CatchBack Cards

a platform for maximizing the thrill of collecting trading cards

Winter 2026

Crypto / Web3

Consumer

NFT

About

CatchBack Cards is a mobile app and website platform for maximizing the thrill of collecting Pokemon and Sports cards. We allow collectors to create custom mystery packs with personalized chases and customized odds with cryptographically trusted tooling. Users can rip open digital packs and get physical cards shipped to them, receive buyback offers on cards pulled from their mystery packs sent straight to Venmo and PayPal, and buy/sell cards in our $1 marketplace.

Founders

Sophia Kim

Founder

Building a gamified Web3 platform for liquidity in the collectibles space.

Joseph Zhang

Founder

Hi there! I quit my job to sell Pokemon cards. prev SWE at Nexus, consultant at McKinsey, SWE at AWS, Gates Scholar and ISEF finalist I'm passionate about the intersection of innovative technology, sustainability, and resource allocation/equity. In my free time, I enjoy playing squash, creating pop remixes/mashups, and reading everything from Fantasy to biographies, as well as shamelessly looking up the answers to the New York Times crossword puzzles.

AI Research Report

Problem & Solution

Problem and Solution Report

The traditional physical trading card market suffers from significant friction, particularly regarding liquidity and trust. Collectors often face slow transaction times, high fees on secondary marketplaces, and the risks associated with 'mystery packs' where the odds and contents are not transparent or verified. Furthermore, the physical nature of the cards makes 'flipping' or rapid trading difficult, as items must be shipped, authenticated, and stored by the individual collector.

CatchBack Cards solves these issues by providing a technology-driven platform that combines physical assets with digital efficiency. Their core solution is the 'CatchPack,' which allows collectors to create their own personalized mystery packs. Users can pick their own 'chases' (the high-value cards) and set their own odds using cryptographically trusted tooling. This ensures that the pack-opening experience is both customizable and provably fair, addressing the trust gap in the hobby.

To solve the liquidity problem, CatchBack utilizes a secure vaulting system. When a user opens a digital pack on the platform, the cards are backed by physical versions stored in CatchBack's vault. This allows users to trade, sell, or 'flip' cards in real-time without the need for immediate shipping. If a collector wants the physical item, they can request delivery at any time. Additionally, the platform offers a 'forever buyback' feature, providing instant liquidity by sending offers directly to a user's Venmo or PayPal, ensuring that collectors are never stuck with assets they cannot move.

Market & Competitors

Market and Competitors Analysis

CatchBack Cards operates in the rapidly evolving intersection of the $20 billion physical collectibles market and digital fintech. The market is currently shifting toward 'phygital' (physical-digital) models, where physical assets are vaulted and traded digitally to increase velocity. The target audience includes Gen Z and Millennial collectors who are accustomed to digital-first experiences and seek the same level of liquidity in their hobbies as they find in crypto or stock trading.

The competitive landscape is fragmented, consisting of traditional marketplaces and newer, specialized platforms. Key competitors identified by industry analysts include Drip Shop, Quidd, and Oblivion Collectibles. Drip Shop focuses on live-stream shopping for collectibles, while Quidd specializes in digital-only collectibles. CatchBack distinguishes itself by focusing on the 'custom mystery pack' niche and providing a bridge to physical assets through its vaulting service.

Broader competition includes established giants like eBay and StockX, as well as specialized graded-card marketplaces. CatchBack’s primary competitive advantages are its low-fee structure (a flat $1 fee versus the percentage-based fees of 10-15% common on other platforms) and its 'forever buyback' guarantee. By offering instant liquidity via Venmo and PayPal, CatchBack addresses a major pain point that larger, more bureaucratic marketplaces have yet to solve effectively.

Total Addressable Market

Quantitative Market Analysis and TAM

CatchBack Cards operates within the global physical trading card market, which encompasses sports cards, Pokémon, and anime-related collectibles like One Piece. According to company disclosures and Y Combinator launch data, this market is estimated to be worth over $20 billion annually. The sector is characterized by high transaction volumes and a rapidly growing digital-native collector base.

The market is currently experiencing significant growth, with annual growth rates estimated between 10% and 15% (double-digit YoY growth). This expansion is driven by the increasing professionalization of the hobby, the rise of alternative asset investing, and the digitization of secondary market transactions. CatchBack positions itself to capture a portion of this $20B+ market by providing the liquidity and trust tools necessary for high-velocity trading.

From a financial perspective, CatchBack Cards is a seed-stage company that has successfully raised approximately $500,000 in funding. Its primary institutional investor is Y Combinator, having participated in the Winter 2025 batch. The company's revenue model includes a marketplace fee, currently set at a flat $1 charge for completed sales, which aims to undercut traditional marketplaces that often charge high percentage-based commissions.

Founder Analysis

Founders of CatchBack Cards

CatchBack Cards was co-founded by Joseph Zhang and Sophia Kim. The leadership team combines a background in high-level software engineering and strategic consulting with a deep personal interest in the collectibles market. Joseph Zhang serves as the CEO and has publicly shared that his transition into the startup space was driven by a side hustle flipping Pokémon cards, which eventually evolved into the full-stack trading platform that CatchBack is today.

Joseph Zhang possesses a robust technical and professional background. Prior to founding CatchBack, he served as a Software Engineer (SWE) at both Nexus and Amazon Web Services (AWS). Additionally, he worked as a consultant at McKinsey & Company, providing him with a blend of technical execution and business strategy experience. His academic and early-career accolades are equally distinguished; he is a Gates Scholar and was a finalist in the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF).

Sophia Kim is the other active founder of CatchBack Cards. Her professional focus within the company involves building a gamified Web3 platform designed to provide liquidity in the collectibles space. Her work emphasizes the intersection of blockchain-inspired tooling and physical assets, aiming to modernize how collectors interact with their items. Together, the founders leverage their experience in software engineering and crypto-inspired liquidity to address the inefficiencies of the traditional physical trading card market.

Unlock Full AI Research Report

Enter your email to access the complete analysis.

We'll never spam you. Unsubscribe anytime.