The SportsTech Allstars Podcast
By SportsTechX
The SportsTech Allstars PodcastMay 10, 2024
MLS Innovation Lab: Incubating the next gen of Sports Tech Companies #202
This is the last in our series of talking to new sports tech accelerator programs, initiatives and solutions, in lead up to the Global Sports Tech Ecosystem Report 2024.
🎙 This week, The SportsTech ALLSTARS Podcast Presents- Christopher Schlosser, Senior Vice President - Emerging Ventures at Major League Soccer.
Chris talks about MLS and its growth, his journey at MLS, about the MLS Innovation Lab, what they look for in startups, how they act as strategic partners and not plain investors, and what innovations their selected startups are working on. Chris also talks about exciting sports tech trends, their partnership with Apple, what new is coming up for MLS and much more.
MLS Innovation Lab is an annual program designed to identify and incubate the next generation of sports tech companies. MLS Innovation Lab gives companies the chance to test their products in real-world environments throughout the MLS ecosystem. Following the conclusion of all testing opportunities, members of the cohort will be selected to present to MLS executives and owners with the promising companies having the potential to earn long-term strategic partnerships and investment opportunities from the League.
To learn more, visit: https://www.mlssoccer.com/innovationlab/
Get in touch with Christopher Schlosser at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cschlosser/
Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Leading source of Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sign Up for the Sports Tech Weekly Newsletter for more news, features & insights on Sports Tech: https://newsletter.sportstechx.com/
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
03:39 MLS' journey
07:58 Startup Selection & Innovation Lab
18:41 Exciting Sports Tech Trends
25:02 Partnership with Apple
27:25 Future Plans
32:04 Fav Sporting Moment
#sportstech #sportsbusiness #sportstechnology #sportsbiz
The Venue.Barcelona: Innovation Zone for Music-Sports-Events #201
In the lead up to the Global Sports Tech Ecosystem Report 2024, this month we’re talking to new sports tech accelerator programs, initiatives and solutions. (GSTER is a single report covering the three major SportsTech regions i.e. North America, Europe, Asia Pacific- investors, programs, leaders, numbers everything).
🎙 This week, SportsTech ALLSTARS Podcast Presents- Daniel Dümig, Co-Founder at The Venue.Barcelona, The MotherTrees & U-Skale.
Daniel talks about his journey and industry experience in sports, about what The Venue.Barcelona does, its aim, services and more. We also discuss some success stories, key milestones and then about the exciting trends in sports technology, with a lot of valuable insights.
The Venue.Barcelona Music-Sports-Events Innovation Zone, is the epicenter of collaborative innovation. They offer you a space and ecosystem where corporate-startup innovation, collaboration and creativity converge; where the worlds of Music, Sports, and Events come alive via groundbreaking innovation initiatives. The Venue.Barcelona is an innovation playground of 40000m2 and a co-creation space of 1100m2 that hosts 2,000,000 Live Event Spectators and >150 Live Events per year.
To learn more, visit: https://thevenue.barcelona/
Get in touch with Daniel Dümig at: linkedin.com/in/danieldümig/
Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Leading source of Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.
Sign Up for the Sports Tech Weekly Newsletter for more news, features & insights on Sports Tech: https://sportstechx.com/newsletter/
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
2:53 Journey Into Sports
07.54 Asics philosophy
08.58 The Venue
15.11 Services Provided
20.12 Success Stories
23.59 Sports Tech Trends
28.24 Milestones
32.12 Fav Spoting Moment
Comcast SportsTech: The Premier Sports Accelerator #200
In lead up to the 2024 Global Sports Tech Ecosystem Report, this month we’re talking to new sports tech accelerator programs, initiatives and solutions. (GSTER is a single report covering the three major SportsTech regions i.e. North America, Europe, Asia Pacific- investors, programs, leaders, numbers - everything).
🎙 This week, SportsTech ALLSTARS Podcast Presents- Jenna Kurath, Vice President of Startup Partnerships & Head of Comcast NBCU SportsTech.
Jenna talks about her journey into sports, why they launched an accelerator program in sports, what startups are they looking for, some success stories, exciting sports tech trends and more.
Comcast SportsTech is where innovation meets the world of sports and entertainment! Go-to source for the latest advancements in sports technology, bringing you cutting-edge solutions that enhance the fan experience, empower athletes and teams, and transform the way we engage with sports. Comcast SportsTech is all about pushing boundaries and redefining what's possible in the world of sports. Whether it's immersive broadcasts, real-time analytics, or interactive fan engagement, they’re dedicated to creating game-changing solutions that take sports entertainment to the next level.
To learn more, visit: www.comcastsportstech.com
Get in touch with Jenna Kurath at: www.linkedin.com/in/jennakurath/
Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Leading source of Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.
Sign Up for the Sports Tech Weekly Newsletter for more news, features & insights on Sports Tech: https://sportstechx.com/newsletter/
0:00 Introduction
3:27 Journey Into Sports
6:23 Accelerator program in sports
10:37 Startup Selection
17:16 Success Stories
23:23 Exciting Sports Tech Trends
35:27 Favorite Sporting Moment
UEFA Innovation Hub: Cutting-edge solutions for European football #199
🎙 In lead up to the Global Sports Tech Ecosystem Report 2024, this month we’re talking to new sports tech accelerator programs, initiatives and solutions. (GSTER is a single report covering the three major SportsTech regions i.e. North America, Europe, Asia Pacific- investors, programs, leaders, numbers everything)
This week, SportsTech ALLSTARS Podcast Presents- Charles Frémont, Manager at UEFA Innovation Hub.
Charles talks about his background as a lawyer, how he got into sports, about the UEFA Innovation Hub and how they select & work with startups, about the Champions Innovate Program, different sustainability initiatives this year, other projects coming up, EURO 2024 being the most innovative UEFA event and more.
Established in 2018, UEFA's innovation hub acts as a sandbox for creating cutting-edge solutions to new challenges, on and off the pitch. By building partnerships and collaboration projects with start-ups, academic institutions and businesses, they harness public and private sector expertise to deliver high-impact innovations that benefit both the European football community and wider society.
To learn more, visit: https://rb.gy/ircd55
Get in touch with Charles Frémont at: https://rb.gy/hswaaf
Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sign Up for the Sports Tech Weekly Newsletter for more news, features & insights on Sports Tech: https://sportstechx.com/newsletter/
Timestamps:
0:00 Introduction
2:36 Charles’ Journey
7:20 UEFA Innovation Hub
13:12 Champions Innovate
19:48 Startups Selected
34:11 EUROs 2024
37:46 Fav Sporting Moment
SolidSport: Leading Sports Streaming Platform #198
🎙 The SportsTech ALLSTARS Podcast Presents- Andreas Westerlind, CCO of SolidSport
Back for a second episode, Andreas talks about the latest updates at SolidSport, how they’re helping sports federations grow their commercial values and fastly make profit and revenue streams from streaming and partnerships related to their media rights, how big tech entering sports broadcasting affects small players and traditional media houses, about the endless possibilities when it comes to collaboration between sports tech companies, what new is coming up at SS and much more.
