Athlete To Athlete Raises $8 Million Series A Led by Rally Ventures to Expand Youth Sports Mentorship

The platform connects young athletes with college athlete mentors and has served more than 35,000 athletes, growing more than 100% annually since its 2023 launch.

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Nov. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Athlete To Athlete, a mentorship platform connecting youth athletes with current college athletes for one-on-one virtual mentorship, today announced an $8 million Series A financing led by Rally Ventures, with participation from Newbound VC, Scrum Ventures and UpHonest Capital.

Athlete To Athlete was founded in 2023 by former Division 1 athletes Anthony Waller and Zach Maisus who met as lifting partners at UCLA and launched the company as undergrads. The platform pairs young athletes with college athletes in their sport through 12- or 24-week mentorship programs designed to build confidence, resilience and habits that extend beyond athletics. Its college athlete network spans more than 300 universities, and the company expects to facilitate more than 100,000 mentorship sessions this year.

The platform addresses a growing need for support as young athletes navigate the pressures of competitive sports. Mentors who have faced the same challenges help kids develop the confidence and resilience to thrive both on and off the field. More than 90% of parents report that their child is noticeably more confident after participating in the program.

"Our focus is to develop these young athletes as people, helping them build the character, work ethic and belief in themselves that shapes who they become," said Anthony Waller, co-founder and CEO of Athlete To Athlete. "That makes them better on game day, but more importantly, it carries them through the rest of their lives. Every athlete's sport ends eventually, and whether that's at 12 years old or after seven Super Bowl rings, we want them to walk away healthy, confident and ready for whatever comes next. This funding will allow us to bring safe, meaningful mentorship to far more families."

The platform also creates paid opportunities for college athletes to mentor the next generation. Athlete To Athlete launched following the NCAA's 2021 changes to its name, image and likeness (NIL) rules, which opened the door for college athletes to earn money through a wider range of activities. While NIL opportunities are often associated with high-profile brand endorsements, the vast majority of college athletes do not have these types of deals. Athlete To Athlete offers them a way to earn income by sharing their experience and giving back to youth sports.

Rally Ventures brings deep experience in sports technology to the investment. Rally Operating Partner Luke Zaientz was co-founder, COO and later CEO of Reigning Champs, parent of the college recruiting platform NCSA. Rally Managing Director Justin Kaufenberg was co-founder and CEO of the youth sports platform SportsEngine.

"We know this market inside and out from NCSA, and the potential here is even bigger," said Zaientz. "Recruiting matters for a couple of years in high school, while mentorship is useful from middle school until retirement, and Anthony and Zach are the right people to lead this category. Anthony sent us a performance update every month for a year and a half before we invested, and the numbers got better every single time," Zaientz added. "That's how they run the company: try something, learn from it and get better. We're big believers in what they're building and the opportunity ahead."

Athlete To Athlete will use the funding to expand partnerships across youth sports, strengthen protections for young athletes and scale its mentorship platform to reach more families across the nation.

About Athlete To Athlete
Athlete To Athlete is a Santa Monica-based mentorship platform connecting youth athletes with current college athletes for one-on-one virtual mentorship. Founded in 2023 by CEO Anthony Waller and COO Zach Maisus, former Division 1 athletes who met at UCLA, the company aims to build the next generation of driven, confident and resilient student-athletes through mentorship. Learn more at athletetoathlete.com.

SOURCE Athlete To Athlete