Today, Qatar SportsTech opened its doors for 22 of the world’s most exciting SportsTech startups. During the next few days all teams will run their pitches, get mentoring from industry experts and compete for a spot on the first accelerator program cycle.
During the first day, the teams were taken on tours at three of the key players in Doha’s sports community. The day started with the tour around the Dome in Aspire Zone which contains the top-tier equipment and facilities used to train the next generation of Qatari sports talent. The group, thereafter, continued to Aspetar to experience first-hand how sports medicine is moving into the future. The tour concluded at Bidda Tower where the Supreme Committee of Delivery & Legacy unveiled Doha’s plans for FIFA world-cup 2022 and beyond.
With 400+ applications from 60+ countries, all shortlisted startups have stood out from the crowd in a fiercely competitive landscape. 14 countries are represented and the startups are active in nearly all focus areas of the vertical:
Meet the startups:
After three intense selection days, the first cohort for the Qatar SportsTech Accelerator Program has now been selected. The event gathered 21 startups selected out of the pool of 400+ applications that the program had received during their recruitment period.
Aside from the 21 startups, Qatar SportsTech also hosted 40 mentors from the most influential sporting and innovation organisations in Doha as well as international supporting programs, such as Le Tremplin, Wylab and Startupbootcamp. The local players include the program partners from QDB, the Supreme Committee of Deliverance and Legacy, Aspire Zone Foundation, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and QFC as well as other supporting organisations such as Qatar Tennis Federation, Qatar Football Association, Al Shaqab, The Olympic Committee, Qatar Airways, IBM, Ooredoo, Aspetar, Aspire Academy, Workinton, QCRI, and QBIC.
Mentors and startups got together for one-on-one sessions where they delved into their business models and professional aspirations. The first steps have already been carried out to establish collaborations between the corporate players and the new innovations.
As the name suggests, the ultimate goal of the Selection Days is to select the top 10 startups to join the three-month accelerator program starting on February 10th. After three packed days of presentations, mentor rotations and networking, Qatar SportsTech are now unveiling the teams who will be joining their first cohort. Here are the 10 startups that they will be accelerating during the coming months:
Olympia – While digitalization has been changing the world in drastic ways, the practice of recreational sports has remained largely analog. Olympia is working towards revolutionizing the way individual practitioners engage with each other and their sports. Olympia’s AI governed and decentralized platform enables players to easily facilitate matches with each other. By introducing a universal rating system for all players orienting the focus on “Play” rather than fitness.
Horse Analytics – The two apps provided by Horse Analytics empowers horse enthusiasts to improve the health, fitness, and well-being of their horses. PacerApp is a training app that utilises the movement sensors of smartphones to objectively analyse and improve the training of horses. The VitalCam permanently tracks vital signs of horses in a clinic. In case of an emergency, the owner will be immediately alerted.
Vensy – This AI-driven platform helps brands build connections with highly engaged fans. The platform enables marketers to search through 4.000+ sports influencers to represent their brands. With over 1 billion data points, Vensy help brands make smarter decisions while helping sports talent monetize their marketability.
Performance by P.U.R.E – Millions of children dream of becoming professional athletes. Through a broad assortment of data gathering devices, including a smart ball, P.U.R.E makes it easier than ever to track your progress as a player. P.U.R.E has developed a unique methodology and a facilitating platform that brings together the knowledge, skills, and experience of seasoned professional football players.
Moduu – Combines vital body data tracking and active muscle stimulation to increase the effectiveness of rehab and fitness. Moduu’s sportswear can be worn in everyday life to measure body data and give smooth activation of muscles help the body stay fit and relaxed.
TieSports – A complete set of software tools for racket sports management and engagement. The three tools, Tie Club, Tie Player, and Tie Coach, gives clubs all they need to increase their visibility and manage their activities.
MinglVision – Interactive and personalised live and on-demand streaming solution for sports and music. MinglVision gives viewers direct control over the camera angles used during a match letting them experience the game how they see fit. Through the platform, viewers can seamlessly switch between camera angles, receive real-time notifications and make social interactions such as voting messaging and sharing.
SAK – Combines 3D scanning, AI and Industry 4.0 to bring mass customization to sports production gear. Most of the 265 million soccer players use low protection shin guards as their safety gear. This may lead to severe injuries that can jeopardize the careers of the athletes and result in high financial losses of their clubs. SAK developed tailor-made shin guards fabricated from 3D scans of the players’ legs and military grade materials. This result in sports gear that is much safer.
FindaPlayer – A sports participation network which helps the users to organise, find and play sports in their local area. Through the platform, users can rate other players, customize their own availability, build their own local sports network, automatically pick their team, and connect with sporty colleagues and friends.
Creative Bot – A dedicated platform for building, managing and distributing sports chatbots on messaging apps. Sports teams are currently using social networks to engage with their fans. However, organic reach on social media is dead and they don’t own any data. Chatbots offer the unique opportunity to create engaging conversations with the 6 billion users on messaging apps and Creative Bot give sports teams the means to build their own.
Time to look ahead
Now that the top 10 startups have been selected, it is time to kick-off the real journey with the Startupbootcamp powered accelerator program. Qatar SportsTech will not only be supporting the startups with a top-tier network but also with intense training and mentoring. The core philosophy is to work with each startup from a starting point based on their actual needs.
The program will be customized for the particularity of the individual startups while setting aside generalities and oversimplification. Qatar is ready to welcome these world-class teams and, in collaboration, boost the SportsTech ecosystem of the region.
Disclaimer:
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a health advice. We would ask you to consult a qualified professional or medical expert to gain additional knowledge before you choose to consume any product or perform any exercise.
