Sportstechx - Startups & The Sports Tech Ecosystem

Interviewing Gérôme Vanherf, Co-Founder of SportsTech Belgium whose main objective is to develop the SportsTech ecosystem in Belgium with new initiatives and new startups, and to build long term cross-fertilization strategies between Belgian sports and technology stakeholders, both locally and internationally. Having just recently launched at their Summit in Tubize, Belgium—our very own Rohn Malhotra was lucky enough to be there for it—and with their Accelerator Program well into the application phase, SportsTech Belgium has much much to offer—Investing, Connecting, Venturing, and Hosting forming their ‘4 Pillars’. Tune in to learn more about Gérôme, his love and passion for MusicTech and Entertainment and Sports and where all these intersect, as well as some of their exciting future plans. Check them out at www.sportstechbelgium.be.  Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.  If you haven’t had the chance to check out ou

Interviewing Benedikt Jonas Dunse on today’s episode of the SportsTech All Stars Podcast, CEO of the St. Gallen-based Impulse Network, the student-driven not-for-profit movement, founded in 2017 to create impulses for change in the sports industry. Specifically, the Impulse Network set out with the mission to bridge the gap between academia and the sports industry. Having gained a lot of traction in the last years, the network now hosts two main events annually: the Impulse Summit and the Startup Selection. With the intention of giving young professionals and companies access to the sports industry, selected startups will hold a pitch in front of an audience and a jury of investors—this process comprises the Startup Selection. The winner is then selected to participate in the physical event a week later, the Impulse Summit—a space for inter-generational discussion between students and leaders within the sports industry. We are happy to announce that we as SportsTechX will again be joining forces with the Impu

Interviewing Petr Zhukov, for the second time, from Indigo Capital Partners—the European SportsTech Fund focused primarily on Seed, Late Seed and Series A Companies. Familiar with Petr and this global VC fund, we dive deeper into the effects of the last year. Having all faced the challenging realities of the Corona pandemic and the resulting industry shifts, we address the ways in which technology has indeed become the way forward for clubs, brands, and athletes to develop, to better monetize, and to ultimately optimize performance. How does the road ahead look and what is in it for a private equity and venture type investment firm like Indigo Capital Partners? Learn even more about Petr and Indigo Capital, their investments and all the developments in the SportsTech megatrends since the last time we spoke! Check them out at www.indigocapital.ru/en. Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.  #SportsTech #Sports #Tech #Investor

Interviewing Thomas H. Rudy, Principal of the Lake Nona Sports and Health Tech Fund, a fresh investment fund based in the Lake Nona Region within Orlando, Florida. With eyes set on investing in early-stage, innovative startups shaping the future of sports and health, and as a partnership between the two giants: leAD Sports and Health Tech Partners and Tavistock Group, the Fund’s mission is to support tomorrow’s innovators by turning visions into realities. Lake Nona as a location itself—a modern community focused on health and wellness—offers unparalleled access to state-of-the-art facilities ranging from the Johnson & Johnson Human Performance Institute to the Lake Nona Performance Club, a major gym and health facility second to none in the United States, as well as several hospitals and medical schools. Considering additionally the arrival of 5G Technology to the region before anywhere else in the country, it goes without saying that the conditions truly are favorable for these future players; the Lake

Interviewing Elliott Rayner, CMO of ARION, the company dedicated to truly understanding movement and in so doing, helping athletes and running enthusiasts alike to discover their own unique running identity, refine their technique and ultimately reduce the risk of injury. With ARION Coach, the ultra-thin smart running insoles with pressure-sensitive sensors and a personal coaching AI program, users become aware and conscious about every detail of their movement. From a range of data collected of metrics ranging from cadence, footstrike, contact time and much more, ARION allows for a deep understanding of technique, how to optimize it and ultimately, optimize running performance. Tune in to the podcast to hear more about the ways in which ARION is making waves with individuals through ARION Coach and additionally, branching into the retail environment with ARION Hub and ARION Studio, enabling consumers to find that ideal running shoe as they team up with top running brands to produce better, safer shoes. Learn

