Sportstech & Member News

SportsTechX has released its Global SportsTech Ecosystem Report for 2024. The Report highlights a wave of consolation (M&A) as well as new funds & initiatives consistently entering the industry. Three key finding for this year include B2B solutions gaining importance, fitness tech continuing to attract investors and BigTech (eg Apple, Amazon, Google, Meta & others) heavily investing in sports, in various ways. 

Deakin University has announced a three-year partnership extension with the Geelong Football Club, carrying the longstanding relationship between the two organisations through to the end of 2026. As a Co-major partner of the Cats AFLW program, Deakin University and the Cats will collaborate across Deakin's School of Exercise and Nutrition Science and Geelong's High-Performance teams, by sharing training facilities, access to the GMHBA Stadium, and enhancing student engagement opportunities.

Twinlabs.ai combine digital twins and real-time data to transform the sports events management space. The company recently won the Confluent 2024 Data Streaming Startup Challenge. Twinlabs.ai's digital twin technology utilizes Confluent Cloud’s data streaming capabilities to offer customers the ability to create and operate digital twins 100x cheaper than current solutions. They do this via pre-built integrations and templates, alongside a flexible and more affordable microservices architecture. Real-time data allows organizers to predict, optimize and plan in the digital twin’s risk-free environment while also generating a feedback loop where changes made in the virtual can be implemented in the physical.

Squash Queensland is teaming up with QUT (Queensland University of Technology) Protobuild students, under the guidance of Vibhor Pandey and the Innovation Central Brisbane (IBC) team, to develop sport technology solutions, specific to squash. In May ICB gathered 80 participants from Queensland's sport community, government, academia, and big tech for the QUT (Queensland University of Technology) Sport Innovation Workshop to explore what's possible in sports tech. Last week the group gathered again, this time with hand-selected QUT students for the QUT Sport Innovation Hackathon! Five teams will build a prototype of their project over the next 8 weeks.

Global sports data, live streaming and AI pioneer Stats Perform today announced it has secured the rights to exclusively collect and distribute official data and live streams for the ICC to licensed betting operators around the world. It includes the ICC T20 Men’s and Women’s World Cups, Men’s and Women’s Cricket World Cups, ICC Champions Trophy, and the ICC World Test Championship Final. Stats Perform will provide a comprehensive range of services for the ICC events to its wide portfolio of licensed betting operator partners, including real-time ball-by-ball match data and low latency video streams.

Sword Health, a pioneer of AI Care, artificial intelligence powering the delivery of care, announced a financing round of $US 130 million putting its valuation at over $US 3 billion. Sword has reinvented the way care is delivered, starting with back, joint, and muscle pain and has expanded to women’s pelvic health issues and sedentariness. The company has delivered over three million AI sessions to members to date and is available to over 10,000 employers across three continents.

USTA'a new strategic investment initiative, USTA Ventures, has invested in PlayReplay, a tennis technology company featuring an electronic line-calling (ELC) system set to increase access to accurate, user-friendly ELC for junior, adult and recreational play nationwide. The PlayReplay ELC system utilizes a minimally intrusive camera solution that provides a level of accuracy and precision not previously seen in replay technology priced for recreational competition. Through the PlayReplay app, or a touchscreen that can be installed courtside, players can immediately access necessary player and ball tracking data, “challenge” a line call and receive a visual representation of where the ball landed and an in/out ruling.

Melbourne-based sports technology company Catapult Group International (ASX: CAT) has topped $US100 million ($AUD 152 million) in annual revenue for the first time, with solid growth in free cashflow helping the company deliver an underlying profit US$9.37 million in FY24. Catapult has been working alongside sports teams since 2006 providing wearable technology and video analysis that delivers key data to optimise player performance and avoid injury. It also assists clubs in recruiting and scouting for talent on the field. The technology is currently used by more than 4,000 elite sporting teams in more than 100 countries, with the business supported by a global workforce of 400.

Leading calendar marketing and communications company ECAL is expanding, acquiring US-based company Rokt Calendar in a deal adding more than 25 tier-one brands to ECAL’s portfolio. As part of the deal, ECAL – which syncs users’ favourite live events, sporting fixtures, shows, ticketing and venue information directly to their calendars – will add an extra eight million users to the platform. The NBA, MLB, NHL, NASCAR, Indycar, EuroLeague, Fox Sports, Big Ten Network, The Skimm and SiriusXM are just some of the household brands moving to ECAL’s suite following the acquisition. The acquisition expands ECAL’s reach, connecting it with 24 million users globally, eight million monthly active users, 15 billion data points per month and calendars translated in more than 35 languages.

