Sportstech & Member News

Sports tech startup Playermaker recently raised a growth funding round as it looks to expand the use of its shoe-mounted wearables in the U.S. ADvantage led the round and was joined by Ryan Sports Ventures, an investment vehicle founded by Patrick Ryan, whose family owns stakes in the Chicago Bears and AFC Bournemouth. Financial details of the funding have not been announced. Former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger previously invested in the company. Since being founded in 2014, Playermaker has raised more than $50 million.

Based on remarks by its President at 141st IOC Session in Mumbai, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is exploring plans for the creation of Olympic Esports Games.

In the heart of the cricket-loving subcontinent, a gaming revolution has begun. Behaviol Pty Ltd is thrilled to announce the successful launch of META11 Fantasy (beta), the world’s first free to play, AI-powered, cricket Fantasy game.

GameDay has announced a multi-year partnership with Baseball Australia including roll-out of a national membership registration and competition management system, officials management, business intelligence through GameDay View and integrations with Team App, Active Kids and Get Active Vouchers.

The Global Institute of Sport (GIS) is delighted to have been named in SportsBusiness Magazine’s Top 40 Postgraduate Programmes for a second year running.

Next Level Racing®, a leading innovator in racing simulator technology, is thrilled to announce the launch of the Next Level Racing® Go Kart Plus racing simulator cockpit. Designed for racers of all ages, the Next Level Racing® Go Kart Plus offers an authentic go kart racing experience whilst packed with innovation and customization options.  

The app includes innovative wayfinding technology from PAM, enabling easy navigation of the circuit and surrounding area. Interactive maps guide fans to entry points and seating areas tied to their ticket and accessibility needs. Directions can be updated in real-time based on trackside conditions to help reduce congestion and improve amenities.

At this weekend’s Chicago Marathon, Kelvin Kiptum broke the men’s marathon record in an astonishing time of 2:00:35. The 23-year-old raced in a pair of the new Nike Dev 163 prototype shoes, which are legal under World Athletics rules. And, on Tuesday, Nike confirmed these shoes are in fact the Alphafly 3, on sale in January 2024.

World Rugby will advance the Head Injury Assessment (HIA) by introducing in-game alerts from smart mouthguard technology to show if a player has experienced a high level of acceleration which could lead to an injury.

The Irish Ice Hockey Association (IIHA) have engaged with etrainu as their new learning management partner. With a presence of over 20 years, the IIHA serves to promote and grow ice hockey as the national governing body of the sport in Ireland. The collaboration marks a significant step forward for the IIHA as it seeks to modernise and expand its educational resources to its members and the wider ice hockey community in Ireland.

Greg Norman today launches the Putting Challenge inside the Play Today virtual 3D Sports World, through his own personal avatar welcoming global sports fans to a new and exciting way to experience sports.

A meeting has taken place between the Oceania National Olympic Committee (ONOC) and South-East Queensland universities to discuss how they can help the preparations of the 17 Pacific countries set to compete at Brisbane 2032. Under the banner, "Home Games Advantage Initiative", ONOC President Robin Mitchell hopes that the Olympics being held in the Australian city can help leave a long-lasting legacy for the Pacific region.

Stewart and Heaton Clothing Company have partnered with Bodd to offer a touchless garment sizing solution that provides a seamless fitting experience for emergency services workers.

Queensland is to launch a $AUD5 million (£2.6 million/$3.1 million/€3 million) Olympics Challenge in a bid to showcase "quantum technologies" from the state during the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Clubfunders, a Gold Coast based sports payments technology company, has today announced a strategic partnership, and equity investment from, leading sports advisory and investment firm XV Capital.

With the fusion of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and biometric data, the realm of personalized fitness is entering a new frontier. WHOOP, a key player in performance optimization, has collaborated with OpenAI to venture into Generative AI, creating a revolutionary in-app chatbot.

Cricket fans across the world will be able to experience and engage with the game like never before through new digital activities, placing fans at the centre of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.

With less than ten years on the clock, a Queensland university is bringing performance measurement technologies and esports to remote and regional communities, with hopes of unlocking potential Olympic and Paralympic talent. The Queensland University of Technology's "Sport Tech Van" houses a range of technologies, including ebikes, a golf simulator, reaction time equipment, broadcasting equipment and esports compute

Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. and AT&T introduce the 5G Connected Football Helmet to enable and enhance communication between coaches and deaf or hearing impared student players. Previously having to rely on eye contact between the player on the field and the coach on the sideline, the technology uses augmented reality to receive communication from coaches.