SolidSport is a leading sport streaming platform that is trusted by sport federations, leagues, clubs and events. On all levels and everywhere. Solidsport offers a complete OTT sports media platform with custom white label design, sport data integrations and unlimited live streaming and on demand possibilities. You can create new revenue streams with their in-built payment system, enabling custom subscriptions and pay-per-view tickets on all content. Companies can also promote partners and strengthen sponsorship offers with ready to go advertising concepts.
To learn more, visit www.solidsport.com/en/products
Get in touch with Andreas Westerlind at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreas-westerlind/
Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sign Up for the Sports Tech Weekly Newsletter for more news, features & insights on Sports Tech: https://sportstechx.com/newsletter/
Johan Cruijff ArenA: Smart Stadium in a Smart City #197
🎙 In the last leg of our theme of talking to sports teams, leagues and organizations, The SportsTech Allstars Podcast presents- Luc Mureau, Innovative and Advisory at Johan Cruijff ArenA.
On this episode Luc talks about his background, the innovation and advisory services at the stadium, innovation being at the heart of the arena. He also talks about why innovation is so necessary in this day and age, about their program reimagine football, then sustainability, fan experience and sport performance being the key areas of interest, different challenges faced while implementing these innovations, and what's coming up in the ArenA.
Home of Ajax FC, the Johan Cruijff ArenA is an international leader in sustainability and fan experience. They have digital solutions for mobility, safety, inclusivity and sustainability, drive the area development of Amsterdam South East and contribute to the development of smart cities, such as Amsterdam. The Johan Cruijff ArenA and the stadium surroundings form a living lab. Here, public and private organizations join forces to achieve economic progress.
To learn more about Johan Cruijff Arena visit: https://www.johancruijffarena.nl/home/
Get in touch with Luc Mureau at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucmureau/
Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sign Up for the Sports Tech Weekly Newsletter for more news, features & insights on Sports Tech: https://sportstechx.com/newsletter/
#sportstech #sportsbusiness #sportstechnology #sportsbiz
DIF Innovation Lab- Danish Sports Confederation #196
🎙 Continuing our theme of talking to various innovation leaders in sports teams and organisations, on this week's episode, The SportsTech Allstars Podcast presents- Niels Henrik, Head of SportsTech at DIF Innovation Lab of the Danish Sports Confederation.
Niels talks about the structure of the DIF Innovation lab and how they support different startups, having an umbrella of 62 sports associations. We talk in detail about the ongoing innovation in different sports, their success stories, some of the biggest challenges in innovation, some new exciting tech and what's coming up for the DIF Innovation Lab.
DIF is Denmark's only elite and grassroots sports organisation. 62 specialist associations are organized under the Danish Sports Confederation, housed in the Sports House in Brøndby. DIF is the national Olympic committee for Denmark. DIF Innovation Lab is an initiative of the confederation, built to bridge sports federations, athletes, universities, startups and companies to empower the Danish sports industry and impact people’s lives through sports and innovation.
To learn more about DIF Innovation Lab, visit: http://www.difinnovationlab.dk
To learn more about DIF, visit: http://www.dif.dk
Get in touch with Niels Henrik at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/niheso/
Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sign Up for the Sports Tech Weekly Newsletter for more such news, features & insights: https://sportstechx.com/newsletter/
#sportstech #sportsbusiness #sportstechnology #sportsinnovation
Swiss Unihockey- Sports association representing floorball in Switzerland #195
🎙 On this week's episode, The SportsTech Allstars Podcast presents- Sven Körner, Digitalization and Innovation Lead at Swiss Unihockey- The sports association representing floorball in Switzerland.
On this episode Sven talks about this growing sport Floorball (Unihockey)- it's history, rules, gameplay and his career as a professional Floorball athlete. Post that, how he switched to an administrative role in the same sport with Swiss Unihockey, where he now drives innovation.
We also talk about different areas of innovation for the sport, fans and athletes, other exciting tech developments like human interaction technology, 'Project Iceman', various challenges faced in innovation and what's coming up for Swiss Unihockey.
Swiss Unihockey is a successful, innovative sports association in the Swiss sports world. The Swiss Floorball Association organizes the Unihockey Prime League, the National League B and several regional leagues. The Swiss Unihockey Hub is a new digital solution for the association. The new hub maps game operations for all teams. It offers live broadcasts, highlights, live tickers, results, tables, photos and videos as well as many functions that you know from social media.
To learn more about Swiss Unihockey, visit: http://www.swissunihockey.ch
Get in touch with Sven Körner at: https://t.ly/fQ1XW
Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sign Up for the Sports Tech Weekly Newsletter for more such news, features & insights: https://sportstechx.com/newsletter/
Teamworks: The Operating System for Sports #194
#sportstech #sportsbusiness #sportstechnology #sportsbiz
Back after a break, on this week's episode, The Sports Tech AllStars Podcast presents- Teamworks: The Operating System for Sports.
We have Fee Beyer (Business Development Executive) and Hayden Gutry (Head of Europe, the Middle East and Africa) from Teamworks. We talked about how Teamworks operates, their recent launch in Germany, challenges they’ve faced in different markets around the world, their presence at the SportsInnovation event on 21st and 22nd March in Düsseldorf and what we can expect from them in the next 12-18 months.
Teamworks is the proven operating system for high performance, powering more than 6,000 sports, military, and public safety organisations around the world. Available on a centralised and integrated platform, the Teamworks’ product suite provides specialised applications to support recruiting, development, management, individual branding, and community building. Based in Durham, North Carolina, and founded in 2004, Teamworks continues to expand its global presence with employees across ten countries and offices in London, England, and Brisbane, Australia.
To learn more, visit Teamworks: http://surl.li/riajs
Know more on how to select the right sports SAAS vendor: https://t.ly/UU4av
Check Out the latest trends in Global Football: https://t.ly/D45Ln
Get in touch with Fee Beyer at: http://linkedin.com/in/feebeyer/
Hayden Gutry at: http://linkedin.com/in/haydengutry/
Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sign Up for our newsletter for regular Sports Tech updates, insights and news: https://sportstechx.com/newsletter/
#193 SportCentrAll: All-in-one Sports App for Clubs, Coaches, Players and Fans
On this week's episode, The SportsTech Allstars Podcast presents- Philip Steyn, Co-Founder and CEO of SportCentrAll- The software development company with a flagship all-in-one Sports mobile App for Schools, Clubs, Coaches, Players and Fans.
Philip talks about growing up in South Africa and his sporting career there, post which he started working in finance in Australia. He started SportCentrAll as a fan engagement solution which developed into an all in one sports app. He talks about his 4 year journey of building the product before launching last year. Listen to the full episode to know about their journey, successes, challenges and upcoming projects.
SportCentrAll® was created with a clear vision: To make a significant contribution towards the development of players and athletes around the world and help them reach their full potential. SportCentrAll has built an entire sporting ecosystem that is designed to provide easy and affordable tools to help clubs, schools, athletes, players, coaches and administrators achieve their goals. All in one, single app.
