Sportstech & Member News

The rise of weight loss drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy has added momentum to Australian fitness technology company Evolt which has just raised $20 million in fresh capital to drive international growth ahead of a potential stock market listing. The Gold Coast-based Evolt, formerly known as Evolt 360, has secured $20 million in fresh capital backed by existing investors Regal Funds and Washington Soul Pattinson. Its bioimpedance scanners are registered with the FDA and TGA, while they are also CE approved for distribution in the European Union. Evolt has revealed that it conducted more than 2.3 million scans in FY24, representing a 57 per cent increase on the previous year.

MLS announced the six companies selected for the second edition of the MLS Innovation Lab, a pioneering initiative shaping the future of sports and the league's continued growth. The project identifies and nurtures cutting-edge startups and advanced technologies, and the new cohort will enhance the league's key priority areas of fan engagement, on-field performance, and media technology. Select organizations will also be invited to present to MLS executives and owners at the second “Future of the Game Showcase” during the 2025 MLS All-Star Game in Austin.

Synergy Fitness, a pioneer in strength equipment manufacturing since 1976, has announced its merger with South Korea's leading fitness equipment brand, DRAX Inc. The two companies have joined forces under the new name DRAX Fitness Australia, marking a major step in expanding their presence and enhancing their product offerings across the global fitness industry. Over almost five decades, Synergy Fitness has built a strong reputation for high-quality, durable strength equipment that serves commercial gyms, sports facilities, and fitness centres worldwide.

VALD, a global health technology company and the system of choice for musculoskeletal (“MSK”) health professionals has announced a significant growth equity investment from FTV Capital. The undisclosed investment will enable VALD to grow its global team into new markets, launch new product offerings and capabilities, and continue to utilize AI to create unique applications for the company’s industry-leading, proprietary dataset of tens of millions of MSK health records. VALD also serves blue-chip sports customers including over 75 percent of all major league US sports franchises (e.g., NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and MLS), over 90 percent of Power 5 NCAA colleges, 20 Premier League teams.

A total of $AUD 8.5 million in grants have been awarded to 12 quantum technology projects led by 5 Queensland-based universities as part of the Department of Environment, Science, and Innovation's Queensland Quantum and Advanced Technologies Strategy. The Quantum 2032 Challenge aims to accelerate the development of quantum and advanced technologies products and applications, attract investment and foster collaboration, build a skilled quantum workforce, accelerate decarbonisation efforts, and promote quantum-based innovations to support the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Projects focused on athlete performance theme including concussion diagnosis, wearables technologies, hydration and anti-doping as well as large-scale event-based themes including transport, communications and security.

After doubling customer deployments in the past 12 months, MyVenue has been named the 2024 Telstra Best of Business Awards (SA) winner for Outstanding Growth. MyVenue supports more than 140 venues across Australia, the US, Canada, and the UK using our next-gen POS solution. Their growth has been underpinned by proactive product development, ongoing investment in cybersecurity, and building support capacity.

German healthtech EGYM has raised approximately $US 200 million of growth capital at a valuation of over $US 1 billion from L Catterton, a leading global consumer-focused investment firm, and Meritech Capital, a leading Silicon Valley technology-focused venture firm. The investment will support the continued expansion of the EGYM Wellpass corporate wellness network and further development of innovative digital solutions, smart strength equipment and tech-enabled products for data-driven and personalized training, allowing fitness club operators to deliver a distinctive experience to its members.

Uplift Labs has built a reputation with movement analysis software widely used by college and professional sports teams.With just a pair of tripod-mounted iPhones or iPads, the company’s Uplift Capture software can use sophisticated computer vision techniques to track how athletes move, evaluate their performance, and offer guidance to avoid injuries. The company is offering a new app—simply called Uplift—designed for individual athletes. The app allows users to track their jumping performance which can be used as part of tracking their overall athletic performance.

As part of its mission to bridge the worlds of sports and crypto, the Chiliz Group is launching Chiliz Sports an independent division that will focus on leveraging the Group’s position as a pioneer in sports and blockchain to foster business opportunities between sports and brands. The Chiliz Group launched of the Socios.com platform and the first Fan Tokens in 2018. Over 70 organizations across nine sport verticals relying on them to grow, engage with, and reward their digital communities. In 2023, Chiliz took a further step in its mission with the launch of the Chiliz Chain. The Sports Blockchain currently hosts a growing ecosystem of over 150 brands and organizations from sports, crypto, and beyond, all of which work together to drive and promote innovation.

