17 Sport named on Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies List
Purpose-led sportS partnerships are outperforming the legacy model. Now there’s validation
17 Sport, the first impact-led global sports marketing, advisory and investment firm, has been named on Fast Company’s prestigious list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies of 2026.
This year’s list shines a spotlight on businesses shaping the future of their industries and culture through their innovations. 17 Sport is included in the Social Good category, recognised for demonstrating that placing purpose at the heart of sport strategy delivers measurable social change and stronger commercial returns than the traditional sponsorship model.
Selected from thousands of global submissions, the recognition places 17 Sport alongside companies including Google, Nvidia, adidas and Walmart, organisations redefining how business creates value in a rapidly changing world.
“Our list of the Most Innovative Companies is about spotlighting organisations that don’t just adapt to change — they drive it. The companies we honour this year are redefining what leadership looks like in 2026, pairing bold ideas with measurable impact and turning breakthrough innovation into real-world value. They are setting the pace for their industries and offering a blueprint for what sustained innovation can achieve.”
Brendan Vaughan,
Editor-in-Chief of Fast Company
For 17 Sport, the recognition validates a model two decades in the making. Working with partners including Nike, adidas, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), UEFA, Allianz, Sanofi, Ocean Conservancy and Just Eat, the firm has demonstrated that purpose-led sport partnerships drive deeper engagement, stronger returns, and more resilient communities.
“At a time when so much is pulling people apart, sport remains one of the most powerful forces to bring people together. This recognition reinforces what we’re seeing across our work — that when social good sits at the centre of strategy, commercial performance follows.”
Neill Duffy,
Founder & CEO, 17 Sport
“We named this company after UN Sustainable Development Goal 17, Partnerships for the Goals, because we believe sport is the most powerful platform to solve some of the world's biggest problems, and that collaboration is what drives systemic positive change. This recognition belongs to the clients, athletes and our team who believe in an alternative way of doing business that aligns purpose with profit. I couldn't be prouder of what we’ve built together.”
Fabien Paget,
Co-Founder & Managing Partner, 17 Sport
The recognition comes as 17 Sport enters its next phase of growth, with new programmes across global partners set to launch later this year.