To learn more, visit https://www.sportcentrall.com/
Get in touch with SportCentrAll on: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sportcentrall/
Get in touch with Philip on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philip-steyn/?originalSubdomain=au
Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.
#192 Respo.Vision: AI and Computer Vision-Powered 3D Sport’s Tracking Data System
On our second episode of the SportsTech AllStars Podcast of 2024 we're excited to feature Mateusz Szala, Co-Founder of ReSpo.Vision the AI and Computer Vision-powered 3D sport’s tracking data system that is bringing the sports analytics and entertainment experience to the forefront.
On this episode, Mateusz talks about his background in consulting where he previously led strategic projects in the technology and financial industry, his work with The Boston Consulting Group, where he met his Co-Founder Paweł Osterreicher, and how their shared passion for crunching numbers and sports led to the early conceptualisation of Respo.Vision. Mateusz also talks about how they use Computer Vision to build a new fan engagement and analytical platform. We talk about the new applications of technologies such as VR headsets, the sports betting market and their numerous innovations in the field.
Respo.Vision brings a new depth of analytics to sports using Computer Vision. Their system detects 3D positions of the ball and 50+ body parts of every player, in every video frame, using a single-camera video input- fully automatic for any game, with accuracy measured in centimeters, and without any wearable sensors or expensive pre-installed cameras.
To learn more, visit https://respo.vision/
Get in touch with Mateusz at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/szala/
Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.
#191 Mingle Sport: Revolutionising Grassroots Ball Sports with Computer Vision A.I
Welcome back to the SportsTech AllStars Podcast's first episode of 2024! We kickoff our podcast lineup for the year by featuring the winner of our first edition of the SportsTech Startup Spotlight Competition - Mingle Sport.
We are joined today by Freek Bijl, Co-Founder and CEO of Mingle Sport- a Sports Tech startup that's building your favourite ball sports app for grassroots players, trainers and their fans. On this episode Freek talks about his background in digital consulting, his experience working on digital transformations for major brands as Chief Strategy Officer, his personal subpar experience with grassroots football on a digital and statistical front and how his need to provide better statistics, match sharing experiences and team logistics led to the eventual foundation of Mingle Sport. He also talks about their successes with go-to market strategy for various countries, their biggest challenges and their exciting future projects.
Mingle Sport is a social app for grassroots ball sports (players, trainers, fans) that allows users to track performance, enjoy the game with others, and manage their team more efficiently using computer vision AI and cutting edge mobile technology.
To learn more, visit https://www.mingle.sport/
Get in touch with Freek at: freek@mingle.sport
Download the SportsTech VC Report: http://sportstechx.com/reports/gstvcr23/
Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.
#190 SportsTech Radar: Global SportsTech VC Report 2023
We close out our month of focusing on VC's in SportsTech, with the SportsTech Radar- A 60 minute snapshot of the most important findings from the 5th Edition of the Global SportsTech VC Report 2023, covering data & insights from another interesting year for SportsTech.
💰 Over $11.6b in M&A, but only $2b in funding
🧑🤝🧑 2023 is the"Year of Consolidation", highest ever in Mergers & Acquisitions activity
⭐ 34 New SportsTech funds
The #GSTVCR23 takes a deep dive on Investment activity in Global SportsTech. 2023 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 that we’ve seen since 2015, will top out 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 $2 𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧. But it's been 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬 & 𝐀𝐜𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐰 that we’ve ever seen, projected to 𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 $11 𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧. Join us on The SportsTech AllStars Podcast as we unpack all the data, insights and trends shaping the industry over the course of the year.
To learn more, download the #GSTVCR23: http://sportstechx.com/reports/gstvcr23/
Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.
#189 ProFluence: A Multi-Media Ecosystem and VC Fund at the intersection of Sports, Tech & Media.
Fresh off the launch of our Global SportsTech VC Report 2023, a definitive compilation of Investment Data within the Sports Tech Ecosystem, we are shining the spotlight on VC’s in order to get an investors perspective on the latest in SportsTech trends. On this week's episode we are excited to feature Andrew Petcash, founder of Profluence Sports, a multi-media powerhouse and VC fund sitting squarely at the intersection of sports, tech, and media.
On this episode Andrew talks about his background in collegiate sports, playing basketball for Boston University, how he built his own website called College Athlete Insight, his brief stint with coaching and his journey of founding his own VC and Media ecosystem-Profluence. We discuss the various deals that Profluence Capital has been involved in such as Minutely, SportsVizio and Sapphire, we talk about India as an emerging market for SportsTech and their exciting future projects.
Profluence brings together founders, investors, athletes to create a community of professionals exploring the trends, people & companies shaping the future of sports. They go beyond the headlines to provide the most thoughtful and useful information in the rapidly growing sports industry. Profluence Capital invests at the intersection of Sports, Tech and Media.
To learn more, visit: https://profluence.com/
Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.
#188 Cartan Capital: Fueling the Future of Sports and Health
We're about a week away from publishing the 5th edition of the Global SportsTech VC Report 2023, and we're shining the spotlight on VC’s in order to get an investors perspective on the latest in SportsTech trends. For our second episode we are excited to feature Cici Bellis, Founder and General Partner at Cartan Capital, a venture capital firm focused on the sports and health technology sectors.
On this episode CiCi talks about her unique background as a professional tennis player, her foray into venture capital and her journey of founding her own VC firm Cartan Capital. We also discuss wearables, tennis tech, VC trends and more.
Cartan Capital is a forward-thinking venture capital firm focused on the sports and health technology markets. With a deep understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities in sports and health technology, they provide financial support, strategic guidance and industry expertise to help their portfolio companies thrive.
To learn more, visit: https://www.cartan-capital.com/
Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.
#187 TXV Partners: Investing in Disruptive Startups Shaping Tomorrow's Industries
Leading up to the launch of our Global SportsTech VC Report 2023, a definitive compilation of Investment Data within the Sports Tech Ecosystem, we shine the spotlight on VC’s in order to get an investors perspective on the latest in SportsTech trends. On our first episode we are excited to feature Brandon Allen Co-Founder and Managing Partner of TXV Partners. TXV is an institutionally-backed private investment firm focusing on the sports, human performance, and software verticals.
Brandon talks about his background in Consulting and Equity, the early inception of how he and Marcus Stroud, college roommates at Princeton, founded TXV a Venture Capital Fund centred around an ethos of Human Performance and Health Accountability, in Texas in 2019. He talks about their various investments into startups including Future Fit, Data.World, Oura, Future, Kambr and Trax.
TXV Partners’ Evolution Fund aims to be the premier investment vehicle that targets the entire ecosystem of sports and its adjacent markets- wellness, hospitality, and media- creating a strong and seamless presence in sports and the broader commercial ecosystem around it. TXV Partners is actively invested into technology used by the NBA, NFL, and the Premier League. With the Evolution Fund, the team will bring technology, former athletes, and sports management expertise to the full range of investments across the sports ecosystem.
