The Hillsboro Hops announced a founding partnership with Rule42 Sports Technology Group on Aug. 18, giving the Lake Oswego startup founded by former Intel president Renée James a local foothold as it made a flurry of deals across professional softball and baseball in a single week.
One day later, Rule42 announced a major investment in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League and the acquisition of Softball America, the sport's leading digital publication. James will join the AUSL Board of Directors, and Rule42 will be among the league's largest investors.
Hops president and general manager K.L. Wombacher said in the Aug. 18 partnership announcement that Rule42 is "a perfect fit as a founding partner of the Hops. Their focus on creating opportunities for youth athletes is something very important to us as well."
The Hops are the High-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks and three-time Northwest League champions. Seventy-three former Hops have reached the majors.
Lake Oswego startup led by Intel veterans
Rule42 has fewer than 30 employees and a small office on Kruse Way in Lake Oswego, according to The Oregonian. James served as Intel's president from 2013 to 2016, then founded chip startup Ampere Computing, which she sold to SoftBank in 2025 for $6.5 billion. She is a University of Oregon alumna, sits on the UO Board of Trustees and co-chaired Gov. Tina Kotek's Oregon Prosperity Council.
Rule42's president is Michelle Johnston Holthaus, who led Intel's PC business and served as the chipmaker's interim co-CEO in 2024 and 2025 before leaving.
James self-funds the company. She has said the idea came from watching her son Ryan Cooney navigate the costly amateur scouting process before the Toronto Blue Jays drafted him in the third round in 2026 out of the University of Oregon.
"There are girls everywhere playing softball and they wonder, what comes next? And now, the answer is they can be a pro too, and that is why I'm investing in AUSL," James told USA Today Sports on Aug. 19.
Rule42 is building an AI-powered platform that will be free for athletes and parents, with scouts and coaches paying for access.
AUSL riding record viewership
The six-team AUSL, led by Commissioner Kim Ng, completed its second season with strong numbers. ESPN viewership surged 152% across 47 broadcast games, up from 18 in 2025. ABC drew an average audience of 732,000 viewers for Game 1 of the championship series, making it the most-watched professional softball game on record. The league sold out 25 games, including 11 of 12 home dates in Portland, and merchandise sales jumped 110% year over year.
The league counts Major League Baseball, the Milwaukee Brewers and owner Mark Attanasio, and Ryan Sanders Baseball among its backers.
Athletes Unlimited CEO Jon Patricof said James "has built multibillion-dollar, high-growth companies and has a deep passion for sports."
Softball America joins the fold
Softball America, known for its prospect rankings and recruiting coverage, will rebrand as "Softball America by Rule42." Its entire staff will be employed by Rule42, and its annual top-150 collegiate prospect list is now hosted at rankings.rule42.com.
Tara Henry, a former NCAA champion outfielder at UCLA and current head coach of Great Britain's Women's National Softball Team, serves as Rule42's vice president of softball and general manager of Softball America.
Financial terms of the deals were not disclosed. Softball's return to the Olympics in 2028 on American soil and the 2025 House v. NCAA settlement, which more than doubled possible Division I women's athletic scholarships, provide tailwinds for Rule42's bet on the sport.
