built brand equity and awareness with consumers across the world. We have a talented team who look forward to working with Mark and River Capital to accelerate our growth ambitions.”
Nick Costello, Founder