TAB and ESPN have joined forces to launch a new podcast, 'ESPN Hoops & Hits', aimed at the burgeoning interest in American sports among Australian fans. The podcast aims to provide a local perspective on major US sports for Australian fans and punters. The podcast is a result of TAB's exclusive wagering partnerships with the NFL and NBA, and ESPN's local and US sports coverage. 

Tennis Australia have launched the AO Schools Block Buster Tennis Challenge in collaboration with the Australian Esports League (AEL) as part of its Minecraft Education Esports Program in Schools. The Challenge is open to Years 4-11 across the nation and is designed to inspire creativity and teamwork, emphasising STEM skills and sustainable design, and encouraging students to integrate eco-friendly features. The prize pool for the Challenge is more than $25,000, with winners to be announced in December.

Perth-based cycling equipment company, Cycliq has been recognized with a Good Design Award in the Product Design category at the 2024 Australian Good Design Awards. They were acknowledged as setting a new standard in cycling safety with its integration of a 4K camera and dual-lens LED illumination with its Fly6 Pro product. The advanced design was recognised for not only improving safety but also providing a valuable tool for recording and reviewing cycling experiences.

STEPN GO have announced the continuation of their collaboration with adidas through the launch of the STEPN GO x adidas Genesis Sneakers, an exclusive NFT collection. This is the second phase of a year-long partnership, following the successful April 2024 launch of the STEPN x adidas Genesis Sneakers, which saw the two brands collaborating to blend fitness and digital fashion. The new Genesis collection will be available exclusively on STEPN GO and through a raffle mint on MOOAR, FSL’s NFT marketplace. A total of 1,000 Genesis Sneakers will be up for grabs at 10,000 GMT per entry, with a refund provided for those who don’t win. The partnership highlights adidas’ commitment to exploring the future of wearables in the Web3 space, with more exciting projects to follow.

Xplor Technologies, a global leader in software, payments, and growth solutions for the fitness industry, has announced the official launch of Xplor Gym in Australia and New Zealand. This platform is specifically designed to streamline gym operations, enhance member engagement, and drive business growth for gyms, fitness centres, and health clubs across the region. Xplor Gym is used by over 2,500 gyms across 20 countries.

The Australian Professional Leagues (APL) have appointed sports production company JAM TV and global media services and facilities provider EMG/Gravity Media as the new production partners of the A-Leagues. The appointment follows a three-month tender process, and will see JAM TV and EMG/Gravity Media produce all Ninja A-League Women and Isuzu UTE A-League Men matches for the next two seasons for broadcaster Network Ten and Paramount+.

ActiveKIT (Knowledge | Innovation | Technology) is a call to action to ‘shift the dial’ on investment in the Active Industry to drive physical activity participation in Queensland. The initiative aims to encourage better utilisation of knowledge, harnessing innovation and leveraging technology to enable more Queenslanders to be physically active more often,. A total of 47 innovation solutions totaling $AUD 4.3 million in grants were awards in the Super Round of funding. There were a number of sports-tech related projects awarded grants which included GravityFit, Champion Life, Chicks Who Ride Bikes and Cinema on the Fly

Champions Innovate is a programme designed to solve modern, meaningful and relevant challenges identified by UEFA and the host city of the Champions League final. The UEFA Innovation Hub launched this program last season, culminating in a successful first edition around the 2024 final in London. The aim of the program is to foster collaboration between commercial partners, innovative companies and the city (and national association) hosting the climax of the European club season, with the objective of leaving a lasting, positive impact. This year the collaborative partnership program includes the City of Munich, the German Football Association (DFB) and UEFA Champions League commercial partners Mastercard and adidas.

Global sports broadcast platform, DAZN, has recently announced a partnership with Tradable Bits, a leading provider of fan engagement, data, and marketing solutions, to enhance sports telecasts in Taiwan. The companies will pilot a series of activations designed to increase viewers’ engagement with content before, during, and after sports events. Fans who interact with DAZN’s content by scanning QR codes that appear in telecasts will have a chance to be rewarded with prizes, merchandise, game tickets, and more.

