Thuzio Lets You Pay $2,500 to Play Pick-Up With Antoine Walker

Would you pay $2,500 to play pick-up hoops with retired NBA chucker Antoine Walker? How about $12,500 for lunch with NFL great Lawrence Taylor? Or $5,000 to have Gary Payton talk smack in-person at your next fantasy draft?

All that and more — much, much more — is possible via the startup Thuzio. The site sells current and retired athletes' time to folks looking for, in the words of CEO Glenn Laumeister, "ultimate fan experiences."

Just recently, for example, New York Knicks star J.R. Smith went to a kid's bar mitzvah. The family and guests, Laumeister says, "loved him."

Thuzio's interesting business model and high profile backing — ex-NFL star Tiki Barber is a co-founder, and it's raised more than $1.5 million in VC funding — have earned the company plenty of press attention since launching in September. Up-to-date info from Laumeister paints a successful picture; he says the company now has more than 300 athletes, has expanded to include other celebrities and entertainers, has broadened to five markets after starting in just the New York City area and now posts monthly revenue increases of 25% Read more...