Former AFL players launch talent platform with investors' backing

Former AFL players James Begley and Matthew Pavlich have launched Launchd, a technology platform aiming to improve transparency and results in the talent and influencer marketing industry.

Launchd was formed through the acquisition and integration of several Australian-based companies, including Pickstar, bringing together capabilities in talent representation, influencer marketing, keynote speaking and content delivery.

The unified platform now connects brands with over 5,000 elite athletes, creators, and speakers, offering services spanning strategy, execution, content creation, and measurement of talent activation outcomes.

The business has secured millions in new financial capital from Altor Capital, based in Brisbane, alongside backing from well-known investors in the sports and media sectors such as Adam Gilchrist, Lleyton Hewitt, Matt de Boer, Cate Campbell, and Ryan Fitzgerald.

James Begley, Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Launchd, said, "Talent has become one of the most valuable marketing assets in the world, but the way brands work with talent has not evolved at the same pace."

He added, "We built Launchd to solve that disconnect - with technology that empowers smarter decisions, faster execution, and transparent results from end to end."

Begley described the company's approach as, "influence as a service, powered by data, and built for measurable impact."

Matthew Pavlich, co-founder of Launchd, outlined the operational gap the company targets. "We know the value of talent. We also understand how much potential was being lost through the complexity, lack of transparency, and guesswork that exists with talent appearances and activations. Launchd is about unlocking that potential at scale, with precision and trust."

Launchd's platform features a curated marketplace of over 5,000 athletes, influencers, and keynote speakers, enterprise-grade campaign planning tools, automated workflow capabilities, and integrated technology for performance reporting.

The company's services also encompass in-house creative and communications teams to support branded content and storytelling, with a data-driven approach to strategy and commercial outcomes.

Clients of Launchd include nationwide organisations such as the AFL and Cricket Australia, both utilising the platform to manage over 100,000 annual talent activations for commercial partners and community events.

The platform also oversees brand endorsement campaigns, including managing Australian cricketer Alex Carey's partnership with Toyota.

Operating with 78 staff across offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Auckland, Launchd has reported substantial interest from potential clients in the United Kingdom and United States as it considers international expansion.

The influencer marketing sector is valued at USD $33 billion globally, but according to the Influencer Marketing Hub's Benchmark Report 2024, nearly 70 percent of marketers cite persistent difficulty in measuring return on investment for campaigns.

This trend has prompted greater spending in the field by global brands, with Unilever recently announcing plans to devote 50 percent of its media budget to social platforms and increase its investment in influencer partnerships, according to Forbes.

Begley noted these broader industry shifts: "We are seeing the world's biggest companies pivot toward influence-led marketing. Launchd is built to deliver the clarity, scale, and ROI those brands now demand."

He continued, "Our business brings together the best of both worlds - traditional sports and entertainment talent with the fast-moving creator economy - to create one unified platform built for modern influence."

Altor Capital Partner Ben Harrison explained the rationale for their investment, "Launchd is solving real problems in a fast growing sector. Their platform delivers what brands and talent are asking for - clarity, simplicity, and ROI."

Begley added, "We are defining a new category in this space. One platform, one team, one solution. Built for results."