Hudl will be the exclusive performance technology partner for Rush Soccer—which includes video, data and analytics on all of its 55,000+ athletes. Rush Soccer will integrate Hudl Focus Cameras, allowing member clubs the opportunity to capture and analyze every aspect of their games—whether home or away.

Tradable Bits has partnered with AFL team, Fremantle Football Club, in a 'Best Seat in the House' campaign to undercover new fans and potential members. Over forty thousand fans entered the campaign, ten thousand of which were newly discovered (i.e. not captured anywhere else in their database). At every home game, fans in the stadium were given an opportunity to scan a QR code (displayed on stadium screens) to “Scratch” for the chance to win an upgrade to 2 VIP seats in the stadium, VIP service and access to the Bankwest Club. Over forty thousand fans entered the campaign, ten thousand of which were newly discovered (i.e. not captured anywhere else in their database). 

Boob Armour, breast protection inserts for female contact sports, is now more accessible than ever with its distribution expanding to Australia's largest sports retail group Rebel Sport. From young girls just starting their sporting journey, teenagers playing for fun or elite athletes & everyday women, Boob Armour products cater to all sports with contact, impact, or ball play, including activities like AFLW, soccer, basketball, netball, cricket, hockey and the list goes on.

PMY has won the 2024 Victorian Exporter of the Year Award. Founded in 2009, PMY has become a global leader in venue and event technology. With a presence in 14 countries and a portfolio of cutting-edge services, including their AI-driven OPTIC platform, PMY has redefined the industry, enabling venues and events to create unforgettable experiences. The company's success and dedication to providing independent, impactful technology solutions have made them a trusted advisor and partner to some of the world’s most prestigious venues and events.  

The Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) announced that it has selected 11 finalists to compete in the 2024 SFIA Start-Up Challenge. The Start-Up Challenge, now in its eighth year, champions innovative entrepreneurs who are revolutionizing the sports and fitness sector through cutting-edge products, technologies, and concepts.

Springbok Analytics have announced a partnership with the Detroit Pistons, who became the latest NBA team to add their MRI-based, AI-powered muscle analysis to their health and performance operations. The Pistons evaluated Springbok Analytics through their partnership with Henry Ford Health and decided to move forward to support their athlete assessments and how they personalize athlete care and performance.

One of the global leaders in performance analysts, Catapult, has welcomed Bayer Leverkusen as a new customer. The first team will be using MatchTracker to contextualize their players’ physical match performance within a tactical framework by combining the most relevant datasets with video analysis.

FitnessAI, the AI-powered gym workout app owned by Appex Group has announced the launch of its BodyScan feature. This technology enables users to perform detailed body scans with their smartphone cameras, offering insights comparable to those of costly medical-grade scans. FitnessAI has partnered with Prism Labs, a leader in AI-powered wellness solutions, to launch this innovative feature.

UniSport is committed to delivering an exceptional sporting experience through 2024 Nationals in Canberra, while minimising environmental impact. In partnership with Everclime, UniSport have developed two UniSport impact cards for students to choose between, that represent an impact contribution to either ACT Wildlife Conservation or the Forever Reef Project. UniSport have allocated $AUD 5 per registration to these organisations selected by the Student Organising Committee which will begin building an impact legacy for the events UniSport host. UniSport are activating the investment through Everclime blockchain technology and encouraging every student to make a choice.

Leading global sportstech company Hudl has launched the Hudl Coach Academy, a 5 week online course designed to provide coaches with additional core knowledge to assist them in becoming better coaches. The course was designed by Hudl’s global imple­men­ta­tion and education experts who work closely with coaches every day. The course covers Game Model, Finding Winning Insights, Capitalising on Resources, Presenting Key Insight and Coach Innovation. The course commences 10 October 2024.

Layercake has announced the launch of an innovative and revolutionary approach to broadcast production, using software defined video networks. The Streamcake Platform, a Layercake product, forms the backbone of a pioneering collaboration between Grass Valley, NEXTDC, AI-Media and Sharon AI. Streamcake brings together best-in-breed technologies orchestrating network connectivity, video processing, captioning and media enrichment, and on-demand cloud GPU infrastructure.

