WHP Global Announces New License with Agilitas Sports for LOTTO in India, Australia, and South Africa

NEW YORK, April 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- WHP Global announced today a new long-term license for LOTTO® with Agilitas Sports, an innovation-led sportswear and athleisure solutions platform. Through this license, Agilitas will have the exclusive rights to design, manufacture, promote, and distribute the LOTTO brand in India, Australia, and soon in South Africa.

"We are delighted to embark on this journey with Agilitas Sports," said Stanley Silverstein, Chief Commercial Officer at WHP Global. "We are impressed by the expertise of the company's founders in the sportswear and athleisure market, along with the comprehensive business model they have crafted at Agilitas. Their dedicated focus on the sportswear industry, and a profound belief in India's promising future as well as other markets like Australia and South Africa, is in line with our core mission of growing the Lotto brand globally."

The acquisition of Lotto license rights comes at a time when India is witnessing an unprecedented boom in the Sports Performance and Athleisure categories. Agilitas, recognizing this unprecedented opportunity, are set to create a company that impacts the entire value chain from Manufacturing to Retail. 

Speaking on the partnership, Abhishek Ganguly, Co-founder & CEO of Agilitas Sports stated: "We are excited to launch our first consumer brand license with Lotto. Through this license agreement, we will build and implement state-of-the-art manufacturing, cutting-edge technology, and design innovation for Lotto for its product development, in addition to marketing and retailing of the brand. Agilitas will invest in a dedicated management team to grow the Lotto brand through product creation, design innovation, supply chain, branding, marketing, and channels of distribution. Our Design & Development team in Bangalore, brings together a wealth of experience in established global brands, enabling us to create relevant products that resonate with the Indian consumers. We aim to build an agile product creation cycle and supply chain which is vertically integrated from manufacturing to retail. This would enable us to react quickly to consumer insights and latest trends in an agile and nimble manner. As Agilitas Sports pursues profitable and sustainable growth, this collaboration is poised to make a significant impact on our business and the consumer markets under license."

Agilitas, recently acquired Mochiko – the country's leading footwear manufacturer, that has scaled up its production and manufacturing solutions. Through this partnership, Agilitas, with its profound understanding of the Indian Sportswear industry aims to penetrate the markets and grow the Lotto brand exponentially. The company is making large investments in manufacturing, designing, R&D, supply chain, marketing, and distribution in the near future.

With an aim to launch by early 2025, Agilitas plans a multi-category offering in footwear, apparel, accessories, and sports equipment. Mochiko's establishment of a dedicated factory in Noida to manufacture Lotto validates Agilitas Sports' commitment to manufacturing in India. The company plans to over index and focus on delivering a very high value proposition with regards to cost to the consumer.

Agilitas will distribute Lotto products through D2C online channels, brand EBOs, shop-in-shops with retail partners and online marketplaces from its first year of launch. Additionally, the objective is to bolster Lotto's presence through consumer engagement, marketing, and partnerships with athletes and clubs. Simultaneously, Agilitas will also nurture grassroot talent and foster collaborations with designers, artists, and musicians, aiming to build lasting brand affinity among aspirational consumers.

Margaret Kivett, SVP of WHP Global's Athletic Vertical added, "Partnering with Agilitas Sports marks an exciting chapter for Lotto. We are thrilled to collaborate with their dynamic team to amplify Lotto's presence in pivotal global markets, particularly in soccer and racket sports hotspots like India and Australia. Together, we're poised to elevate the brand's reach and impact, bringing the spirit of Lotto to even more enthusiasts worldwide."

By leveraging Lotto's 50-year legacy alongside Agilitas Sports' end to end capabilities in Sportswear category, the partnership is set to introduce unparalleled products and experiences to athletes, sports enthusiasts, and fashion-forward individuals in multiple countries. 

ABOUT LOTTO:
LOTTO, a premier Italian sports brand established in 1973, is world-renowned for its innovative performance-driven footwear, apparel, and accessories which feature the signature double diamond logo. Rich with history in soccer, LOTTO has been worn by professional soccer teams A.C. Milan and Juventus F.C. and elite soccer players Dino Zoff, Ruud Gullit and Andriy Shevchenko. Today, LOTTO is distributed in over 100 countries. The brand is currently worn by more than 40 soccer teams, over 300 professional soccer players, and more than 200 professional tennis players. For more information, please visit www.lottosport.com.

ABOUT AGILITAS SPORTS
Agilitas Sports is an innovation-led sports company, that is committed to transforming the category and experience. With a comprehensive approach, the team is building robust manufacturing capabilities, further fuelled by strong R&D centers and product design labs. They have acquired Mochiko Shoes Pvt Ltd. Mochiko is the leading sports footwear manufacturer in India and makes products for leading brands including Adidas, Puma, New Balance, Skechers, Reebok, Asics, Crocs, Decathlon, Clarks, and US Polo. Agilitas Sports has raised funds advised by Convergent Finance LLP, an investment management and advisory partnership led by Harsha Raghavan, have invested Rs 400 crore, and Rs 30 crore have come from individual investors. They have secured funding of Rs 100 crore from Nexus Venture Partners to scale up its trajectory, further solidifying its capabilities in research, manufacturing, and retail.

ABOUT WHP GLOBAL
WHP Global is a leading New York based firm that acquires global consumer brands and invests in high-growth distribution channels including digital commerce platforms and global expansion. WHP owns a portfolio of consumer brands that collectively generate over USD $7 billion in global retail sales. The company also owns WHP+, a turnkey direct to consumer digital e-commerce platform, and WHP SOLUTIONS, a sourcing agency based in Asia. For more information, please visit www.whp-global.com.

Media Contacts:

WHP Global/LOTTO
Jaime Cassavechia
[email protected]
646.701.7041

Agilitas Sports
Deepika Gurung
[email protected]
+9199866 36566

SOURCE WHP Global