Aura has been announced as a finalist in the Technology Platform category of the ACT iAwards to be held on June 12 2024 in Canberra with this year's theme being ‘Shaping Our Future’. The iAwards are Australia’s longest running and most prestigious tech innovation awards.

Turnstile has been appointed to value some of Riot Games key sponsorship assets. Esports assets are a powerful mix of audience reach and intellectual property value and Turnstile is built to unlock this sort of value proposition. Riot Games, #1 in the esports space, continues to shatter records for viewership across LoL Esports and Valorant Esports in 2024. With hundreds of thousands of engaged fans tuning in for the premier esports events, including the highly acclaimed League of Legends Championship (LEC) and VALORANT Champions Tour EMEA, the EMEA Riot team is ramping up efforts in partnership with Turnstile.

Basketball Australia and iAthletic announced the country’s largest basketball apparel deal that will fit out athletes across all of Australian basketball for the next three years. iAthletic are Australia’s number one supplier of basketball uniforms kitting out athletes with over 350 thousand items per year and servicing over 370 teams & clients. The company have produced game wear and merchandise for Basketball Australia’s high-performance teams since 2018 and specialise in designing for variable conditions and climates. 

LALIGA and SportBoost have launched MEET LALIGA EA SPORTS, the second edition of the innovation programme aimed at startups around the world. The programme aims to identify disruptive technological solutions that can break down barriers between the physical and the digital, as well as generate new experiences that strengthen engagement with current and future fans. Immersive training solutions for grassroots football that improve the physical and mental well-being of young talents are also encouraged. The call will be open until 19th August 2024. The winning startup will receive a financial contribution of €10,000 to boost its project.

Since 2019, PMY has been collaborating on the iHawk initiative, managing the data it generates and integrating it with existing match and player data for the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB). PMY also handle the video feeds, allowing users to view footage from multiple perspectives, such as the umpire behind the stumps or the square leg umpire, with or without data overlays. This technology provides players, coaches, scouts, and umpires with comprehensive access to video and data, revolutionising the ECB's analytical capabilities.

Dribl, an Australian-based leading provider of football technology solutions, has announced its partnership with CONIFA, the Confederation of Independent Football Associations. This strategic alliance marks a significant step forward for Dribl, helping CONIFA streamline operations for their global football competitions, promoting efficiency and providing a dynamic platform for community and fan engagement.

Sports data and visualisation company Lumin Sports has launched Lumin Strength, a strength and conditioning software. The platform for coaches and athletes includes free-form planning and periodisation, drag-and-drop programming, exercise prescription, an extensive exercise library and automatic reports. Lumin Sports is available as a standalone product or integrated with Lumin’s leading athlete management and team operations platform.

ThinkSport and Terre des hommes is organising a first full-day ideation session to kick off their 'Youth Sports Safety' Challenge that will take place on 12 September 2024 in Lausanne (Switzerland). Participants will include various participants from different sectors and backgrounds such as Safeguarding professionals, Child and Young Protection experts, Federations involved or willing to be more involved in the topic, young athletes, coaches, professionals of child participation, and researchers. The focus will be on brainstorming and developing innovative ideas to address the Challenge, leveraging the diversity of expertise within the group.

TrainingPeaks, the industry-leading training app for endurance coaches and athletes, today announced an exclusive partnership with AusCycling — the national sports organization responsible for the development, facilitation and growth of all forms of cycling and riding in Australia. Under the new agreement, TrainingPeaks is now the official training and coaching software for AusCycling and the ARA Australian Cycling Team.

The I3-INSHAPE is an EU project with the aim of strengthening the European digital economy by creating a network of Innovation and Investment Hubs in the field of sports and Healthy active lifestyle. The Project lasts for 36 months and seeks to support the creation of interregional innovation investments resulting in the commercialisation and scale up of innovative SME-led initiatives in the field of sports. Ultimately, this will contribute to a more active and healthier lifestyle for European citizens. 