The NBA is seeking submissions for the fourth cohort of NBA Launchpad, the league’s initiative to source, evaluate and pilot emerging technologies that advance the NBA’s top priorities on and off the court. The six priority areas include; Future of Officiating, Future of Youth Basketball, Future of Player Health & Wellbeing, Future of Media, Future of Fan Connection, and Future of NBA Impact. Applications close 18th October 2025.

Next Level Racing has launched the Next Level Racing® Wheel Stand Lite 2.0, an innovative, entry-level wheel stand solution designed for racing fans and enthusiasts across all consoles and PC platforms. The solution is designed for casual gamer and budding sim racing enthusiast, and is engineered to provide increased immersion and realism. 

The NFL and Amazon Web Services (AWS) have extended their long-term partnership, first commenced in 2017. The global partnership will be on display during this week’s games with the debut of a new AI-powered Next Gen Stat that changes how we understand and analyze tackles in football. Powered by AWS, the Next Gen Stats platform collects more than 500 million data points each season. This data serves as the foundation for innovation throughout the NFL - from enhancing fan engagement through advanced statistics, to transforming the viewing experience by enabling alternate broadcasts and new ways of visualizing the action on the field.

Revolve Athletic has formed a partnership with athlete management system firm Lumin Sports to enhance systems for athletes, coaches and clubs to enhance performance and athletic development. Revolve works with over 700 athletes and coaches in south-east Queensland across rugby league, AFL, netball, basketball, soccer and rowing. Lumin's system provides clubs with easy access to athlete information and data such as load monitoring, athlete wellbeing, strength programming, medical modules and injury reporting.

Fast-growing Australia-based stadium tech company has acquired Australian sports creative agency, KOJO. PMY provide solutions to more than 1,000 stadia and venue across the globe. The acquisition will further strengthen PMY's intelligence, technology, and experience offerings globally. KOJO has an impressive portfolio of collaborations and partnerships including AFL, Cricket Australia, NRL, and FIFA, along with iconic brands like BMW, MINI, and Wesfarmers. KOJO collaborates with entertainment giants like Sony Pictures, Netflix, Warner Bros., and Universal Studios, while maintaining long-term partnerships with major ANZ stadiums, including Optus Stadium, Adelaide Oval, Suncorp Stadium, and Sky Stadium in Wellington.

etrainu has been named the Official Education Partner for the 2024 National Officiating Summit, empowering sports officials with world-class online learning solutions and ensuring they stay at the forefront of their sport. Their leading online learning platform has made them the provider of choice by officiating organisations, including US Youth Soccer, Pickleball Australia, NRL Touch Football, Basketball Australia, USA Track & Field, and Football Australia

Sports Design Australia have launched the inaugural SDA Awards, with a mission to give sports creative more recognition. Individuals or creative teams can apply, across a range of categories tailored for designers, creators, and content specialists. Entries will close on October 18th, 2024, and open to Australian and New Zealand residents only. Winners will be announced week commencing November 11th, 2024.

ŌURA, maker of Oura Ring, the smart ring that delivers personalized health data, insights, and daily guidance, announced that it’s entered into an agreement to acquire Veri, a Finnish personalized metabolic health company and Oura partner that guides users to the right foods and habits for their bodies through an app enabled by continuous glucose monitors (CGM).

Australians with a flair for sport are being offered the opportunity of a lifetime. A nationwide talent search aimed at finding future stars for Brisbane 2032 gets underway next month. The Future Green and Gold campaign will be Australia’s greatest ever talent search, designed to unearth the next generation of sporting champions and fast-track them to the elite level. This is the first time the high performance sector has come together to deliver a talent search. The Australian Institiute of Sport (AIS) has partnered with all state institutes, Paralympics Australia and more than 40 major sports including cycling, rugby, para canoe and para snow.

Alta Global Group, a pioneering technology company dedicated to transforming the landscape of martial arts and combat sports training, has announced its partnership with UFC Gym Group, marking Alta's first major enterprise partnership. This collaboration integrates Alta's innovative products across UFC Gym's extensive network of over 150 global gyms.

