South Africa - Startup under 3 years old

Describe your project or startup in a few words

UNAFFI is a company dedicated to breaking down barriers in sports by unifying sports participation and connection people wanting to play sports with all of the opportunities where they can play those sports, from grass-roots to advanced levels.

01.01 Describe your startup in more detail

UNAFFI is a SaaS Marketplace in the sports industry connecting people wanting to play sports with the opportunities to play those sports at any level. The platform that we provide aims to act as a complete directory of all sporting opportunities that exist in our user's areas and then act as a user friendly marketplace platform that allows users to organise and manage all administrative tasks involved in getting to active participation in sports. From hiring and paying for local sporting facilities, to finding and joining regular sporting activities, to registering for larger sporting events of any kind, UNAFFI aims to UNIFY all sporting administration and communication onto one platform and app to allow for a more unified experience for users and athletes and to offer economies of scale to all sporting bodies and clubs that might not have the resources or knowhow to implement a solution in this space themselves. UNAFFI brings unification in sports.

01.02 What is the main problem you are trying to solve?

Sporting opportunities exist all around us, however most of us don't know of even a small fraction of them, never mind knowing what it takes to start participating in those opportunities. UNAFFI aims to solve this problem to allow people to get more active in sports to allow everyone to live healthy and connected lives through sports.

01.03 Tell us the major benefits and/or advantages of using the product/service that your startup provides (at least 3).

Health and Fitness - UNAFFI will allow people to live healthier and fitter lives Convenience - UNAFFI will make active participation in sports faster and more convenient Connection - UNAFFI brings connection between sports enthusiasts and athletes to allow for more connected lives Community - UNAFFI opens up the sporting communities and fosters networking through sports Variety - UNAFFI offers excitement and variety by bringing all sporting opportunities to the tip of your fingers Support for Providers - UNAFFI makes marketing and community building a lot easier for sports opportunity providers by automating the administration and fostering connections with players Self-improvement - UNAFFI allows you to improve yourself on a daily basis by getting more active and learning new skills Sponsorship & Event Support - UNAFFI builds sporting brand awareness and boosts event promotion

01.04 Please describe who exactly your startup’s product/service is aimed at serving. Who are the targeted beneficiaries?

Basically two sides: those who provide sporting opportunities & and those looking to participate in sporting opportunities. But to be more clear, below are the categories in more detail: Amateur and Recreational Players: People looking to participate in sports activities, find local games, or join sports clubs and leagues. Professional Athletes: Those seeking training, competitions, and connections with coaches and teams. Sports Enthusiasts: Individuals who want to stay active and engaged in various sports. Sports Coaches and Trainers: Professionals offering coaching services and looking for clients. Sports Facilities and Venues: Places offering courts, fields, and other sports infrastructure seeking to attract users. Event Organisers: Entities planning sports events and tournaments needing participants and promotion. Fitness and Wellness Companies: Businesses promoting active lifestyles and wellness through sports.

01.05 When was your company established?

2023-07-21

01.06 Are you already selling your product/service?

Yes

01.07 How many other owners are there within your startup?

7

01.08 Among the other owners, how many are female?

4

01.09 Please describe the profile of the other owners within your startup (skills, experience, etc.)

Rudi Johannes - MSc International Sports & Events Management & active experience in the sports industries in 4 different continents Ivan Johannes - Full stack developer and over 4 years experience programming for multiple different projects Other owners - Varied qualifications and experiences in marketing, branding, sales, business management, finance, entertainment & hospitality

01.10 If you have a website, a social media page (Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin…), or app, please provide the link(s) here:

https://www.unaffi.com

01.11 Which industry best describes your project?

Other: Sports, Recreation & Community Engagement

02.01.01 My startup contributes to the No poverty goal

5

02.01.02 No poverty - Justification for my startup

Although not directly focused on this goal, UNAFFI may contribute to an environment where this can be the case by making sports more accessible to all people and thereby not allowing sports to only be accessed by people of certain wealth levels. So sporting opportunities will be more accessible even to the poorest of people, making their quality of life better.

02.02.01 My startup contributes to the Zero hunger goal

5

02.02.02 Zero hunger - Justification for my startup

Although not directly, UNAFFI will allow people to save time and money when participating in sports, and the time and money can then be used to generate more money which will then be usable for food and that will aid in ending hunger.

