#100 ⚽ EFL launches Innovation Lab, new owners at Paris FC

News, features & insights from the world of Sports Tech & Biz. Every Week.

From monthly (for a long time!), to bi-weekly to finally weekly from October 2023 - it’s been a journey to get to 100 newsletter editions. We’re here now and we’re going to keep ‘em coming.

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Environmental Sustainability through Sports Technology

The use of tech in sports has certainly helped enhance fan experience and improve athletic performance. This is what we at SportsTechX talk about on a weekly basis.

Increasingly, it is also playing its role in fostering environmental sustainability. As the wider tech world devotes more attention to climate change and the importance of greener solutions, the sports industry is beginning to do its part – from carbon measurement to waste management, from equipment to investment.

In the article we a look at the top initiatives that shaped 2024 as a landmark year for sustainability in sports tech, the need of the hour. These include:

• Paris Olympic Committee partnering with 30+ innovative companies to work towards the most sustainable Olympics yet, including the likes of Orange, Toyota and various startups

• The Ageas Bowl Stadium in English County, now Utilita Bowl, making setting a target to be the world’s greenest cricket ground

• More initiatives around eco-friendly equipment from the major sports manufacturers - Adidas, Puma and Nike

It’s an extremely important topic and one we’re glad that sports tech is addressing.

Get Featured: Sports Tech VC Report 2024

Fancy a (paid) feature in our upcoming report? We have only 2 startup feature spots remaining so get your interest in quick.

Your startup / product / announcement / fund/ initiative could be in 50k+ social impressions and 2k+ downloads (numbers the 2023 edition received).

Applications Open: SPORTS TECH BOOTCAMP!

We’ve received interest from a fantastic set of candidates so this will likely be one of the last calls for applications, so get yours in quick!

A 'No BS' guide to the current state of innovation in sport. At an inaugural offer price of € 649.

Application Deadline: 1 November, 2024 / till seats filled.

Top News from the World of Sports Tech & Biz

📊 Drakestar released its Sports Tech Market H1 2024 Report, highlighting 225 M&A deals totaling $27 billion, along with an analysis of deal and fundraising activity, key buyers and investors, major sector headlines, and public market valuations.

⚽ The EFL launched applications for its EFL Innovation Lab, in partnership with corporate innovation specialist L Marks, to foster collaboration between the football industry and innovative suppliers, start-ups and scale-ups. Apply before 24th November. 

💸 Saudi Arabia’s PIF is reportedly exploring the purchase of a minority stake worth around $1 billion in sports streamer DAZN.

🎾 The All England club announced that they will be replacing All Wimbledon line judges with AI based software from 2025. 

⚽ Manchester United legend Patrice Evra and tech entrepreneur Tommy Fish launched a networking app for footballers called Player, currently operating on an invite-only basis, but is set to be open to the general public in 2025.

🎮 A new Community Interest Company (CIC) called Scottish Esports has launched with the aim of becoming the national esports body for Scotland.

🎮 Grassroots esports platform Leagues.gg launched Leagues Media, a subsidiary exclusively focused on the gaming industry. 

🎮 Konami Digital Entertainment and FIFA announced a collaboration to further their global commitment to advancing esports, including two editions of the FIFAe World Cup™ featuring eFootball™, scheduled for later this year.

📣 Athlete Career Transition (ACT) Group Ltd, is set to launch a new digital platform in the U.S. for athletes transitioning to business careers. 

💪🏽 Youth sports management solution TeamLinkt, introduced a generative AI assistant named Emi into its platform, to help streamline operational efficiencies. 

🚀 Retired American track and field athlete, Allyson Felix launched a women-focused sports management firm called Always Alpha, as a new subsidiary of Dolphin.

Money Talks:

⚽ The Arnault family is set to acquire a majority stake in second-tier football club Paris FC, investing alongside Red Bull in a move to diversify into sports.

💰Toca Football, Inc., a California-based soccer experience company, raised approximately $100 million in Series F funding. 

💰Roy, a sports tech company reshaping the NIL landscape, closed a $2 million seed funding round led by the Idea Fund of La Crosse and Groove Capital. 

💰BreezeLabs AG successfully closed a pre-seed funding round of an undisclosed amount. 

💰Chaifetz Group announced a new strategic investment of an undisclosed amount in The Picklr, North America's fastest-growing indoor pickleball franchise.

💰Sporttrade Inc., a Philadelphia-based sports betting operator, announced that it added SIG Sports Investments Corp as a strategic investor.

💰Runtrip Inc, which operates apps and media for runners, issued a small number of privately placed corporate bonds using the platform operated by Siiibo Securities. 

🤝 Infinite Reality acquired the premier, London-based XR platform and award-winning creative studio, Zappar, for $45 million.

🤝 Fanatics Live announced the acquisition of the assets of Voggt, an European live-commerce platform specialising in live shopping for collectibles, for an undisclosed amount. 

Latest from our channels

🔙 STX Article: The Rise of Esports- Transforming the Future of Competitive Gaming.

✅ STX Monthly: Last month’s sports tech dealflow, in case you missed it.

💪🏽 SportsTech AllStars Recap: Innovation in Broadcasting Tech