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From Idea to Chapter I

The LINEAL Story.

LINEAL began when two worlds collided: startup building and professional basketball. Its two founders came from different sides of the court but shared the same obsession—with basketball, growth and building something the sport had never seen before.

Conceptualised in early 2026, LINEAL moved quickly from idea to proof. Within months, the team built the format, staged its first events and proved there was real demand from players, fans, partners and investors. What began as an experiment became the foundation for Europe’s first structured 1v1 basketball championship—complete with height divisions, rankings, belt lineage and monthly fight nights.

Built with the operational discipline of a startup and the energy of combat sports, LINEAL made its case as more than another basketball event. It showed the potential to become the defining home of 1v1 basketball—and, over time, the engine behind a global 1v1 sports empire.

That early momentum enabled LINEAL to close a €500,000 pre-seed round in August 2026, setting the stage for the launch of its inaugural Chapter I in September.

Born in Europe. Built for the world.
Team

The People Behind the Belt.

Portrait of David Dawoud

David Dawoud

Founder and CEO

Portrait of Manu Lecomte

Manu Lecomte

Founder and Co-CEO and Chief Sports Officer

Portrait of Lieven Ndala

Lieven Ndala

Voice of Lineal - Host

Portrait of Ine Joris

Ine Joris

Ambassador & Partner

Portrait of Eileen Cols

Eileen Cols

Fractional CFO

Portrait of Nico Vereecke

Nico Vereecke

Strategic Advisor

Portrait of Loïc Gérard

Loïc Gérard

Advisor & Venture Partner

Portrait of Damien Hupé

Damien Hupé

Sponsorship & Media Sales Executive

Portrait of Kelly Letheule

Kelly Letheule

Fractional Marketing Exec & Advisor

Market Timing

Why This Works Now.

The timing is perfect.

01
Individual Sports Are Growing

Combat sports, tennis, and individual competitions generate massive audience engagement across Europe. Fans follow personalities, not just teams.

02
Social Media Rewards 1v1

Short clips of individual plays outperform team sequences online. 1v1 content is instantly understandable. Every crossover, every bucket, every block — it's all content.

03
Basketball Culture Loves 1v1

From playground courts to viral YouTube matchups, 1v1 has always been part of basketball culture. LINEAL brings official structure to it.

04
The Gap Is Wide Open

Basketball has leagues, clubs, tournaments. But it does not yet have a continental 1v1 championship structure. LINEAL aims to become that structure — starting from Belgium.

Beyond Basketball

The Vision.

Now: Basketball
Next: Every 1v1 Arena
1v1 basketball players competing at a LINEAL event
01 · Now

Build the Category

LINEAL’s vision is to make 1v1 competition a recognised global sports category. We are starting with basketball, building an official championship where players compete in fair divisions, earn rankings, win belts and build their name on a real stage. Starting in Europe, we aim to become the global home of 1v1 basketball for players and fans.

Players facing off during a crowded 1v1 basketball event
02 · Next

Scale the Engine

Over time, LINEAL will expand beyond basketball to become the home of 1v1 competition across multiple sports. We are building the engine that makes these formats thrive: a shared operating system for rules, divisions, rankings, belt lineages, events, athlete development, media, sponsorship and community. Once proven in basketball, this engine can be adapted and scaled across new sporting disciplines.

LINEAL players gathered together on the court
03 · How

Make Every Matchup Matter

Our content will be produced differently from traditional sports coverage: fast, cinematic, personality-driven and designed for the way audiences consume sport today. By turning every matchup into an accessible story, rivalry and shareable moment, LINEAL aims to pioneer a new way of experiencing sport—while giving partners direct access to clearly defined and highly engaged communities of athletes, fans and culture.