The Orlando Magic are extending their foray into venture capital as a source of finding new inspiration for team operations. The NBA team owned by the DeVos family is joining the Lead One fund as a venture partner, the second major U.S. team to join the sports- and health-tech focused investor. Lead One is the pre-seed stage investment fund from Orlando-based Lead, a sports- and health-tech focused venture capital company founded by members of the Dassler family of Adidas fame.

Autograph, the fan engagement company co-founded by Tom Brady, raised $200 million by 2022 with a vision to sell collectible NFTs. Now the company plans to instead reward fans for actions they already take, such as listening to podcasts and buying tickets. The newly announced platform (which retains the Autograph name) aggregates publicly available blog posts, news stories, YouTube videos and digital shows in customizable feeds for followers of 240-plus teams, doling out digital coins for users consuming content. 

Health technology platform Coach Welly has officially launched after years of development. the platform will be available to members at the O2 Performance Gym on the Sunshine Coast of Australia. Along with the AI-powered proactive chatbot that can assist with goal-setting and workout ideas, Coach Welly offers Heart Rate Variability (HRV) tracking and Readiness Scores, which can be accessed with a simple camera scan. The platform also provides gym members with gamified rewards for workout and health activity completion, motivational engagement, and personalized workouts. 

National and state-level sporting organisations across Australia must have an equal split of men and women on their boards from 2027 or risk having their funding withheld, the federal government has announced. The National Gender Equity in Sports Governance Policy, launched by the Albanese government this week, aims to address the chronic under-representation of women across governance and leadership positions in Australian sport by creating a financial incentive for organisations to make their boards more equal.

In a ground-breaking deal, Alta Global Group has supercharged its partnership with Conor McGregor who becomes an Alta Global Ambassador, increasing Alta's revenue potential. This 3-year partnership includes McGregor receiving 700,000 performance share rights tied to certain share price milestones. McGregor will actively promote Alta's Platform and products, which includes TrainAlta.com, Hype.co and MixedMartialArts.com. Alta Global Group is a technology company that is enabling the global martial arts and combat sports industry to maximize commercial opportunities by increasing consumer participation.

QUT will develop and host an inclusive esports program for regional Queensland high school students, with the support of a $1.19 million grant from the Australian Government. The 'EsportsAble' project will see a series of esports events held in six regional locations across Queensland during 2025, culminating in a state championship in Brisbane.

LALIGA club, Valencia CF, has reached an agreement with AQUAME as Official Partner for the next three seasons. AQUAME, an Australian sports technology company, will equip the Valencia CF 's first men's and women's teams, as well as the VCF Academy, with its innovative smart water bottles and hydration solution. This innovative collaboration will enable hydration to be managed and monitored based on data-driven insights, helping to improve performance, recovery and well-being.

Femmi, an innovative app designed to tailor fitness training to the unique needs of women throughout their menstrual cycles, has been named a finalist in the Health, Biotech, and Medtech category at the 2024 SXSW Sydney Pitch. Now in its second year, SXSW Sydney Pitch presented by VentureCrowd showcases some of the global startup ecosystem’s most exciting, mission-oriented innovations, startups and people creating impactful companies, products and solutions that will change our lives.

India Premier League (IPL) team Delhi Capital has partnered with Ludimos, a leading cricket technology platform, specializing in AI-driven scouting and player development. The Ludimos match analysis and preparation platform, which will be implemented across Delhi Capitals’ IPL and WPL platforms, will empower the squads to plan and prepare with unparalleled precision.

Digital content and learning management platform specialist, CoachMate, has partnered and gone live with Golf Australia. CoachMate to help deliver the ‘MyGolf’, ‘Get Into Golf’ and ‘MyGolf Schools’ programs digitally to ensure that new golfers have the best experience possible. CoachMate is an app designed to save time and help deliver great coaching sessions on or off the course. This is done through easy-to-follow game based video content, group management and micro learning tips and tricks allowing you to become the best coach, teacher, volunteer, or player you can be.

Cool Beans Underwear founder and CEO, Saara Jamieson, has been selected as a finalist for the Paul Shetler Disrupter of the Year category in the 2024 InnovationAus Awards for Excellence. Saara is the inventor of the world’s first testicular cooling medical device underwear, now registered with the Therapeutic Goods Administration of Australia.