Champions Innovate is a groundbreaking initiative that takes place in the months leading up to the men's Champions League final and brings together UEFA, commercial partners, the host city and start-up companies. Each season, the start-ups are tasked with finding innovative solutions to specific challenges set by the host city. After months of hard work to find ways to make the UEFA Champions League final more sustainable, the three Champions Innovate finalist start-ups – Pavegen, My Emissions and Pledgeball – presented their innovative pilot projects to a judging panel at a showcase event at London City Hall two days before the 2024 UEFA Champions League final. Each was teamed up with one of three Champions League sponsors – Rockstar Energy Drink (PepsiCo), Just Eat Takeaway.com and Mastercard.

In response to the first periodic review of 2019’s Sports Diplomacy 2030 strategy, the Government is giving national sporting organisations and peak bodies a seat at the table, reflecting their central role in advancing Australia’s interests through sport. Under the new arrangements, a number of internationally-focused national sporting organisations and peak bodies are being invited to join a new Sports Diplomacy Consultative Group, coordinated by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. This will provide a regular forum to discuss strategic and economic opportunities and risks in international sport, including upcoming events in Australia and offshore, and the ways in which government and the sport sector can work together to advance shared priorities. This group replaces the Sports Diplomacy Advisory Council, 

The International Cricket Council (ICC) and FanCraze today announced a multi-year partnership extension marking a milestone in the evolution of digital fan engagement with the launch of new products during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. The announcement also detailed the upcoming launch of ICC Crictos SuperTeam, a Web3 fantasy game featuring officially licensed ICC digital video collectibles. With SuperTeam, fans will be able to build fantasy teams using their ICC Crictos and compete in contests to win amazing rewards on a daily basis, week after week proving their cricket nous to the world.

Intix, an independent ticketing provider for sports in Australia, has opened its newest office in New York City as it expands its global presence. The company has chosen New York City as its newest location to better serve its clientele in the US and wider region. The opening also follows a recent expansion to the UK. Intix platforms enables organisations to streamline their ticketing processes, enhance customer experiences, and drive revenue growth.

Rowing Australia has announced a strategic partnership with Sharp EIT Solutions (Sharp EIT), as they become the Official Technology Partner of Rowing Australia and the Australian Rowing Team. This collaboration signifies a significant step forward in the integration of advanced information technology within the realm of athletic performance. A critical factor for Rowing Australia in selecting an IT provider was the protection of their data and a strong focus on cyber security.

South by Southwest (SXSW) Sydney has opened submissions for SXSW Sydney Pitch 2024 in October. The theme for SXSW Sydney Pitch 2024 is ‘What’s Next?’. Applications to the Sydney pitch are open to startups and founders across the following seven categories including Health, Biotech and Medtech covering health, nutrition, wellness and fitness and close 22 July.

The Olympic AI Agenda sets out a governance and oversight framework to identify and mitigate risk, and it will be a continuous process to leverage the insights and experience of prominent experts to support the deployment of AI for the Olympic Movement. It has been developed in collaboration with an AI Working Group – a panel of experts from around the world, including AI pioneers, academics, athletes and representatives of technology companies – convened by the IOC in 2023. The full agenda can be downloaded at: https://stillmed.olympics.com/media/Documents/International-Olympic-Committee/AI/Olympic-AI-Agenda.pdf

WSC Sports, the specialist in AI-powered sports content technology, has announced its evolution to an AI content management, creation, and distribution solution. The company aims to empower sports media rights holders to engage with fans through more personalised content, formats and viewing channels. As part of the company’s next phase of growth, WSC Sports is formally introducing three new solutions to its product suite: Around the Game, In-App Stories and Discovery Network. 

Lucia Ciric Bagaric became the first FANtium funded player to make a Grand Slam main draw, qualifying for the first round at Roland Garros.  This achievement comes with significant rewards including €69,000 in guaranteed earnings. As a side effect, her win triggered an immediate sell-out of her raise in less than 24 hours, raising $US 100k for her career. FANtium support some of the best next-generation tennis players, all carefully evaluated by a global network of tennis experts, offering athlete investment as a new asset class.

Kings League, a seven-a-side next generation football competition led by Gerard Piqué that brings together entertainment and sports, today announced a €60 million investment round. Kings League has connected with the Gen Z audience through digital channels and platforms, integrating gamified elements into traditional football to produce dynamic, high-scoring 40-minute matches.

La Trobe University has signed an agreement with Sport Singapore to collaborate on staff and student exchanges, PhD research projects, specialised training and other initiatives focused on La Trobe University's expertise in sport analytics and sport science. The School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport, La Trobe University will work with both the Singapore Sports Institute and the National Youth Sports Institute.