To learn more, visit: https://www.txv.partners/
Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.
#186 Betahaus: A global community of freelancers, startups, entrepreneurs and creatives.
In this weeks special episode, we are joined by Olivia Czetwertynski, CSO of Betahaus, the pioneers behind community-driven co-working spaces and incubators.
BetahausX along with its Korean partners, are privileged to introduce K-Sports Tech to Europe. They are the proud hosts of KoreaTech Demo Day- an event that showcases the incredible advancements in health and sport innovations straight from Korea.
In this episode, we with chat with some of the pioneers of Korean Health and Sports Tech at Betahaus. Manhyung Han, CEO of Kinetic Labs, talks about merging AI, wearables and mobile gaming into a seamless experience; Juno Junwoo Kim, Director and CCO of Ascent Sports, discusses nutrition and training for the athletic elite; and Kate Ki, CEO of Walking Master, tells us her founding story of how her customizable, stylish, and affordable foot health specialty brand is changing the footwear game.
🚴🏻♀️ We also chat with Philine Möller, Co- Founder of Medvind Sweden, who talks about the first bike jacket brand that combines function, style and safety for urban bike riders
To learn more, visit:
https://www.ascentsports.kr/
https://wmclub.co.kr/index.html
Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.
#185 BatFast: Re-engineering Sports with AI-driven Coaching and Insights
In this week's episode of Innovation in CricketTech, we are joined by Runish Gudhka, CEO of BatFast, the global sports technology company using data, augmented reality, machine learning, and robotics to re-engineer how sports are played.
Runish talks about growing up in Kenya, representing his country in Cricket at the national level, his background in Technology and Entrepreneurship and how that journey eventually led him to co-founding BatFast. He talks about BatFast’s various activations in the MLB and the Cricket World Cup, their projects with cricket simulators in the U.S and U.K, the launch of multi-activity based entertainment venues, the next evolution of BatFast, and their expansion into other sports such as Baseball and Tennis.
BatFast uses data and patented technology to make sports more accessible for beginners and aspiring professionals alike. BatFast technology re-engineers playing fields to fit inside urban entertainment spaces, training venues, and at home. Their software delivers an engaging real sports experience that also collects detailed data for elite-level training and performance improvement.
To learn more, visit https://batfast.com/about/
Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.
#184 Ludimos: Revolutionising Cricket Coaching with AI
In our second week of Innovation in CricketTech, we are joined by Madan Rajagopal, Founder & CEO of Ludimos, the AI-powered cricket coaching platform that helps coaches track the performance of their players using elite broadcast level analytics.
In this episode, Madan talks about his background in engineering and AI, his work as a scientist and researcher, and how that led to the early inception of an AI based platform in a sport he's deeply passionate about- cricket! He talks about how Ludimos uses AI to improve the coaching experience, the limitations and barriers of CricketTech, and their exciting future projects.
Ludimos provides elite broadcast level analytics for player development & scouting talents using just a smartphone. From session planning to player development, Ludimos provides coaching & analytical tools to help develop athletes.
To learn more, visit https://www.ludimos.com/
Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.
#183 CoachEd Cricket: Online Coaching with World’s Leading Cricketers
For October, our spotlight is on Innovation in CricketTech. Running alongside the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, we’re exploring the latest in CricketTech Startups. On our first episode, we're excited to feature South African cricketing legend Mr. Gary Kirsten. Gary is the Co-Founder of CoachEd Cricket, the online cricket coaching education platform with globally recognized courses created and endorsed by the world’s leading cricket coaches.
In this episode Gary talks about his introduction to cricket at an early age, his 17 year professional playing career, and his tenure coaching at the highest level for 19 years. He shares the fascinating story behind how he got the Indian Cricket Head Coaching position and led India to win the Cricket World Cup. Gary also discusses how CoachEd was founded, the barriers of coaching education across the globe, how his platform helps coaches today, their success cases and exciting future projects.
CoachEd Cricket brings online courses which have been developed to certify cricket coaches globally through expert input from the worlds best cricket minds, pioneered by Gary Kirsten.
To learn more, visit https://coachedcricket.com/
Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.
#182 DFL: Deutsche Fußball Liga
Closing out our month of focusing on Innovation in Stadium & Venue Technology we have an exciting guest, Luccas Roznowicz, Head of Digital Innovations at Deutsche Fußball Liga.
Luccas discusses his background in Sport Marketing, what his current role as Head of Digital Innovation entails, and how they are working towards enhancing and improving media production with the help of technology partners and innovative companies such as AWS. In this episode we look back at the success cases from the SportsInnovation 2022 event and the exciting future projects they have in store for the SportsInnovation 2024 event.
To learn more, visit https://www.dfl.de/de/
Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.
#181 Piing: Engaging Fans In-Stadium with Massive Multiplayer Games!
How do you engage 50,000 fans inside a stadium at Half-Time? In this week's episode of Innovation in StadiumTech, we chat with Gareth Langley, CEO of Piing, the multi-player game platform facilitating mass-participation fan engagement and marketing for events. Piing delivers the excitement of mass-participation to events of every size.
Gareth talks about his background in Co-Founding digital agencies, working with broadcasters such as BBC and Channel 4 on pilot projects for mass participation, his background in consulting for startup incubators and the early foundations of Piing. He talks about the different applications of this platform, challenges they faced with the adoption of this tech, exciting future projects and their numerous partnerships with sports clubs and leagues such as Ajax, Atletico Madrid, EuroLegue Basketball, SilverStone, the MLB, and more.
Piing is an in-stadium gaming platform that enables spectators at sporting events to play games on stadium screens using their phone as a controller. Their massive multiplayer games create an engaging, competitive atmosphere that audiences love, bringing people together in unique shared moments.
To learn more, visit https://piing.events/
Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.
#180 OnePlan: World's Leading Event Site and Venue Planning Platform.
In our second week of Innovation in StadiumTech month in partnership with the DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga and SportsInnovation 2024, we are joined by Paul Foster, Founder of OnePlan, the events-based software tool radically improving and simplifying how event sites are planned with 3D digital mapping. The company’s digital twin product, Venue Twin, gives organizers virtual access to real-world venues, opening new opportunities for venue owners and operators.
In this conversation, Paul talks about his background in sports - from a team manager of the Great Britain Wheelchair Basketball team, to then advising the UK government, the challenges he faced with operational planning for various events, and how that led to the eventual conceptualization of OnePlan. He then talks about the early inception of 3D Digital Twins and how OnePlan partnered with Epic Games to use Unreal Engine for real-world purposes.
Paul also discusses their current projects with the L.A. Clippers and their partnership with the Crypto.com Arena, home of the Los Angeles Lakers, which includes the creation of a 3D digital twin of the iconic arena using the software company’s Venue Twin technology. The Venue Twin at the Clippers’ Experience Center in Downtown Los Angeles enables customers to envision the arena, suites, and surroundings before Intuit Dome opens. In addition to the operational planning benefits, Venue Twin can be used as a sales and marketing tool for advertisers, sponsors, and fans, and enables third-party licensing of official virtual venues as consumer applications for the metaverse open up.