Interviewing Mustafa Ghouse, CEO of JSW Sports, the sports vertical of the JSW group—the Indian multinational conglomerate company, based in Mumbai. Appointed as CEO in 2012, and with the inception of JSW Sports aimed initially at supporting Indian Olympic athletes through the creation of a funding program for the lead up to the 2016 Rio Olympics, and an additional youth development program targeting Indian athletes in the crucial years between the ages of 12 - 18, providing them with the right exposure, training and advice, Mustafa and the team have been working, and successfully so, towards maximizing the sporting potential of Indian athletes. Since then JSW Sports has added teams in the Indian Premier League, Pro-Kabaddi League and Indian Super League to its portfolio. As a former professional tennis player and with his experience in sports management and a deep passion for the sports world, Mustafa has identified the need to push and encourage a culture of sports in India, introducing a more structured ap

Interviewing David Dwinger, founder of the revolutionary player development football platform, JOGO! Using groundbreaking data technology including artificial intelligence (AI), machine vision (MV), and insole sensor tech, the company provides insights into the future faces of football. Having identified the need for objective and relative data with regards to youth development, as opposed to mere opinion, David and the team set out to offer just that. JOGO’s technology allows for the measurement of everything related to acceleration, deceleration, ball touches, shot power, leg distribution, flight time, time on the ball, type of ball touches, and much much more, providing very customized feedback to players and coaches with regards to individual players and the whole team. Tune in to learn more about the man behind the company and the technology they’ve built to create and predict tomorrow’s football legends. Check them out at www.jogo.ai. Additionally, you can catch more info and insights into JOGO in our A

Interviewing Jaime Reneses, founder of Retrofootball, a European online platform dedicated to the revival of sports legends through vintage sportswear—specifically, jerseys. Upon identifying the appreciation and passion that football fans feel when it comes to the legends and the ecosystem they exist within, he realized the huge market potential existing in the football fanbase. Simply put: fans want to have their team jerseys but often times these are unavailable on the market. This is where Retrofootball comes in, offering fans this tangible connection to the teams and the legends they identify with. Tune in to hear more about Jaime and Retrofootball and the upcoming plans—a move into the NFT realm! Check them out at www.retrofootball.eu. Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.

Interviewing Adam Weinstein, Founder and CEO of ThriveFantasy, a New York based Daily Fantasy Sports product meant for the everyday fan. ThriveFantasy streamlines the drafting process by creating a simplified format using Over/Unders on a certain athlete’s stat for a game. Through focusing solely on top-tier athletes from each sport, they’ve managed to open the playing field to even casual sports fans, enabling them to be competitive on the platform as well. Find out more at thrivefantasy.com. Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.

Interviewing Eyal Ben-Ari, CEO of Track 160, a Tel Aviv based company providing the most advanced player tracking system in the world, powered by deep learning technology. All this using just one single camera set up on a football field. Track160 does this right from the elite teams, to sub-elite and even right down to the grassroots, making this level of analytics accessible to any team at any level. Find out more at http://bit.ly/Track_160. Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.

Interviewing Jed Corenthal from Phenix Real Time Solutions, the go-to provider for real-time video streaming solutions and the only company that can stream synchronous real-time video to broadcast sized audiences. Phenix offers an end-to-end solution that delivers video with less than ½ second of latency, enabling them to acquire, engage and retain viewers in areas such as sports, esports, microwagering, and entertainment. Find out more at https://phenixrts.com/. Hosted by Benjamin Penkert from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about startups and innovation in sports

Interviewing Peter Holm from Tonsser, an app that empowers the next generation of footballers. We spoke about their latest project, Tonsser United, a game changing 21st century club that offers unsigned youth players life-changing opportunities and an alternative path to unlock their potential. Also joining for the podcast is Alejandro Bedoya, professional soccer player for Philadelphia Union in the MLS and investor in Tonsser. Find out more at https://tonsser.com/. Hosted by Benjamin Penkert from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about startups and innovation in sports.

