EBRD backs Sportano with €15 million investment

• EBRD invests €15 million in fast-growing European sports commerce platform Sportano
• Financing will support Sportano’s European expansion, investments in technology and AI-driven capabilities, logistics automation, inventory growth and development of proprietary brands
• Investment will help deepen Poland’s growth equity market

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is supporting the next stage of growth of Sportano, one of Central and Eastern Europe’s fastest-growing specialist sports commerce platforms, with a €15 million equity investment.

The financing will support Sportano’s investments across several key areas: technology and AI-driven digital capabilities, continued automation of the company’s logistics infrastructure, increased inventory availability to meet growing customer demand, as well as the continued development of proprietary and exclusive brands.

The Bank’s long-term growth capital will help Sportano to strengthen its position in Poland and accelerate its expansion across European markets. International markets already account for more than half of the company’s sales, highlighting Sportano’s successful transition from a Polish e-commerce player into a European sports commerce platform.

By backing Sportano, the EBRD is supporting a dynamic Polish business while helping to strengthen the country’s growth equity market, which remains limited, particularly for ambitious, founder-led companies seeking to scale.

Marcin Grzymkowski, founder of Sportano, said: “Bringing EBRD on board as a shareholder is an important milestone for Sportano and a strong validation of our company, our team and our strategy. Reaching profitability in the first half of the year while growing at this pace is not a trade-off that many companies manage, and it is the clearest signal so far that the model works. Growth at this scale needs backing that is both financial and institutional, and that is what we expect this partnership to bring. Our ambition is to continue building Sportano into one of Europe’s leading specialist sports commerce platforms.”

EBRD Managing Director for Poland and the Baltic States, Andreea Moraru, said: “We’re proud to support Sportano as it enters its next phase of European growth. At a time when growth capital remains limited, our participation demonstrates confidence in Sportano’s strategy, in Poland’s vibrant private sector and it growth equity market. Helping Polish businesses scale internationally and deepening the equity ecosystem are two of our core priorities, and this investment advances both.”

EBRD Co-head of Direct Equity, Tamas Nagy, said: “Sportano is a great example of the type of company we are looking to back: an ambitious, founder-led business that has established a leading position in its home market and is ready to scale further. The company has combined strong execution with a clear vision for growth, and we look forward to supporting the team as they strengthen their leadership in Poland and continue to expand across the region.”

As a minority shareholder, the Bank will also support Sportano in further strengthening its corporate governance and institutional profile as the company continues to scale across Europe.

The EBRD’s investment builds on earlier institutional backing for Sportano. In 2024, bValue Growth Fund I became the company’s first external shareholder, supporting Sportano at an earlier stage of its international expansion. EBRD now joins bValue in the company’s shareholder base, marking the next stage in Sportano’s growth.

Michał Bartosz, Partner at bValue Fund, said: “When we invested in Sportano in 2024, we recognised its potential to become a leading European sports commerce platform. EBRD’s decision to join the shareholder base confirms the progress made since then, and strengthens the company’s position for further international growth.”
Founded in 2021 and headquartered in Zielona Góra, Poland, Sportano is a fast-growing European sports commerce platform operating in Poland and 12 international markets.

The company offers a broad range of specialist products across more than 60 sports, working with leading global sports brands as well as developing its own proprietary and exclusive brands.

The EBRD is a leading institutional investor in Poland, having invested more than €16.6 billion in the country, the overwhelming majority of which has gone into the private sector.