To learn more, visit https://www.oneplanevents.com/
Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.
#179 ASB GlassFloor: World's Most Advanced Sports Flooring System
For September, in partnership with the DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga and their upcoming SportsInnovation 2024 event, we are focusing on Innovation in StadiumTech. On our first episode of StadiumTech, we're excited to feature Mr. Christof Babinsky, Managing Director of ASB Glassfloor, the pioneers behind the world's most advanced and versatile flooring system.
Christof talks about the early foundations of ASB Glassfloor in 1965, from being the world market leader in Squash courts to pioneering the world's first multi-functional full video floor. He talks about the challenges behind establishing a glass floor as an equal playing surface alongside parquet, their unveiling of the groundbreaking GlassCourt OS at the FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup, and their exciting future projects.
ASB Glassfloor is the world's most advanced sports flooring system. Their award-winning LumiFlex floor is the world's first full video floor, that offers unlimited advertising opportunities, player tracking, and enhanced show staging. The combination of GlassCourt OS with ASB GlassFloor brings live viewership to the next level while enhancing the performance of professional teams and athletes.
To learn more, visit https://asbglassfloor.com/
Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.
#178 TryOliver: The New GPS Tracker Gamifying Football Analytics.
In this week's episode we chat with Jose Gonzalez Ruzo, Co-Founder and CEO of TryOliver, a platform that combines sports science and a mobile app to provide key information that improves performance & prevents injuries through a smart GPS tracker.
Jose talks about his journey from being a professional athlete in Argentina, his background in marketing, co-founding startups and how that led to the early inception of Oliver. He talks about how Oliver uses wearables to give actionable insights and how they differentiate themselves from other Gen1 trackers. He then describes how Oliver's partnership with F.C. Barcelona came into being and his experience working with Barcelona Innovation Hub.
TryOliver is a platform that combines wearables with football-focused science for talent prediction, evolution, and injury prevention, making it accessible & fun. Linked to a website and an App, the wearable is placed on any player, regardless of their level, gender and age and, thanks to its GPS technology, not only identifies areas for improvement, but also guides users on how to achieve such progress.
To learn more, visit https://tryoliver.com/
Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.
#177 Action Audio: Revolutionising sports for audiences with visual impairments
🎙️ On today's episode of The SportsTech AllStars Podcast we are joined by Tim Devine, Co-Founder of Action Audio, the world-first system for augmenting live sports with sound, designed to give people who are visually impaired the ability to follow games in real-time.
Tim talks about his diverse background in music, sound design and sports, and how that confluence led him to co-founding a system in this space. He talks about Action Audio's work with multiple major tennis tournaments such as the Australian Open and the U.S. Open, and more recently with the NBA's Launchpad program and more.
Developed in partnership with Tennis Australia and Monash University, Action Audio uses data from a ball monitoring computer vision system to emphasise key moments of play with a 3D sound design system that has been developed with the blind and low vision community. For many visually impaired sports fans, Action Audio will provide the first opportunity to follow the speed and actions of a live game.
To learn more, visit https://action-audio.com/
Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.
#176 Sorius: Making online cycling training accessible to everyone with A.I
In this week's episode, we have an exciting guest, Mr.Alexandre Rispal, Co-founder and Operating Partner of Sorius, the AI-powered tailor-made training program for Cycling Coaching.
In this conversation, Alexandre talks about his background in the insurance space and how he eventually transitioned into entrepreneurship, co-founding several startups that ranked in the top 100 in the world. He then discusses the early inception of Sorius and how they created a unique application using AI for the Endurance Sports Industry. He sheds light on how Sorius helps talented young riders from disadvantaged backgrounds and how they're making biking more inclusive and accessible to all.
Thanks to its revolutionary artificial intelligence, Sorius analyzes users' physical data in relation to their biorhythmic data to provide their audience with the ideal training programs. They deliver a unique training program completely adapted to their user's schedule, level, objective, and intrinsic physical qualities to offer a range of exercises that target their needs to improve their daily lives.
To learn more, visit https://www.sorius-training.com/en
Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.
#175 GiveVision: Transforming the match-day experience for the visually impaired
🎙️ On our second week of Accessibility & Inclusivity through SportsTech month, we are joined by Elodie Draperi, CEO and Co-Founder of GiveVision, the pioneers who are making stadiums and arenas worldwide more accessible for visually impaired fans.
Elodie talks about her foray into social entrepreneurship and the early foundations of GiveVision. She discusses the crossover between smart glasses and people who are visually impaired, and how that led to the early inception of the GiveVision Headset. She also explains the application of this technology to help their user base access information in everyday life.
GiveVision has recently partnered with Crystal Palace in Football and Wimbledon in Tennis to improve the match-day experience for people with sight loss. They're looking to partner for the Wheelchair Rugby World Cup and have big plans for Paris '24.
GiveVision™ enhances the remaining sight of people with sight loss, allowing them to see live events with their own eyes. They are dedicated to making stadiums and arenas worldwide more accessible for visually impaired fans and offer seamless installation and support to venues, ensuring an inclusive match-day experience like never before.
To learn more, visit https://www.givevision.net/
Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.
#174 AccesserCise - Revolutionising fitness for the disability community.
In this week's episode we are joined by Ali Jawad, Britain’s world champion Para-Powerlifter, (4 time Paralympian) and the Co-Founder and Director of Accessercise, the world's first fitness app exclusively designed for the disability community.
Ali talks about his journey as an athlete from winning a silver medal at the Paralympic Games in Rio to co-founding Accessercise. He talks about the need to create a diverse, supportive and passionate community around fitness and discusses his own personal challenges with establishing brand presence in an oversaturated industry, where 70,000+ fitness apps exist but none cater to the disability community.
Accessercise is the world's first fitness app exclusively designed for people with impairments. They aim to empower, guide, and educate disabled peoples journey into living a healthier and fitter life by making informed decisions based on their impairment, and giving them more access to exercise. It has a unique exercise library that can be tailored to specific needs. Users can also build workouts, schedule to their calendar and filter based on a range of options including difficulty, location and equipment.
To learn more, visit https://join.accessercise.com/
Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.
#173 Zoomph - Powerful analytics tracking platform for brands, sports and esports across digital media.
In this week’s episode we have an exciting guest Mr. Amir Zonozi, Co-founder and CEO of Zoomph, the developers behind one of the most powerful analytics platforms for tracking sponsorship ROI, media-value exposure, and audience behavioural shifts. Zoomph tracks brand partnerships across social media, streaming, and broadcast, providing quality data to guide sponsorship decisions, and offering partnership insights across sports and entertainment for organizations like WWE, Golden State Warriors, Angel City FC, & Invisalign.