02.03.01 My startup contributes to the Good health and well-being goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.03.02 Good health and well-being - Justification for my startup

UNAFFI is directly involved in improving the health and wellbeing of all individuals by making sports more accessible to all people and allowing them to live more active, healthier and fitter lives which will benefit them greatly in terms of health and well-being.

02.04.01 My startup contributes to the Quality education goal

6

02.04.02 Quality education - Justification for my startup

Even though this might not be traditional academic education, learning sporting skills is also a form of education and UNAFFI will make it easier for all people to learn more sporting skills.

02.05.01 My startup contributes to the Gender equality goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.05.02 Gender equality - Justification for my startup

Sporting opportunities are often only provided for men and boys. But by allowing for resources to be shared between sports and by making sports more accessible, women and girls will also be able to live just as active a lifestyle as men and boys.

02.06.01 My startup contributes to the Clean water and sanitation goal

4

02.06.02 Clean water and sanitation - Justification for my startup

02.07.01 My startup contributes to the Affordable and clean energy goal

4

02.07.02 Affordable and clean energy - Justification for my startup

02.08.01 My startup contributes to the Decent work and economic growth

7 - Strongly Agree

02.08.02 Decent work and economic growth - Justification for my startup

UNAFFI will provide employment opportunities for people by making traditionally volunteer run positions viable for paid employment positions through the use of efficiency and economies of scale. Sporting opportunities being more accessible will lead to more money being earned by those within sports which will lead to more jobs and more employment opportunities and better accessibility to those opportunities within the sporting industry. Coaches for example are the easiest example to understand as their services will be promoted more effectively allowing them to earn better salaries and allowing for more people to be employed as coaches and trainers.

02.09.01 My startup contributes to the Industry innovation and infrastructure

7 - Strongly Agree

02.09.02 Industry innovation and infrastructure - Justification for my startup

Sporting facilities and infrastructure will be used at a much more efficient rate. Less unnecessary down-time of sporting facilities and more earnings potential of sporting facilities and better data for decision making in terms of where and when to build sporting infrastructure.

02.10.01 My startup contributes to the Reduced inequalities goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.10.02 Reduced inequalities - Justification for my startup

All countries where UNAFFI gets involved will benefit from the benefits listed above that UNAFFI provides.

02.11.01 My startup contributes to the Sustainable cities and communities goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.11.02 Sustainable cities and communities - Justification for my startup

As above, cities and public areas will be used more efficiently and allow for a more inclusive sharing experience of sporting infrastructure.

02.12.01 My startup contributes to the Responsible consumption and production goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.12.02 Responsible consumption and production - Justification for my startup

Instead of making sporting facilities and opportunities available to only a select few members, all extra availability of facilities and open space in activities will be fillable by any member of the community even if they aren't a member of the sporting club.

02.13.01 My startup contributes to the Climate action goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.13.02 Climate action - Justification for my startup

By making all sporting facilities and opportunities more accessible, people will not have to travel as far to reach their desired sporting activity or facility as there will be more availability and accessibility closer to home.

02.14.01 My startup contributes to the Life below water goal

4

02.14.02 Life below water - Justification for my startup

02.15.01 My startup contributes to the Life on land goal

4

02.15.02 Life on land - Justification for my startup

02.16.01 My startup contributes to the Peace Justice and Strong Institutions goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.16.02 Peace Justice and Strong Institutions- Justification for my startup

Through better community engagement that UNAFFI provides, we will help build the gap between cultures and communities to allow for more peaceable and pleasurable living for all.

02.17.01 My startup contributes to the Partnerships for the goal

4

02.17.02 Partnerships for the goal - Justification for my startup

06.01 There are a large number of customers who already use a product/service very similar to the product/service we envision creating.

4

06.02 The product/service represents an entirely new type of product/service.

6

06.03 The product/service could be described as a new technology.

6

06.04 The product/service is an improvement on an existing product or service.

7 - Strongly Agree

06.05 The product/service could be described as an extension of a range of products or services.

5

06.06 The product/service responds to a demand or need that has not been satisfied by other products/services.

7 - Strongly Agree

06.07 The product/service is a new version of an old product/service.

4

06.08 Justification for my startup

Although most of the concepts aren't brand new, UNAFFI provides a platform that is brand new in our focus on multi-sort development, community engagement and connection within the sports industry.

06.09 Competitive Analysis

Playtomic - only a competitor in Padel PlaySport, PlayEasy, PlayFinder and a few others are competitors in parts of our market but only in non-African regions.

11.05 Are you initiating actions within your community to promote the role of female entrepreneurs?