Rugby Australia and Fanatics, a leading global digital sports platform, have today announced an exclusive partnership that will see Fanatics launch and run the official Rugby Australia online store, serving fans of Rugby in Australia across the globe. The Wallaby Shop, which is now live, offers fans worldwide a full assortment of officially-licensed Wallabies and Wallaroos products, as well as a selection of Super Rugby merchandise, including jerseys, training, headwear, fan apparel and accessories.

The NCAA and the nation's five biggest conferences announced Thursday night that they have agreed to pay nearly $2.8 billion to settle a host of antitrust claims, a monumental decision that sets the stage for a groundbreaking revenue-sharing model that could start steering millions of dollars directly to athletes as soon as the 2025 fall semester. They signal the end of the NCAA’s bedrock amateurism model that dates to its founding in 1906. The deal still must be approved by the federal judge overseeing the case. it will usher in the beginning of a new era in college sports where athletes are compensated more like professionals and schools can compete for talent using direct payments.

AusCycling have launched the AusBike Digital program with the support of Playbk Sports. Playbk Sports have been instrumental in the development of engaging content aligned with curriculum standards, empowering children aged 8-12 yrs with essential bike riding skills and knowledge in a fun and interactive manner. AusCycling is the National Sporting Organisation responsible for the development, facilitation and growth of all forms of cycling in Australia, formed by an amalgamation of Mountain Bike Australia (MTBA), BMX Australia (BMXA) and Cycling Australia (CA) and the 15 State Sporting Organisations (SSO's).

Springbok Analytics have expanded their NFL footprint with a new partnership to support the Houston Texans and their approach to personalized performance. Springbok Analytics MRI-based, AI-enabled muscle analytics technology helps sports organizations to improve training, minimize the injury burden, and improve return-to-sport decision-making. Springbok Analytics continue our work at the league level with National Football League (NFL) in the collaboration with UW Badger Athletic Performance and Australian Catholic University's SPRINT Research Centre as part of the ongoing HAMIR (hamstring injury) study, all in the name of athlete health and longevity.

The starter’s gun has been fired for procurement to begin on venues that will be used in the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. More than A$560 million in contracts supporting more than 1,000 local jobs will be up for grabs. EOIs for tenders were released this week for the Sunshine Coast Stadium and Chandler Indoor Sports Centre and precinct works. An EOI for the Sunshine Coast Indoor Sports Centre will go to market in August 2024 and EOIs for the Aquatic Centre at Chandler and the Sunshine Coast Mountain Bike Centre in 2025. The Australian and Queensland governments have jointly allocated funding from the $1.87 billion Minor Venues Program for investment in these projects.

dentsu Sports Analytics and consumer data specialists Fonto announced the official Australian launch of SponsorshipBI, a revolutionary platform that measures a sponsorship’s true business impact. This announcement follows a successful pilot program with Cricket Australia, demonstrating the platform’s capability to provide deeper insights into the business impact of commercial partnerships in sport. SponsorshipBI is an industry-first platform that links traditional “top of funnel” brand impact metrics of sponsorship to actual transactions by fans.

DMC Sport are working with Major League Baseball (MLB) Europe, BaseballSoftballUK, Youth Sport Trust and the Greater London Authority to bring MLB First Pitch to kids and schools around London. DMC Sport are supplying fit for purpose equipment, logistics and support to all stakeholders to help bring baseball to more people and locations! MLB First Pitch, an entry-level baseball programme created for players ages 8-12, and designed so that adults with little to no prior baseball experience can deliver the programme with ease and confidence.

Life Time, the luxury athletic country club operator that’s in expansion mode, has made its app free to non-members, so anyone can access Life Time’s premium wellness offerings, including on-demand fitness classes. Life Time app users can access barre, boxing, cardio, cycle, dance, strength and yoga classes, training videos, nutrition and exercise coaching programs, meditation experiences, articles and podcasts. There is also an opportunity to shop for health and wellness products across apparel, nutrition and beauty products with exclusive in-app pricing.

The owner of Ticketmaster is being sued by the US government over claims it is running an illegal live event "monopoly" which is driving prices up for fans and pushing out smaller competition. The complaint says a break-up between Live Nation and Ticketmaster is on the table and experts claim this combined with other solutions could help fans and artists. Ticketmaster, which merged with Live Nation in 2010, is the world's largest ticket seller across live music, sports, theatre and more. The company said it distributed more than 620 million tickets in 2023.

