As the global soccer industry races toward a men’s World Cup in North America this summer and a Women’s World Cup in Brazil in 2027, independent soccer brand Senda Athletics is betting there is room in the market for an underdog.The fair-trade soccer company announced this week it has raised $1.5 million in seed funding as it prepares to launch what it says are the world’s first Fair Trade Certified soccer cleats, adding another challenger to a crowded global footwear market dominated by giants like Nike, Adidas and Puma. The brand is looking to expand the round of funding up to $2.5 million to fuel its move into 11-a-side soccer.This round includes investments from Washington Spirit owner Michele Kang, Racing Louisville owner John Neace and South Florida-based entrepreneur Marc Effron. Kang’s involvement is particularly notable because she also invested in IDA Sports, a company focused specifically on soccer cleats designed for women athletes.For Senda founder Santiago Halty, the funding represents more than a capital injection. It is validation that a niche soccer company built around ethical manufacturing and grassroots relationships can survive in an industry where marketing budgets often determine visibility.“We were starting in 2010 with the goal of bringing Fair Trade Certified balls, so balls that are ethically made,” Halty told The Athletic. “Now we’re launching the world’s first fair-trade cleats right ahead of the World Cup.”The Miami-based company’s path to Neace began through The Women’s Cup, the annual invitational tournament hosted in Louisville. Since 2023, Senda has served as the tournament’s official ball provider, supplying ethically produced fair-trade match balls and grip socks for clubs from the NWSL, Spain and Brazil. Halty connected with Neace during the 2024 event, and Neace later connected him with Kang, whose growing portfolio in women’s soccer already included investments across clubs and equipment brands.