DSTF status
update and
outlook 2025

Developments at CityLegends are moving at a rapid pace, which perfectly aligns with the dynamic nature of the Dutch platform for urban sports and culture. Over recent years, the community has grown to more than 300,000 users worldwide. With Dutch Sport Tech Fund as lead investor, CityLegends has secured both additional capital and strategic support to enter its next phase of growth. This investment enables the company to scale further internationally, with expansion into the United States as the next logical step.

“We are now the largest street culture platform in Europe,” says CEO and founder Jimmy Hermans. “We have built a strong user base of more than 300,000 users. We see that street athletes share a significant amount of content through major social platforms such as TikTok, WhatsApp, Snapchat, Instagram, and YouTube. Through this content, our campaigns already reach more than 25 million Gen Z users. This makes CityLegends a true gateway for brands to connect with our audience and culture in an authentic and interactive way.”

That the platform is ready for the next step is also reflected in the numbers. Forty percent of users are already based in the United States, and this share is expected to surpass the European user base within the coming months. To accelerate this growth, CityLegends will open an office in Los Angeles early next year, together with DSTF. Not coincidentally, this will be near Venice Beach, widely regarded as the birthplace of street culture.

In addition, CityLegends is working with an experienced business developer who has previously raised hundreds of millions in funding and closed major deals for other startups. Discussions with global brands and leading marketing agencies are already underway.

Growth is also evident on a sporting level. “We have already partnered with U.S.-based athletes who collectively have millions of followers,” Jimmy explains. “We will further activate them and deploy them for our community. In parallel, we will collaborate with major brands that sponsor our online competitions. With the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles on the horizon—where an increasing number of urban sports are included—this represents a powerful combination with significant growth potential.”

The investment from Dutch Sport Tech Fund allows CityLegends to continue developing and scaling. Jimmy outlines several key pillars he considers critical for success in the United States.

“First, we focus on collaborations—working with local athletes, local clubs, and major brands. The community grows fastest when we build together, with culture itself as the foundation. We will collaborate with major brands that sponsor our online competitions, and in the lead-up to the Olympic Games we will increasingly organize pick-up games together with partner brands. These are small-scale events, known as ‘jams,’ where sports, music, and culture come together. On the spot, we create a large volume of content that we then share online.

This directly ties into our second focus area. On average, our own social media content generates around 6 million views per month, and this number is growing rapidly. Ultimately, we want our app to become the Strava of street culture—while simultaneously being the leading news and media platform where users discover great locations, watch inspiring videos, follow competitions, and explore the latest fashion trends.”

“A third focus area is shareable content. Our users already generate a tremendous amount of content, and we are now developing additional features to amplify this. When users are in a battle or have created a location, they will soon be able to share this with enhanced visuals. We are making a significant investment in enriched content.

At the same time, we will use the funding to further develop our platform. We are already expanding our street e-sports competitions, with the goal of evolving into a serious global competitive network featuring rankings, wildcards, and qualification pathways that can lead to participation in major tournaments—potentially even the Olympic Games.”

With the financing round completed and a clear go-to-market strategy in place, Jimmy looks ahead with confidence and energy. “Within two years, CityLegends aims to grow to 4 million users, reaching more than 100 million Gen Z consumers worldwide. This is a realistic ambition, and with the support of Dutch Sport Tech Fund, we will be working relentlessly to achieve it—above all, together with and driven by our community.”