The IIT Madras Centre of Excellence in Sports Science and Analytics (CESSA) is planning to support nearly 200 sportstech startups over 5 years across the domain areas of computer vision, data analytics, AI, ML, and biomechanics. Going forward, IIT Madras is working on four areas in the sector, which include technology to enhance player performance, analytics, education, and supporting sports tech startups.

The New Zealand Campus of Innovation and Sport (NZCIS), a leading hub for sports innovation and research, and NTT DATA, a global digital business and IT services leader, have entered a strategic technology partnership to leverage technologies and create new value propositions for NZCIS's sports and accommodation facilities. The partnership will realize the full potential of data-driven insights and innovation in the sports industry through joint activities and proof-of-concept projects.

Sports Environment Alliance (SEA) has welcomed its newest member, the Victorian Institute of Sport (VIS). The VIS is at the start of its sustainability journey, with one of its earliest initiatives being the formation of a Sustainability Squad. Comprising 18 enthusiastic staff as well as 5 athlete representatives, the Squad is in the early stages of developing the VIS Climate Action Plan.

Australian Catholic University has announced the launch of the new High Performance Hub. This state-of-the-art facility, available in Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne, is designed to enhance sport and exercise science education through cutting-edge research and personalised fitness services.

Thousands of Kiwi volunteer football coaches and managers have started using hi-tech online coaching platform called CoachMate. The platform, supported by McDonald’s New Zealand and New Zealand Football, provides world-class tips and tricks for both coaches and the army of parents, managers and supporters who volunteer their time to keep the 80,000-odd youth and junior age-groups players staying in the sport. Also being used by Basketball NZ, Golf NZ and Halberg Foundation, the platform is designed to equip volunteer coaches with tools and resources so they develop more confidence in working with young kids.

Smart dumbbell maker, Kabata, secured $US 5m in a seed round led by Menlo Ventures, with participation from numerous athlete-investors, including NFLer Bradley Chubb. Building on a $US 2m raise two years ago, the company is preparing to ship its first units later this year. Kabata dumbbells use built-in sensors to support velocity-based training (VBT), measuring reps, time under tension, power, and calories. Its AI-driven software develops a training program based on users’ ability, automatically adjusting weight while adapting exercise based on form quality.

Melbourne Victory recently completed a successful alpha test of Victory Pass at AAMI Park, Melbourne, with 50 Melbourne Victory members experiencing the game like never before through immersive virtual reality. This groundbreaking initiative, developed in partnership with Melbourne Victory Football Club, Swinburne University of Technology and iReel, allows fans to get closer to the action and feel the game like never before.
 

RedBird Capital and Weatherford Capital are launching a college sports-specific investment fund, one that could lend as much as $2 billion to athletic departments across the US. Led by RedBird founder Gerry Cardinale, Collegiate Athletic Solutions (CAS) is hoping to cash in on a college sports industry in upheaval, with athletes on the verge of more robust compensation and schools seeking new funding sources to stay competitive.  The new venture plans to initially partner with five to 10 athletic departments, offering $50 million to $200 million to each.

The Australian Sports Technologies Network (ASTN) has announced the launch of ASTN’s Venture Capital Partner Network, signing Gandel Invest as the inaugural partner. The ASTN Venture Capital Partner Network is an industry first for the sportstech sector – fostering connections between Venture Capital (VC) firms and thriving sportstech startups. The Network offers VC firms access to sportstech startups with technologies that are primed for scaling and commercialisation, thereby facilitating robust deal flow.

BridgeAthletic, the premier provider of strength and conditioning software, announced today the closing of a strategic growth capital investment and the acquisition of Game Plan, the leading learning management system built to serve athletic organizations and teams. The combination of BridgeAthletic and Game Plan offers the industry's first integrated athlete development solution trusted by every major professional sports league and more than 10,000 sports teams and tactical groups globally.

Populous, the renowned global sports and entertainment venue and events design practice, announced today a strategic investment in OnePlan, the world’s leading event site and venue planning software company. OnePlan’s innovative GIS mapping collaboration platform is used by over 50,000 events in 110 countries, delivering up to 85% time-savings for its customers. The platform simplifies the planning of live events and venues through easy-to-use, collaborative mapping tools.