New Sports Innovation Company is Reimagining and Evolving Traditional Sports Equipment and Apparel
W Ventures, a one-of-a-kind VC and accelerator company, today announced the addition of Aviv to its growing portfolio. The Baltimore-based sports innovation and apparel company developed the first-ever moisture wicking and antimicrobial basketball net. Traditional basketball nets have not changed in over 130 years, though the game itself has evolved significantly during that time.
With the new Aviv Net, players no longer need to handle a gross and slippery ball, enabling them to play smarter, safer and better. A major performance issue for players has always been handling or shooting a ball that is slippery. Now, during these dangerous Covid times, the new Aviv Net gives coaches, facilities and leagues a way to better ensure the health and safety of athletes, while ensuring they can perform at their peak.
Founded by Tamir Goodman, a former professional basketball player, entrepreneur, coach, educator and innovator, the Aviv Net employs patent pending technology that dramatically dries the ball from sweat and cleans bacteria from the ball’s surface every time the ball goes through the hoop. This means players will have a decreased risk of coming in contact with harmful bacteria and be able to play with a far less slippery ball than usual, ultimately improving ball handling and shooting.
NBA teams, Euro League teams and D1 basketball programs are currently beta-testing the nets on their home courts, with many promising outcomes. The Aviv Net was used in its first professional basketball game during the FIBA Basketball Champions League game between Turkey and Jerusalem on October 5, 2021. Thon Maker, one of the top players for Jerusalem was particularly impressed with the net’s impact on his gameplay. “I loved this net and definitely noticed a difference.”
W Ventures, in partnership with its sister company, Warschawski, a full-service marketing communications agency, has worked with Aviv’s founder, Tamir Goodman, to create branding elements from scratch, including the company’s name, logo, product packaging, e-commerce website, social media presence, photography and video content and public relations initiatives. Moving forward, the partnership will focus on marketing communications campaigns, ranging from traditional and social media strategy to digital advertising to enhance national visibility and brand awareness among their target audience.
“We’re thrilled to have Aviv join our growing portfolio of truly innovative and disruptive brands. Throughout the pandemic, we’ve all become more conscientious of health and safety. As an avid basketball player myself, Aviv offers a solution to not only make the game safer but also increase players’ performance,” said David Warschawski, managing partner of W Ventures. “The response we’ve received has been outstanding and we’re eager to continue growing the Aviv brand and product line to reimagine and evolve the world of sports.”
Goodman added, “I was extremely excited to partner with W Ventures and the talented members of the Warschawski team. The early-stage company expertise of W Ventures combined with the industry leading marketing communications support and guidance from Warschawski has been invaluable to Aviv. Their passion and enthusiasm working alongside me to make Aviv a reality has been outstanding.”
W Ventures accepts applications from startup founders on a rolling basis. Portfolio companies receive access to its network of angel and VC investors, as well as business and subject matter experts who can assist in refining every aspect of their offerings. The company provides either cash investments and/or marketing communications services in exchange for equity and offers beautiful office space and living quarters for executives. Additionally, W Ventures often works with its extensive network to share investment opportunities with other potential investors and to engage expert feedback on potential investments.
For additional information on W Ventures, or to schedule an interview with David Warschawski please contact Carson Denbow at carson.denbow@warschawski.com. For information on eligibility criteria and how to apply, founders should visit https://wventuresllc.com/.
About W Ventures
W Ventures is a one-of-a-kind accelerator that combines three elements: the ability to do marketing communications work in exchange for equity, the financial backing and connections of a VC firm, and a beautiful incubator workspace and living quarters for its founders. W Ventures focuses on high growth potential companies based in or willing to relocate to or co-headquarter in the Baltimore/Washington region.
About Warschawski
Warschawski is a national, fully integrated agency and a Google Certified Agency Partner that offers the following services under one roof: Advertising, Digital, PR, Branding, Marketing Creative Design, Web Development, Social Media and Crisis Communications. Warschawski delivers the experience and expertise of a large firm coupled with the personalized attention and care of a boutique agency. Warschawski has been named the “U.S. Small Agency of the Year” for 3 years in a row and for 10 consecutive years has been ranked one of the top 30 “Best Agencies to Work For.” The company, whose clients include Fortune 500 and Inc. 500 companies, has won more than 200 awards for its marketing communications work in 15 years. Warschawski was founded in 1996 and has offices in New York, Washington D.C. and Baltimore.
About Aviv
Aviv was created to reimagine and revolutionize sports equipment. Founded by a former professional athlete, coach and entrepreneur, Aviv strives to innovate and evolve sports to move the world forward, with equipment engineered to work better for players, teams, and leagues. To pre-order the Aviv Net, visit www.AvivSports.com.