NYJTL’s partnership with Inspiretek is part of its continued efforts to use innovative strategies to bring mental wellness to the forefront of its programs and holistically serve youth Inspiretek (www.inspiretek.io), a health technology company focused on improving the mental health and wellbeing of young people, announced today a partnership with the nonprofit New York Junior Tennis & Learning (NYJTL). The mission of NYJTL is to develop the character of young people through tennis and education for a lifetime of success on and off the court, and it serves nearly 90,000 K-12 youth each year across New York City’s five boroughs.

Seven new inductees were announced for the nation’s Sport Australia Hall of Fame (SAHOF). Among the 2023 inductees included is aerial skiing Olympic champion Lydia Lassila OAM who is one of ASTN's global ambassadors.

LaunchVic recently announced Connect2Coach as one of 10 startups who made the recent cohort of the CivVic Labs challenge.

Next Level Racing®, a leading innovator in racing simulator technology, is thrilled to announce the launch of the Next Level Racing® Go Kart Plus racing simulator cockpit. Designed for racers of all ages, the Next Level Racing® Go Kart Plus offers an authentic go kart racing experience whilst packed with innovation and customization options.

When it comes to growing a business there are no hard and fast rules. What works for some, may not work for others. That being said, when guiding the direction of your business, being able to make informed, timely and valuable decisions will make you far more likely to succeed than if you make decisions with little insight or reliable information.

Layercake is proud to have worked with the team at AFL - Australian Football League to create www.play.afl, a unified and integrated solution for a thriving community participation ecosystem. Read the full success story below. Both are members of the ASTN.

Kusal Goonewardena will be accompanied by Elite Akademy sports scientists from Melbourne, Gayath Jayasinghe and Vald Technologies Director for Asia, Pacifica, and Africa, Nathaniel Johnson. They will be presenting at the following venues in Colombo, Sri Lanka from October 7th-14th 2023 St Benedict’s College Athletics Squad, Royal Colombo Golf Club and Colombo Swimming Club. Sri Lanka, which is also growing in its sporting stature, is at the cusp of using cutting-edge know-how and technology to help its population of 22 million people.

Leading sports advisory and investment firm, XV Capital, founded by former Australian Rugby Union captain Stirling Mortlock and business partner James Godfrey, has expanded its Board and made key executive appointments to accelerate its growth in the multi-billion dollar global sports tech industry.

Having already used her knowledge from the corporate world to help people get involved in sport, Alicia Nagle was able to take her career to the next level thanks to a Women Leaders in Sport grant.

Leading Australian private equity firm Five V Capital has made a significant investment in our Series A capital raise. EngageRM has raised upwards of $6 million, including additional funds from sport-focused fund XT Ventures, existing investor Gandel Invest and others. The funds will be deployed to expand global sales operations and further develop the EngageRM platform.

Rosterfy is proud to announce that they will be working with not-for-profit organisation, Disability Sports Australia, to streamline and manage their impressive national network of volunteers and 70 come-and-try events.

Amy Crosland has been working closely with ASTN and its Women in Sports Tech (WIST) program over the past six months – making inroads into changing the ratio of women in sportstech in Australia. Crosland now joins the ASTN executive team with a special focus on ASTN’s special programs and projects.

ASTN member Ocula AI (Equinox Ventures) was recently part of an 11-member Australian Digital Health Trade Mission to India and visited Hyderabad as a part of Australia India Business Exchange program organised by The Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade).

In its recent white paper, EngageRM provides an introduction to the six ways AI and ML are used in the sports and entertainment industry to deliver incredible experiences, create loyal, life-long fans, and reach new levels of revenue and growth.

ASTN deliveres its Masterclass series 'The Impact of Technology on the Business of Sport' as part of Digital Innovation Futures (DIF) Victoria. In collaboration with CSIRO’s Data 61 and Premium Member AIS, ASTN facilitated a webinar “AI in Sport”. Panellists include Stuart Morgan (Lead Machine Learning, AI and Data Innovation, AIS), Jon Whittle (Director, Data 61, CSIRO) and Rita Arrigo (Strategic Engagement Manager, CSIRO National AI Centre).

The AFL will prioritise implementation of improved technology for match officiating. The league has been trialling ball-tracking hardware to assist goal umpires and score review operators to make more accurate calls on game day.