Interviewing Tracy Benson from Obsesh, a company that connects pro athletes with their fans and with all those who love the sport they practice in real-time. By using technology to humanize sports with an all-in-one platform, Obsesh aims to create equitable opportunity for the world’s niche athletes. Obsesh is on a mission to level the playing field with the convenience of a tech platform and sports marketplace to productize their talent in a way consumers can buy it. Find out more at https://www.obsesh.com/ and read more about the company in our North American SportsTech Report 2021 here: https://sportstechx.com/nastr. Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.

Interviewing Max Montrey from SportsTrace, a company with the mission to empower every athlete and coach, regardless of budget, to reach their full potential. Through training or match videos, athletes can use their smartphone to get advice on how to use their body best and how to optimize their movements to improve quickly. SportsTrace uses AI-powered technology to provide personalized insights and actionable recommendations to help you get better, faster. Find out more at https://www.sportstrace.com/ and read more about the company in our North American SportsTech Report 2021 here: https://sportstechx.com/nastr. Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.

Interviewing Paul-Emile Saab from Sport Heroes, a company with a mission to motivate everyone to be active every day and to feel good physically and mentally. To achieve this objective, Sport Heroes creates sports-based community engagement software to enable organizations to engage their customers, employees or fans, leveraging wellness and connected sports experiences. Whether it's organizing a virtual race, rewarding fans who push their limits or launching charity challenges with employees, Sport Heroes offers a wide range of community solutions. Find out more at sportheroes.com and in our European SportsTech Report 2021 at sportstechx.com/estr. Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.

Interviewing Ivan Contreras from HUMANOX, a company with a mission to make data collection on footballers accessible for teams of any level and not just for professionals. Using their smart shin guards, data is transmitted in real-time and available on your mobile, tablet or computer. This way, players, coaches and clubs can access the statistics and graphs of a specific match, or of a whole series of matches played, no matter the level. Find out more at https://www.humanox.com and in our European and North American SportsTech Reports here: sportstechx.com/reports as well as our review of the innovative shin guards on Hello SportsTech here: youtube.com/hellosportstech. Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.

Interviewing Alicia Verspecht from Decathlon and Marius Declerck from eHealth Valley who are both part of the team behind Move Well, a new initiative and European accelerator for early-stage startups with ideas in sport, health and well-being. Created by a large network of partners, including healthcare incumbents (PartenaMut, Partena Ziekenfonds and Goed), retail institutions (Decathlon) and top-tier universities and physiotherapy centers, Move Well aims to select and help startups by providing innovators and founders with the specific help they need to grow their project. Applications close on April 23, 2021. Find out more at https://www.move-well.eu/. Hosted by Benjamin Penkert from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.

Interviewing Martin Wiklund from Sportswik, a company that aims to increase media coverage, fan engagement and sponsorship opportunities for semi-pro and minor sports organizations and federations by creating unique social media platforms specifically for them. Sportswik enables organizations to take control of their content and user data, boost coverage and engagement and create new revenue streams using their user-friendly technology and by doing so, the company hopes to achieve its mission in democratizing sports coverage as a whole. Find out more at https://www.sportswik.com/. Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.

Interviewing Thomas Euler from Liquiditeam, a company that seeks to modernize the interaction between fans and the clubs and athletes they are passionate about. Powered by blockchain technology, Liquiditeam’s digital toolkit powers fan-centric strategies in professional sports by offering customized fan engagement and community-based financing solutions. Using their white label fan applications, featuring tokenomics and gamification, Liquiditeam enables better fan interactions, new forms of digital participation and incentivizes valuable contributions to clubs. Find out more at https://www.liquidi.team/ and read Thomas’s article about tokenization here: https://medium.com/liquiditeam/the-tokenization-playbook-for-the-sports-industry-guide-blockchain-busines-87da13d33dfe. Hosted by Rohn Malhotra from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.

Interviewing Markos Kern from Fun With Balls, the creators of LIMBIC Active a home fitness and gaming console that keeps you active while you're focusing on fun. The interactive smart training system uses high-precision motion tracking technology and real-time ball detection to allow any wall with a projector to feature a large variety of ball games, fitness classes, and lots of entertainment games to develop physical and cognitive skills. Find out more at https://limbicactive.com/. Hosted by Benjamin Penkert from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.