New brand spies gap in the market
The founders of new sportswear brand said they have identified a gap in the sportswear market, claiming their brand Avoli will be the first to solely focus on women’s volleyball.
Rick Anguilla and Mark Oleson are former athletic footwear and apparel executives with extensive experience at renowned brands such as adidas, Lululemon, Nike and Under Armour.
The company recently closed its first $1 million phase of a $1.5 million seed round with investment from across consumer products, tech and footwear manufacturing
“Girls’ volleyball participation is experiencing a remarkable surge,” said Mr Anguilla. “Simply put, these athletes are underserved. Along with our early investors, we firmly believe we are poised for an exceptional opportunity to be the first and only company to cater to the needs of these dedicated athletes.”
“As fathers of daughters who play the sport, Rick and I couldn’t help but notice that many of these volleyball athletes were wearing men’s basketball shoes on the volleyball court,” added Mr Oleson.
“Not only do men’s basketball shoes lack in meeting the demands of the unique movements of volleyball, but ignore the physiology differences between men and women athletes which can prevent injury and optimize performance. They’re very different games when it comes to the feet, especially since volleyball players in an average game jump and land two to four times more than their basketball counterparts.”
Photo: Avoli Co-founders Mark Oleson and Rick Anguilla. Credit: Business Wire