The winners of the 2023 Australia-New Zealand Sports Technology Awards were announced at a cocktail event hosted at the Fortitude Music Hall, Fortitude Valley (QLD). Congratulations to Aura, Brisbane Heat, CATAPULT, CoachMate, etrainu, MKTG, Motorsport Australia, Play Today and acknowlegment to all other finalists.

ASTN Primary Partner, Sportradar, a leading global sports technology company creating immersive experiences for sports fans, has announced an extension to its existing partnership with the Korea Professional Football League (K League), South Korea’s top professional football division, to further increase global fan engagement.

Smart navigation platform PAM is preparing for the launch of the 2023/2024 season as the Technology Solutions Partner for the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams. PAM provides digital signage software and branding opportunities across Hollywood Park and SoFi Stadium, home to the LA Rams.

DRIBL recently announced they have been chosen as the official competition management partner of the 2023 First Nations Indigenous Football Cup.

ASTN Premium Member, the Global Institute of Sport (GIS) has hosted its 2023 Global Sports Summit in Melbourne. On-campus, online students and alumni assembled for events at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) for face-to-face teaching in Melbourne also visiting ASTN in Cremorne.

Triathlon NZ are rolling out GameDay’s core membership and integrated event registration platform to the sport. The primary goal is to streamline the club member registration process, integrate the processing of club membership fees and remove the need for volunteer administrators to complete manual reporting.

ASTN member PAM is one of seven new companies have been selected in the mid-year intake of the AO StartUps program, with all the businesses set to pilot their cutting-edge technology during the 2024 Summer of Tennis.

Australia has long been known as a proud sporting nation. CNN Marketplace Asia reports how artificial intelligence and virtual reality are reshaping sports and startups like NeuroFlex and ASTN member VueMotion are using technology to improve athletic performance and safety on the playing field.

Breakthrough Victoria will invest $148,000 in Zena Sport. The Geelong-based startup has developed the most advanced breast and rib impact protection vests for female athletes in contact sports such as AFL, rugby, basketball and soccer.

InspireTek, a wellness management system for youth athletes, has launched a daily check-in called the Infinite Score.

ASTN General Manager Cam Vale was invited to attend the Queensland Government Sports Tech roundtable on Thursday 27th July in Brisbane. Led by the Treasurer and Minister for Trade, the Hon Mr Cameron Dick and the Minister for Tourism, Innovation and Sport, and Minister Assisting the Premier on Olympics and Paralympics Sport and Engagement, the Hon. Stirling Hinchliffe MP., the ASTN and select members from the sports technology community heard more from Queensland Government on the future opportunities for sports technology in Queensland.

A key program that has been announced is the Go Global program which opened on 31 July 2023.

For the first time since the Go Global Export Program was launched in 2020, sports tech sector applicants will receive special consideration.

Information about this program and Roundtable is included in the Queensland Government’s media statement released on Friday, 28 July 2023: Queensland’s sportstech economy driving golden investment opportunities - Ministerial Media Statements. The contact person for the Go Global Export Program is Sean Bohannon, Manager, Health, Innovation and Technology at Trade and Investment Queensland – sean.bohannon@tiq.qld.gov.au. Details about the Go Global Program Round 5 can be found here: Go Global Export Program. Applications close on 11 September 2023.

SportsLink Travel has expanded its portfolio of sports by stepping up to be a major sponsor of Hockey Australia.

Visitors and participants at the National Sports & Physical Activity Convention (NSC23) in Melbourne were able to ride the wave of excitement as BrushBoarding, the surfing-inspired fitness attraction, made its official debut at NSC23. Australian-manufactured Brush Ramps are an innovative and dynamic addition to the world of sport, fitness, and active entertainment.

PMY Group will leverage Bluestone Equity’s deep operating experience in global sports, media and entertainment as it pursues international growth and expansion. Bluestone Equity Partners ("Bluestone"), the global sports, media & entertainment (“SME”) private equity firm, today announced an investment in PMY Group ("PMY"), a premier international venue, events and infrastructure technology solutions firm. This is PMY’s first institutional capital raise since inception.

In an era where technology profoundly influences fan engagement, sports franchises strive to convert casual viewers into loyal enthusiasts. This blog post explores the shift from traditional methods to a digital paradigm, emphasising the role of platforms like Tiparra in providing personalised fan experiences and fostering stronger bonds with fans. It highlights how franchises can harness these digital platforms to control their narrative, streamline monetisation efforts, and cater to the evolving demands of younger demographics. The post delves into how a white-labeled app can enhance the entire fan journey - from attending games to purchasing merchandise, paving the way for a more immersive, engaging, and rewarding future in the sports industry.