As a Board Member for Women in SportsTech and a member of Ally’s Women’s Sports Club with Sports Innovation Lab, Amir talks about brand visibility and how it is helping grow the market for Women's Sports to reach newer audiences. From their early inception as a project for the U.S State Department working with President Obama and their gateway into sports through Ted Leonsis & Monumental Sports as a marketing tool, to their eventual transition into providing analytics for the Dallas Cowboys and MSG, Zoomph has had an incredible journey!
To learn more, visit https://zoomph.com/
Hosted by Rohn Malhotra and Kimberley Fernandez from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.
#172 Wild.AI - AI powered fitness & performance tracking app helping women athletes improve their peak performance.
In our second week of SportsTech for Women's Sports, we chat with Helene Guillaume founder and CEO of Wild.AI. Wild.AI is a Smart Coach for Women helping them train, fuel and recover based on the female physiology.
In this conversation, Helene talks about how the idea for Wild.Ai was conceptualised. We discuss her journey from a former hedge fund and management consultant in AI (while being an ultra marathon runner, semi-pro rugby player and a triathlete on the side) to breaking the status quo in the wearable tech industry by founding a company by women, for women.
Wild.ai uses A.I.-sourced data sets from active women to analyze their vitals and performance in order to make training, recovery, and nutritional recommendations specifically adapted to their physiology. It helps women reach their peak performance by helping them understand how to work with their physiology, not against it.
To learn more, visit https://wild.ai/
Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.
#171 Monarch Collective: Investing in women’s sports teams, leagues, and adjacent revenue streams
In this week’s episode we chat with Jasmine Robinson, Co-Founder of Monarch Collective an investment fund exclusively focused on investing in women’s sports. The $100 million fund will invest in women’s sports, from teams and leagues to adjacent revenue streams like media and gaming.
In this interview, Jasmine talks about growing up around sports and her journey from the San Francisco 49ers to working with a consulting firm in the nexus of sports innovation. Her experience across different sports verticals led her to create Monarch Collective.
Monarch Collective is focused on using sports teams and ownership to foster communities and future changemakers, in addition to funding sports such as soccer, basketball, golf, tennis and potentially even cricket, which have a large global or domestic audience.
To learn more, visit https://www.monarchcoll.com
Hosted by Rohn Malhotra and Kimberley Fernandez from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.
#170 ScorePlay : The all-in-one AI powered media hub building the future of Sports Media.
In this week’s episode we chat with Xavier Green, Co-founder and CTO of ScorePlay, the all in one media platform built for professional sports. ScorePlay is a media asset manager tailored for sports specific workflows. It connects the entire sports media ecosystem within an organisation- from the athletes and sponsors to every other relevant stakeholder through AI.
Xavier talks about his early introduction to robotics, his passion for sports, business and entrepreneurship, and how that journey eventually led him to co-founding ScorePlay. ScorePlay works with 100+ sports organisations around the globe ranging from the MLS to the Premier League. ScorePlay's investors include 35V (the media and investment company founded by Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman), Nicolas Julia (the CEO of Sorare) and Mario Götze.
To learn more, visit https://www.scoreplay.io/
Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.
#169 ReSpo.Vision - Reinventing sports analytics and entertainment with Computer Vision.
🎙️ On this weeks episode of The SportsTech Allstars Podcast we chat with Pawel Osterreicher, Co-Founder and CEO of #ReSpo.Vision, the AI and Computer Vision-powered 3D sport’s tracking data system that is bringing the next-generation sports analytics and entertainment experience to the forefront.
We talk about the application of Computer Vision in sports and how it's one of the most exciting prospects of #AI. We discuss how ReSpo.Vision uses Computer Vision to automatically collect player skeletal tracking data to unlock new performance, tactical, and scouting insights. We also talk about its truly immersive applications in sports entertainment such as using V.R to provide users an opportunity to experience games from their favourite player's point of view.
To learn more, visit https://respo.vision/
Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.
#168 SwingVision: The AI-powered tennis performance tracking app revolutionising sports intelligence
In this week’s episode we chat with Swupnil Sahai, Co-Founder and CEO of the tennis performance tracking app SwingVision and recipient of the 2023 Apple Design Award. We talk about his journey from working at Tesla to co-founding his company in a sport that’s been dear to him from the very beginning- Tennis.
We discuss how SwingVision harnesses the potential of the Neural Engine to bring real time pro-quality shot tracking, video analysis and line calling on any court with the help of just the iPhone and the Apple Watch, thus reducing barriers of entry to sports intelligence which were limited to a select few professionals.
To learn more, visit https://swing.tennis
Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.
#167 Zone7 - Artificial Intelligence that powers high levels of human performance and durability
Interviewing Tal Brown, Co-Founder & CEO of Zone7
In this conversation, Tal talks about working in the homeland cyber security space, briefly. He worked on big data systems, as an engineer by training and worked in tech for about a decade and was probably one of the first engineers to work on building an AI platform. Tal talks about how he was particularly interested in machine learning connected with Human Workflow with an emphasis on human workflow. He took all of that knowledge and experience and co-founded Zone7, but had a fresh start in the sports ecosystem. The Co-Founder , Eyal Eliakim is a sports scientist and as they joined forces they were also keen on figuring out how to reduce human downtime. He talks about the three vectors that are driving the growth of Zone7. He talks about how they conduct a risk forecast as they gather and analyse data from sports teams. He also sheds light on all of the teams that they have been working with.
Zone7 provides a comprehensive suite of products and services utilising data and AI to enable greater performance and durability amongst high-performance teams. They leverage artificial intelligence and the Zone7 technology analyses disparate performance datasets to detect patterns, uncover insights, and make proactive training recommendations that inform load management, elevate athlete performance, and reduce overall injury risk. Zone7 is used by more than 30 professional sports franchises to track the performance and injury risk of some of the world’s leading athletes. Zone7 is also being used to monitor the physical well-being of medical staff in leading hospitals around the world. By analysing data from wearables, video cameras, medical records, and various biomechanics metrics, Zone7 provides coaching staff and hospital administrators with actionable advice to positively influence rest, work assignment, and planning to protect and optimise human performance.
To learn more, visit www.zone7.ai
Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.
#166 Griiip - A technology company that is revolutionising the way Motorsports is experienced
Interviewing Tamir Plachinsky, CEO of Griiip
In this conversation, Tamir talks about how he grew up with a passion for motorsport and wanted to be a driver. At 22 he switched his focus to being a motorsport world champion from the engineering side. While studying in one of the top Engineering Universities in Israel he combined his passion for adrenaline and speed with his engineering knowledge and started a Formula student team in Israel. He started Griiip out of passion and frustration towards the difficulties associated with motor sport. Griiip is currently working with some of the biggest names in the industry - FormulaE, the world endurance championship, DTM and SRO. Having been established in 2016, running rounds in Italy in 2018 and finally pivoting in 2020 when Covid struck.
Griiip is an Israeli-based tech company that develops market-leading storytelling tools for the Motorsport industry. They have a racing Insights platform that changes the way users engage with Motorsport. Griiip is taking the motorsport fan experience to the next level. They make motorsport data exciting and accessible to the entire motorsport ecosystem by using state-of-the-art data technologies. Griiip created the first cloud-based data platform which collects, analyses, and visualises data.
