11 hours ago
Tampon Startup Sequel Enters The Big League With Indiana Fever Sponsorship
Amanda Calabrese (left) and Greta Meyer (right). courtesy of Sequel
Indiana Fever guard Lexie Hull knows that in the three years since she went sixth overall in the WNBA draft, most fans have forgotten that she holds both bachelors and masters degrees in engineering. But this background—forged at Stanford University, where she also played ball—was just the beginning of a long-term connection with Stanford-founded tampon startup, Sequel. Hull became an official Sequel ambassador in February, and the partnership is now expanding beyond one-on-one: This week, Sequel was named the first official tampon sponsor for Hull's Indiana Fever.
'I remember seeing the mockup, the very first stage of the Sequel tampon, in one of my design classes,' Hull told Forbes . 'And for whatever reason, it stuck with me.'
This new Fever-wide partnership, which Forbes learned about exclusively, will provide all Fever players with Sequel tampons as part of their team-provided equipment. And fans will gain access, too. Branded tampon dispensers, specially made to install around Indianapolis' Gainbridge Fieldhouse, will be available in all women's restrooms stocked with complimentary Sequel products.
'The fans of women's sports are what's driving the future growth of women's sports,' said Sequel's Amanda Calabrese. 'Teams and organizations recognize how important it is today to invest in their female fans.'
For Calabrese and her cofounder Greta Meyer—also Stanford engineering alumnae and competitive athletes themselves, one in lifesaving and one in lacrosse—supporting athletes is exactly what Sequel was designed to do. Their reimagined, spiral-shape tampon for better absorption and less leakage was first created in 2019, and the startup landed the cofounders a spot on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Manufacturing & Industry list in 2023. The company has $8 million in funding—but the Fever partnership stands to launch the brand to new heights.
'From day one we wanted to work with female athletes because we've always believed that they were going to be the future of influencer marketing,' Calabrese said. It was a prescient business strategy, as women's sports have broken record after record in recent years: 54 million unique viewers tuned into WNBA games last year and the 2024 NCAA Women's National Championship broke records for the most-viewed college basketball game ever on ESPN platforms (men's or women's), with 19 million viewers. The Fever are one of the hottest teams within this landscape; Forbes estimates Indiana led the WNBA in revenue and attendance (even outpacing attendance for the Pacers, its NBA counterpart) and is worth $320 million.
'It's an incredibly smart business decision to invest in women's sports,' Indiana Fever COO Amber Cox said. 'The [value of the league] is only going up, so it's exciting to work alongside brands who are fully invested and want to find creative ways to grow together.'
Noted Calabrese: 'This isn't just 'Sequel partners with the Indiana Fever.' This is everything we've learned, everything we've believed to be true about female athletes, women's sports, building credibility for a very intimate product. All of that is coming to fruition in this partnership.'
While Sequel products are available directly to consumers (DTC) on its website and in fitness studios like NYC barre class Physique 57, the brand has focused primarily on more creative methods of growth: Last summer, it popped up at the Paris Olympics with Athleta and last October it partnered with Athletes Unlimited, a pro sports network launched in 2020. The Fever are a natural extension of that partnership approach to increase brand awareness, Calabrese said.
Lexie Hull was drafted to the Fever in 2022. courtesy of the Indiana Fever
'It's just crazy to see the growth,' said Hull. 'Now, college players are so excited about the potential of playing in the WNBA… It is becoming more and more lucrative, and a real career path for women.' Hull, for her part, counts more than half a million fans on her social media platforms—an audience that has helped her strike brand deals like the one she has with Sequel.
In addition to Sequel tampons being available during all home games, the startup is also celebrating the launch of the partnership with a designated game on July 13th—between the Indiana Fever and the Dallas Wings. (Those who watch women's basketball will know this is set to be one of the most-watched games yet as Indiana Fever's Caitlin Clark takes on this year's top-select, Paige Bueckers.) At the game, LED boards across the stadium will showcase the campaign's slogan: 'Your favorite athlete's favorite tampon.'
Working with brands she believes in, founded by women she respects, is a privilege Hull acknowledges: 'Women drive so much of purchases, and I think being able to influence those purchases provides a lot of power to the influencers doing so,' Hull said. 'Being able to have a hand in those decisions and those conversations is really special… This partnership is just going to be really full circle.'
