08 May IU Angel Network Invests in Motion, An All-in-One Platform that Streamlines Team Management, Compliance, and Money Movement for College Athletic Departments
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The IU Angel Network, an investment vehicle of IU Ventures, today announced an investment in Motion, an all-in-one platform that streamlines team management, compliance, and money movement for college athletic departments.
Rooted in Indiana, Motion brings experience as student-athletes, coaches, administrators, and innovators. Co-Founders Jay Townsend, Anthony Leal, and Nate Ebel, are IU alumni that have lived the challenges that college athletic departments face and are driven to create solutions that empower the people who make it all happen. Motion launched in October 2024 with the goal of modernizing the outdated, fragmented systems currently relied upon by athletic departments.
By integrating scheduling, messaging, compliance, and money movement–including NIL payments and revenue sharing–into a single, unified system, Motion addresses critical inefficiencies and positions athletic departments for success in a rapidly evolving collegiate athletics landscape.
“Motion is the premier technology platform built for the modern college athletic department,” Townsend said. “As the landscape of collegiate athletics rapidly evolves, departments face challenges in managing operations, compliance, and financial processes.” By streamlining daily operations, Motion empowers student-athletes and coaches to stay focused on their sport, while administrators gain the efficiency and peace-of-mind to plan for the future with confidence.
“College athletics is undergoing a massive transformation, and the tools they rely on have to keep pace,” said Olivia Schmitt-Metz, senior analyst at IU Ventures. “Jay, Anthony, and Nate bring deep domain insight and a clear vision to Motion by delivering a modern platform that addresses the complexities of today’s program. As proud IU alumni, their strong ‘IU DNA’ and strategic approach embody exactly the type of leadership and innovation we look to champion.”
After graduating from the Kelley School of Business in 2014, Townsend began his career in finance at Eli Lilly & Company. He later pivoted to collegiate athletics, accepting a coaching role at Marian University before joining the staff at Northwestern University under Coach Chris Collins. “The two worlds of college sports & business intersecting is where Motion was born,” Townsend said. “There are big problems to be solved in this space and it’s a dream job tackling them head-on with the team we have at Motion.”
The Motion team will use this round of funding to complete a best-in-class product and accelerate their ability to serve forward-thinking college athletic departments.
Motion was founded with one purpose: to serve the dedicated individuals and departments that make college sports so special. Townsend believes Indiana–the heart of college athletics–should be the epicenter for college sports technology, and Motion wants to help make that a reality. “It is important to us that our investors are brought into our mission and our desire to grow here locally,” Townsend explained. “Through the IU Angel Network, we are strengthening our business and gaining momentum.”
By easing administrative burdens, Motion unlocks student-athletes, coaches, and administrators to focus on what truly matters: growth, performance, and the love of the game.
About IU Ventures
IU Ventures invests in and supports IU-affiliated early-stage companies. Its investment programs include the IU Philanthropic Venture Fund, IU Angel Network, Shoebox Fund and Innovate Indiana Fund. It further supports IU founders through the Executive in Residence Program and IU Founders and Funders Network. Student support is provided through a variety of engagements, including the new IU Venture Fellows Program. Each program takes unique approaches to accelerate and support the positive impacts that entrepreneurs affiliated with IU already achieve across the world. IU Ventures is a recognized leader in increasing opportunities for diverse and historically underserved entrepreneurs and investing in Indiana startups with a shared commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. http://www.iuventures.com/
About Motion
Motion is transforming the collegiate athletics industry with an all-in-one platform that streamlines team management, compliance, and money movement. Athletic departments currently rely on fragmented and outdated software, creating inefficiencies that impact both administrators and student-athletes. Motion addresses these challenges with a best-in-class system that enhances scheduling, messaging, compliance, and financial transactions, including NIL payments and revenue sharing. https://www.motionsports.io/
Media Contacts
Motion
Jay Townsend
jay@motionsports.io