To learn more, visit www.griiip.com
Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.
#165 Factoreal - All-in-one fan engagement automation platform helping sports teams globally to engage and monetize their fan base
Interviewing Aditya Dhruva, CEO & Co-Founder of Factoreal
In this conversation, Aditya talks about starting off as a software engineer and moving through the ranks. He had a short stint as an entrepreneur trying to develop what is now Siri. While working for Tech Mahindra as the CTO, the long term expansion started off as an idea and tested for US and Europe markets. They found a strong footing in sports, with their first customer being the Jacksonville Jaguars. One led to the other and now sports teams now use factoreal for their own channel communications. Factoreal essentially solves three problems, integrating a tool for each communication channel, integrating the data for all the various platforms being used and producing a 360 degree understanding of customers in order to optimally engage them.
Factoreal is an innovative and comprehensive fan engagement automation platform that caters to sports teams worldwide, assisting them in effectively engaging and monetizing their fan base. This all-in-one solution offers a range of powerful tools and features designed specifically for the sports industry. With Factoreal, sports teams can create personalised and interactive experiences for their fans, fostering a deeper connection and sense of loyalty. The platform enables teams to automate their marketing efforts, allowing them to efficiently manage and execute campaigns across various channels.
To learn more, visit www.factoreal.com
Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.
#164 Solidsport - Leading sport streaming platform. Trusted by sport federations, leagues, clubs and events everywhere
Interviewing Andreas Westerlind, CCO of Solidsport
In this conversation, Andreas talks about how Solidsport was born in 2016 with a vision of creating a sports streaming platform for sports at all levels. Journeying through his career as a journalist, then in marketing and currently as the Chief Commercial Officer at Solidsport in Sweden, Andreas mentions how they allow every sport to find their audience, find their voice, whether big or small. Andreas says, one thing that makes them a bit unique is that Solidsport basically offers a platform that's customised for the needs of the customer.
Solidsport is a leading sport streaming platform that is trusted by sport federations, leagues, clubs and events. On all levels and everywhere. Solidsport offers a complete OTT sports media platform with custom white label design, sport data integrations and unlimited live streaming and on demand possibilities. You can create new revenue streams with our in-built payment system, enabling custom subscriptions and pay-per-view tickets on all content. Companies can also promote partners and strengthen sponsorship offers with ready to go advertising concepts.
To learn more, visit www.solidsport.com/en/products
Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.
#163 Gemini Sports Analytics - Cloud-based automated machine learning to enable non-technical stakeholders and empower data scientists
Interviewing Jake Schuster, CEO of Gemini Sports Analytics
In this conversation, Jake talks about his background as a Strength and Conditioning coach and his work in biomechanics. As a proud, non-technical, solo founder, Jake discusses how Gemini Sports Analytics aims to simplify data-driven decision-making for sports executives by offering an easy-to-use application. This tool can help sports organizations optimize their decision-making processes and improve their overall performance. Jake mentions that the company has been funded for about a year and that they launched their application towards the end of last year. Currently, they have eight partners, half of whom are in football, which is attributed to the timing, networks, and common problems faced by teams in this sport. However, the company believes that any sport aiming to use predictive analytics in their talent identification, scouting, and roster management process can benefit from their product.
Gemini Sports Analytics is empowering excellence through faster insights, improved predictions, and better decisions. They support organizations in the business of improving athlete welfare and enhancing performance, while also leveraging AI to modernize athlete management. While sports teams collect vast amounts of data without meaningfully improving athlete outcomes, Gemini Sports Analytics has a no-code predictive analytics platform that puts machine learning tools in the hands of non-technical stakeholders, which will change how organizations acquire, develop, and manage their athletes.
To learn more, visit www.geminisports.io.
Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.
#162 Da One Global Ventures - A multi-stage celeb-led sportstech fund
Interviewing Abhinav Tandon, Founding Member and Global Spokesperson of Da One Global Ventures
In this conversation, Abhinav talks about how they decided to headquarter in the middle east due to all of the interest around sport, the connectivity due to the location, the availability of funds and hunger for innovation. One of the 10 pillars of GCC was also sports. They also identified the importance of sports, tech and funds that Abu Dhabi very warmly welcomed them with. This is also what led them to operate out of the middle east.
Da One leverages its robust network of VCs and sports industry leaders to empower startups to soar and scale, driving their operations to new heights. Da One also has an E-Sports Studio that nurtures early-stage ventures, fostering innovative virtual sports experiences and fostering collaborative opportunities. And the Web 3.0 Studio champions startups that aim to launch and evolve blockchain projects, NFTs, and more, providing essential support for growth.
To learn more, visit http://daoneglobal.vc
Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.
#161 Fanzword - An interactive and engaging social media platform for football fans from all over the world
Interviewing Amr El Beheiry, Co Founder and CCO of Fanzword
In this conversation, Amr talks about how fans are the heart and blood of the sports industry and they spend huge amounts of time, effort and savings each year cheering for their favourite teams. There is no platform that helps you monetize cheering for your team. This is when Amr decided that there needs to be someone who rewards the fans. Jumping into the startup world in 2019, best friends of 30 years, identified a gap in the way sports were consumed globally they set out on their venture in the world of sports tech. Amr says commercial sales and business is their passion but football is their addiction.
Fanzword is a social network for football fans that allows them to discuss matches with their friends and other football fans, earn points, and win prizes. Users can rate a player, rate any scored goals, recommend any substitution, participate in match discussions, and predict the match score by using the app.
To learn more, visit http://fanzword.com
Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.
#160 Arab SportTech & Gaming Expo - Enabling companies, teams, and individuals to excel in Sports and eSports
Interviewing Malik Shishtawi, Founder of Arab SportsTech & Gaming Expo
Arab SportsTech & Gaming Expo is based in Qatar and is an opportunity to meet key players & leaders from the Sports Tech, eSports & Sports world in Qatar and the world, & to discuss latest trends and solutions in the industry. It focuses on providing real-world case studies, and learnings, enabling companies, teams, and individuals to excel in the sports industry.
In this conversation, Malik talks about how everyone now has their eyes on the middle east. The main objective is to bring the right audience and stakeholders together. Mangusteen is the event company that hosts the expo. It was previously known as the Arab SportsTech Forum and is now the Arab SportsTech & Gaming Expo. What started out of passion for exploring the internet and following its evolution. Malik first launched the Arab Social Media forum once he identified a gap in the region. What spanned across 6 countries and 8 editions had attendees who now hold very prominent positions in international companies heading social media or the digital departments, accomplishing their initial mission as a forum. Malik also sheds light on the legacy of the World Cup and its impact on development of sport in the Middle East. He also talks about plans to launch an investor and startup matchmaking platform for the region.
To learn more, visit http://arabstge.com
Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.
