Former Socceroo joins pre-seed raise as grassroots sports platform expands into the US, UK and Middle East

Former Socceroo and Australian football icon Tim Cahill
Former Socceroo and Australian football icon Tim Cahill

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA : Former Socceroo and Australian football icon Tim Cahill has joined Australian sports technology platform Nardo as an investor and strategic partner, as the company secures a $1 million pre-seed raise to accelerate expansion across the United States, United Kingdom and Middle East.

The investment marks a significant milestone for Nardo, a digital platform modernising how grassroots and semi-professional sports clubs design, manage and order teamwear through a streamlined end-to-end system. Built to replace fragmented, manual and outdated ordering processes, Nardo positions itself as the digital infrastructure layer behind grassroots sport, connecting clubs directly into a global manufacturing network and enabling fully custom teamwear at scale.

For Cahill, the decision to invest reflects a strong alignment with the role grassroots sport plays in the global game. "Grassroots football is where everything starts, it's the heartbeat of the game globally," Cahill said. "But for too long, local clubs have been stuck with outdated systems just to get players on the pitch. What Nardo is building gives clubs access to better tools, stronger identity and a far more professional experience.

"What impressed me is that this isn't just an apparel business, it's technology solving a real operational problem for clubs. The opportunity globally is massive and I believe Nardo is building something that can genuinely change how grassroots sport operates."

Cahill added, "It's a really exciting time to be launching, with all eyes on the World Cup and the Socceroos. I can't wait to see how the tournament unfolds and join the rest of Australia in cheering them on. At the same time, football starts for all of us down at the local park, and that is where Nardo is going to make a real difference."

Founded by Beau Catley, co-founder of streetwear label Geedup Co, Nardo began after a chance request from a local sports club exposed major inefficiencies within traditional teamwear supply chains. What followed was a complete rethink of how grassroots clubs source, customise and manage teamwear.Over time, Catley worked directly with grassroots and semi-professional clubs across football and rugby league to map the full end-to-end process, from design and sampling through to production and delivery, before partnering with co-founders Rhys Adams and Adam Famularo to scale the concept into a global technology business.

"The issue was never just the product, it was the entire operating model," Catley said. "Clubs were navigating fragmented suppliers, unclear pricing and manual processes that created friction at every stage. We built Nardo to simplify the entire experience and give clubs one connected system from design through to delivery."

Nardo Experience, the company's core platform, enables clubs to:

● Generate fully custom apparel ranges

● Build digital lookbooks and order collections

● Access live pricing and quoting

● Manage approvals and sampling workflows

● Track production and delivery in real time

The platform replaces a traditionally manual process involving more than 130 separate touchpoints, consolidating it into a single digital workflow purpose-built for sports organisations.

Rather than operating as a traditional apparel supplier, Nardo connects clubs directly into a global manufacturing network, unlocking greater customisation, faster turnaround times and improved cost efficiency.

The United States has emerged as a major growth market due to the scale of its youth and grassroots sports ecosystem, alongside growing demand for custom team identity and more efficient operational systems. The company is also seeing early traction across the United Kingdom, Canada and the Middle East. Nardo is currently managing a growing pipeline of clubs preparing to onboard ahead of broader international rollout.

"This is about modernising the infrastructure behind grassroots sport," Catley said. "Professional clubs have had access to world-class systems, branding and operational support for years. Grassroots clubs deserve that same experience."

Teams and clubs can head to www.nardo-exp.com to join the waitlist to be one of the first on the platform.

About Nardo

Nardo is a design, procurement and apparel management platform purpose-built for grassroots and semi-professional sport. The company operates at the intersection of sport, apparel, design systems, supply chain and technology, connecting clubs into a global manufacturing network through its proprietary Nardo Experience platform. Nardo enables clubs to design, manage and order fully custom teamwear through a streamlined digital system that integrates live pricing, design tools, approvals and production tracking. Founded by Beau Catley alongside co-founders Rhys Adams and Adam Famularo, Nardo is building the infrastructure layer for modern teamwear, with a mission to reimagine how sport organisations access, design and manage apparel at scale.