Footbao creates the prime football talent platform in Brazil, the home of football, to discover young talents and connect sports enthusiasts
A groundbreaking initiative in the country, the platform already has over half a million users in Brazil and brings together talent, stars, sports lovers, brands, and clubs, seeking Generations Z and Alpha’s audience.
São Paulo, June 26, 2024. With an eye on finding the stars of tomorrow, Footbao is investing $5million USD to build a global football talent platform. Clubs around the world rely on international players more than ever. Since 2020 the number of expatriate players has grown by ~20%, and South America accounts for 42% of that. Within a market that has moved €75 billion in transfers in the last decade alone, technology can play a big role in filling the future requirements for new players*.
Founded by Francesco Ciringione and Boris Collardi, with Nick Rappolt as its Executive Director, and advisors like Denilson Olivera and Murat Yakin, (the Swiss National Coach), the Brazilian sports technology company founded by Swiss entrepreneurs, relies on its superior technology to create a unique ecosystem around soccer, encompassing user-generated content, soccer talent discovery, events, and new ways for brands and consumers to connect.
“By bringing together the various links that connect the soccer world, adding technology and Artificial Intelligence, it is possible to scale the talent discovery process in unprecedented ways.” says Mr Ciringione
“The reason we decided to invest in Brazil and build this unique ecosystem around soccer is to democratise the discovery of talents, and find the next Vini Jr., Marta and Pelés.”, says Mr. Collardi.
Talents of tomorrow
It was Footbao’s unique functionalities that allowed Gloria (16) and Samuel (8) to be able to attract the interest of Corinthians and Flamengo, respectively, accelerating and facilitating their journey to achieve their common dream of playing for the Brazilian national soccer team.
Brazil is the world’s largest exporter of soccer talents, according to the CIES Football Observatory*. By enabling any young talent to build their following and showcase their skills, the chances of discovering and being discovered, even if they are far from traditional trials, increase exponentially. They now have a real shot at being discovered.
“Since we built our own team in Brazil in March of this year, our growth rate is on an exponential curve with user numbers growing 25x. Football is the number one sport on the planet and its growth needs talent. We’re on a mission to change lives by using technology to give any talent, anywhere in the world a pathway to play professionally.” said Nick Rappolt
Attention economy
Another shift in the works is how younger generations engage and consume content, including sports. Usually in linear formats, Generations Z (1997-2009) and Alpha (2010-2025) prefer to engage with sports through quick, user-generated content, with interaction among friends and on-demand.
This trend makes it imperative to build the platform of tomorrow to meet those generations where they will be. The two generations will have one of the greatest economic powers in the coming years. The economic power of the Alphas alone is expected to reach R$ 27.3 trillion by 2029 – almost the purchasing power of Generation Y and Generation Z combined.
Footbao: from Brazil to the world
The company currently has over 20 employees worldwide, including programmers, designers, and operations staff – mostly in Brazil.
Fully launched in April 2024, in just three months the company experienced a 190% month-over-month increase in active users on its networks, identified 250 potential talents, and already has two cases of talents discovered and signed by professional teams through the app.
The journey that begins in Brazil will go global by next year, when Footbao starts operations in Europe, Africa and Asia.
About the executive team of Footbao
Francesco Ciringione – Founder
Founder of Footbao, has over 20 years of expertise in the publishing, events, and investments industry.
Boris Collardi – Founder
Mr. Collardi is a renowned international private banker, the former CEO of the listed company Julius Baer, former Managing Partner at Pictet and core shareholder of US Lecce – Italian Serie A team.
Nick Rappolt – Board member and Executive Director
Nick has founded, led, and exited two companies, working with some of the world’s leading technology brands including Google, Meta, and Apple. He sits on the board of the Rugby Player’s Association in England.
Mariana Sensini – Brazil’s General Manager
Mariana is a seasoned tech professional that held executive seats in companies such as Google and TV Globo, and lead companies such as Pinterest and Kwai in the country.
Denilson de Oliveira – Member of Advisory Board (Sports)
Denílson Show is a former soccer player and world champion (2002). He is currently an ambassador for the Spanish Football League and a presenter on the Jogo Aberto program on Rede Bandeirantes.
Murat Yakin – Member of Advisory Board (Sports)
Former professional soccer player and current coach of the Swiss national soccer team.
About Footbao
Footbao is a sports technology company that is creating the platform for football talent across the world. Our mission is to empower the football global community of 5 billion people with technology, to bring them closer together in ways that are only possible now.
Our long term vision is to democratise talent, becoming the prime football talent platform, allowing the next generation of sports fans and athletes to show & share their raw emotions, skills, and passion for the game.
* https://football-observatory.com/MonthlyReport95; https://football-observatory.com/MonthlyReport92