#159 Sponixtech - Providing solutions to help leagues, clubs, broadcasters, and advertisers increase viewers and enhance fan experience
Interviewing Mohammad Ali Abbaspour, Founder and CEO at Sponixtech
Sponixtech is a technology company that provides services and solutions which helps broadcasters, TV channels and advertisers increase viewers and enhance fan experiences. Through the ‘Immersive Replay technology’, Sponix Tech assists its clients to acquire more viewers, enhance their fan engagement and experience by producing immersive content. And the Virtual ‘Advertisement technology’, helps sponsors increase their engagement with fans. It creates a new era of sponsorship in the sports industry.
In this conversation, Mohammad discusses customizing the main solutions that we offer for various sports is their main priority at the moment. Football, basketball, tennis, paddle, ice hockey and futsal are sports that Sponixtech have adapted technology for, cricket is of big interest and they now have their eyes on the huge market that the sport garners. Mohammad breaks down their clients into 4 categories: Rights holders like UEFA. Federations and leagues like the UAE Pro League, Serie A, Brazil Football Federation and a few more. Clubs - Crystal Palace, Benfica and they are now speaking to a few more top clubs in Europe. Broadcasters - Bein Sport, Sky Sport and recently in the US with Telemondo. Using the Sponixtech technology, leagues have created replay goals during the 90 minute live game to enhance fan experience.
To learn more, visit http://sponixtech.com
Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.
#158 Indigo SportsTech - An early stage VC fund that pioneered sports tech investments in Europe
Interviewing Petr Zhukov, Founder & CEO at Indigo SportsTech
Founded in 2019 Indigo Sports Tech focuses exclusively on sports tech ventures and participated in Seed pre-A and A rounds. With a segment focus spanning from smart wearables and gadgets to sports media and marketing, fan engagement and e-sports. The fund's geographic focus is the EU, but it also has exposure to the US and Israel. With 9 investments and 3 exits Indigo is one of the most experienced investors in this space worldwide.
In this conversation, Petr talks about the origins of Indigo SportsTech that stems from Indigo Capital. It was established in 2019 as an early stage investment fund. Pioneers in sports tech investments in Europe, Indigo SportsTech has started to make investments overseas and across sectors. He also discusses the new Association with SportsTechX as Rohn joins in as a Venture Partner. Petr also gives us an insight into the deployment of a new fund that has a rich pipeline of good companies. He also notes that AI will penetrate the sports market soon enough and we are currently picking our bets. There’s the application of AI in all areas of sport and there's a lot of money to be saved and to be made.
To learn more, visit http://indigosportstech.com
Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.
#157 Courtside Ventures - The leading early-stage fund focused on Sports, Lifestyle, and Gaming.
Interviewing Vasu Kulkarni, Partner at Courtside Ventures
Courtside Ventures is built on the backs of highly specialized sports and media entrepreneurs and investors. They look to utilize industry networks and deep domain knowledge to bring unparalleled value to the companies that they invest in and support.
In this conversation, Vasu discusses his love for playing basketball that led him to starting his first software company in 2008. He highlights his struggles to raise funding from VC’s and getting them to believe in the sports area. He talks about Dan and his willingness to back them up as they went on to set up a one of a kind (at the time) sports focused fund. And that set them off onto their journey of letting people know that sports is actually an investable industry. 7 years later, they are now on their third fund and over $200 million under management which is a great stamp of approval.
To learn more, visit http://www.courtsidevc.com
Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.
#156 Wildcard Ventures & Tennis Australia - A VC by Tennis Australia investing in SportsTech startups
Interviewing Machar Reid, Head of innovation at Tennis Australia and General partner at Wildcard Ventures
Wildcard Ventures is a venture capital fund focused on SportsTech startups, led by Tennis Australia and supported by prominent figures in the tennis industry.
In this conversation, Machar discusses the Australian Open's objective of becoming the most accessible and enjoyable sports event globally. To accomplish this objective, they continuously invest in innovation. He elaborates on how, a decade ago, the Australian Open perceived innovative ideas from a client's perspective, but now they view these ideas from the lens of an investor. This strategy allows them to achieve higher returns rather than expending resources to adopt new innovations. Machar, also discusses the startups that AO Startups & Wildcard ventures has invested in and how they are not limited to supporting tennis but also emerging racquet sports.
To learn more, visit https://www.wildcardventures.vc/ and https://aostartups.ausopen.com/
Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.
#155 Elysian Park - A global investment platform that focuses on the intersection of sports with health, culture, commerce, and technology to build the future of sports
Interviewing Max Feldstein, Vice President of Elysian Park
Elysian Park, owned by the LA Dodgers, is a global investment platform focusing on the intersection of sports with health, culture, commerce, and technology. They work across stages from seed to growth to provide companies with perspective, relationships, capital, and powerful strategic resources, their investments include Trailblazer Venture Studio, Draft Kings, COPA90, PitchVision, Fitt Insider, and EP Golf Ventures in partnership with PGA of America, among others.
In this conversation, Max talks about how Elysian Park broadened its key focus area from investing majorly in sports technology & entertainment to now expanding their investments across sports culture, health, commerce & technology. To know more visit www.elysianpark.ventures
Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.
#154 Trickshot - 3D data extracted from live sports to create engaging augmented & virtual reality experiences for fans
Interviewing Simon Thompson, Founder of Trickshot
Trickshot is a London-based sports technology company that uses 3D data from live sports to create engaging augmented & virtual reality experiences for fans
In this conversation, Simon gives us an insight on how Trickshot's technology can help sports organizations attract younger audiences who are passionate about esports and seek the dynamic and immersive viewing experiences that regular sports broadcasts does not offer, resulting in a drop in viewership numbers from younger audiences.The discussion explores different approaches to utilizing their technology, which empowers fans to recreate their favorite moments and generate their own content using footage from the game. Simon also highlights their successful partnership with AFC Wimbledon, and sheds light on a few ongoing discussions with sports leagues and brands to expand and optimize the diverse applications of the technology
To learn more, visit http://www.trickshot.dev
Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.
#153 DIBZ - Extremely fast upgrade experiences through text messaging for Professional Sports
Interviewing Brennon D’souza, Founder & CEO of DIBZ
DIBZ is an extremely fast upgrade experience that is facilitated through text messaging, for Professional Sports, Concerts & Music Festivals. DIBZ Works closely with the NHL, NFL, NBA, MLS, CFL, NASCAR, WWE, Ticketmaster, TDC, MLSE, etc. Based out of London & Atlanta, DIBZ is a tech startup that is a full-service texting engagement platform.
In this conversation, Brennon talks about how he noticed a lot of empty seats in stadiums and wondered why or how they could be filled. He thought if you can figure out how to get these seats full very quickly with a great user experience you’d be the king in the space, that was how DIBZ was born. Instead of virtually getting fans into those empty sets DIBZ works on actually getting them into those seats via text. They work across leagues and vertices and Brennon mentions that it’s really about taking their secret sauce and making sure they work fit in all the different areas and vertices and leagues
To learn more, visit http://www.dibz.com
Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.