Three of the buzziest buzzwords in the industry so far in 2026:
Accessibility
Affordability
Infrastructure (largely because its in every AI-generated LinkedIn post)
Equip Sport aims to address all three — and is expected to enter the U.S. market sometime this year.
The Swiss company operates self-service modular equipment locker stations in public spaces, allowing users to borrows balls using an app.
Think a sports version of Citi Bike in New York — but free, as stations are funded through public-private partnerships (another buzz term!)
Over 500 stations across Europe
Close to 100 in Canada
Started as a shared paddleboard platform
Now supports over 20 sports
Offerings tailored to location, designed for durability and usage
“We quickly realized the real value was access, not ownership,” Quentin Sandrini, the company’s business development manager for Canada, told Buying Sandlot. "The model prioritizes participation, reliability and scalability."
Sandrini said U.S. expansion is scheduled and Equip has identified a strategic partner, but declined to go into further detail.
An added wrinkle: There is an Australian company — SportsBox — that offers an effectively identical app-based, free-use product Down Under. It is not associated with Equip Sport, but the companies do share at least one partner — Decathlon, the world’s largest sporting good retailer.
SportsBox has not responded to several Buying Sandlot messages, but it previously said it plans to expand to the U.S. and several other countries across Asia, Europe, the Middle East and South America.
SportsBox’s stated business model involves local governments buying the stations and then paying annual subscriptions for maintenance and tech; it also integrates sponsors into stations and in-app offerings.
A cool concept.
I would imagine Equip Sport and/or SportsBox have a good chance at success in the U.S. because it checks all of the boxes we mentioned above, plus it encourages activity and play.
It seems like a no-brainer add for parks and recreation departments, especially in cities. And I’d imagine businesses like Dick’s Sporting Goods would gladly outfit the lockers in return for branding opportunities.
That all said … I would be curious to know how impactful a ball would be in increasing participation. I’d imagine you see more results if the lockers offered the ball plus — a football and a set of flag belts, tennis balls and racquets, baseballs and mitts, and so on.
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Good game.