Adam McCombs created Jump Forward, and Brian Duggan is the company’s strategic advisor. The two are heavily credentialed, Adam in software development and Internet technology, Brian in accounting and investment banking. JumpForward is used by high school athletes to get on the radar of college recruiters. Many great athletes are passed over simply because they are not well known. For instance, Jerry Rice, in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and generally acknowledged to be the best wide receiver ever, was not recruited. With JumpForward, athletes create profiles that showcase their accomplishments, skills and interests. College athletic departments, coaches, compliance professionals, and recruiters use it to find talent that fits in with their programs. It also streamlines communication among personnel and with student athletes via the web, a tablet or a mobile.
JumpForward differs from similar programs with its built-in NCAA rules engine. Regulations governing recruiting high school athletes are many and complex, and sometimes they are violated innocently. The patented software on the mobile sends up a warning sign when a rule is about to be violated. The user can avoid the violation or can override the warning, but they cannot claim they didn’t know.
Colleges pay for an annual subscription. Prior to the Tank, Adam and Brian had 30 colleges, 60,000 student-athlete profiles, and a 3-month revenue of $150,000. They projected that they could grow the company to sales of $15-20 million, with a shark to $35 million.
Adam and Brian were asking for $150,000. Kevin O’Leary and Robert gave them $600,000 for half interest in the company. It didn’t take long for the sharks’ investment to become profitable. Adam and Brian continue enhancing the program and have a 99% annual subscription renewal rate. As of 2021, JumpForward has more than 350 colleges, 20,000 coaches, 255,000 athletes and 16 million recruiting profiles.
