A cohort of 10 top Sports & EventTech startups from around the world are helping the sports and events industries roar back from the devastating impacts of the COVID pandemic. These innovative technologies are reimagining the way we enjoy, attend and engage with sports and major events at a time when industry stakeholders are looking towards innovation and startups as a solution.

The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged the entire industry to rethink and ‘level up’ fan experience, drive new revenue streams and find cost efficiencies. During their Demo Day earlier today, the startup cohort showcased how their technologies are supporting growth and shaping the future of viewing, commercialising and engaging with sport and major events around the world.

Keynote speaker, the Minister for Innovation, Medical Research and the Digital Economy, The Hon. Jaala Pulford, welcomed the 1000+ virtual audience, saying: “Sporting codes and organisations have demonstrated great resilience and ingenuity, going above and beyond what we used to believe was possible. InnovationwillbeveryimportantforVictoriaandAustralia’seconomicrecoveryandthesestartupswill help Melbourne remain at the forefront of global innovation, keeping us the sporting capital of the world.”

Startupbootcamp seamlessly switched their proven accelerator to a digital program due to the international travel and grouping restrictions. Using their digital platform Startupbootcamp delivered virtual content from the heart of the Sporting Capital of the World, Melbourne Australia.

The Right Hon. Sally Capp, Lord Mayor of Melbourne, gave the half-time address, telling the audience: “The importance of sport to Melbourne’s prosperity, economy, global relationships andour wellbeing andinspiration as a community can never beunderestimated.

With 2800 active startups, Melbourne is in the world's top 5fastestgrowing startup ecosystems. This innovation and technology will ensure that Melbourne remains one of the great startup cities of the world.”

The virtual Demo Day event saw streamed pitches from the cohort as they celebrated the completion of their three month journey on the Startup bootcamp Sports & EventTech 2020 accelerator. Their hard work, determination and innovation are bringing powerful new capabilities to major sporting bodies and other corporate partners on the program.

The program would not have be possible without the continued support of our innovation-forward partners: Cricket Australia, Australian Grand Prix Corporation, Victoria Racing Club, Melbourne Racing Club, Netball Australia, LaunchVic, Asahi Beverages, Australian Sports Technology Network, DiUS, Lucidica, University of Melbourne, Australian Government, Victorian Government, City of Melbourne, Airwallex, Affix, KHQ Lawyers, YBF Ventures, Adventum, Pitcher Partners, AWS and Stripe.

Sports & EventTech Managing Director, Oliver Howard said, “I have unwavering confidence that innovation will drive the comeback and recovery from these unprecedented times. These 10 world-class startups are doing groundbreaking work to disrupt the way we consume, attend, and engage with sports and major events. They have kept pushing and growing, against all odds, and are perfectly placed to take advantage of opportunities that will certainly present. ”

CEO of Startupbootcamp Australia, Trevor Townsend said, “ We now have better startups, better technology, and far more support for entrepreneurship than ever before and this will all be essential for a sustainable led recovery and for succeeding in the new world we are emerging into. Looking back on the last 3months, today is a celebration of the hard work and achievements of these incredible startups and I have been amazed by the resolve and resilience of our startups and community - keeping sight of what drives them - ‘The Comeback’. “

The 10 startups that presented at Sports & EventTech 2020 Virtual Demo Day were:

• Benchvote is a digital campaign creation platform to engage fans, activate brands, and capture leads.
• BindiMaps is an app for indoor navigation (so just like google maps, but indoors) that everyone can use, but is optimised for people with vision impairment.
• FlipTix sells brand new tickets to new fans for the remaining time of events, when fans leave early.
• Floteq Technologies is leading solutions driving quality in the food and beverages industry.
• Friends of Mr Ed is radically improving racehorse ownership via a personalised and intuitive mobile app called ‘Fred’.
• Globatalent Globatalent is a sports platform where you can invest, trade and support your favourite clubs and sports idols.
• Humense allows you to spectate and participate amongst the players for your favourite big matches.
• IntelliCUP is a quick, hygienic and cashless beverage dispensing system that reduces waste, increases profitability and provides unprecedented levels of merchant and consumer data.
• SportsCube helps brands sponsor sporting clubs. A marketplace revolutionising sport sponsorship. 
• Trendii is an AI-powered fashion and product discovery platform.

If you missed the Sports & EventTech 2020 Virtual Demo Day you can watch the event replay here . To find out more about the program and our 2020 cohort you can access the Program Booklet here .

For more information, contact: 

• Phoebe Ellis, Marketing & Communications
• [email protected] | +44714016874