#90 💸 July Biggest Investment Month in SportsTech in 2024!

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Finally some positive investment news! After the slowest month (June), H2 2024 has started with a bang as July was the biggest investment month of the year so far. Strong start to Q3, here’s hoping that continues.

As always, have a great weekend!

Investment Round-up: July 2024

The data is a snapshot from our SportsTechDB. with only highlights included in this newsletter edition. Head there for more in-depth data.

June ended H1 in disappointment, being the lowest of 2024. But we were hopeful for things get better from there, which they did and how! July is the highest investment month so far this year with $800+ million in dealflow across funding and M&A.

Here’s a quick summary:

• Geography: North America back up on the charts, leading in both funding (75%) and M&A (50%).

• Sectors: ‘Fans & Content’ solutions is at the top but ‘Management & Organization’ is right up the tail there, which we’ll be seeing more of in the coming months.

• Top Deals: $350 million in funding for Infinite Reality and $250 million in funding for Cosm.

A Behind- The- Scenes Look into Everton FC

Join Jonathan Williams, Head of Football Operations at Everton FC, as he shares successful processes implemented by the English Premier League team and discusses the steps involved in Achieving Operational Efficiency.

LIVE - Wednesday 14th August, 2024 - 4:00pm BST

Get registered and receive a link to the recording. Presented by Teamworks.

Top News from the World of Sports Tech

⚽ Manchester United introduced the next level of digital collectibles for the 2024/25 season, with the combined launch of Player Trading Cards and Fantasy United, a Web3-powered fantasy football game.

🎦 Alibaba Cloud and Olympic Broadcasting Services, announced the launch of AI-powered OBS Cloud 3.0 for the Olympic Games Paris 2024, improve the efficiency of to help OBS operators and Media Rights-Holders more efficient. 

💻 NBCUniversal introduced ‘OLI’, an AI-powered logic system that helps viewers find when, where and how to watch their favorite live events and programming throughout NBCU’s coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympics.

🏆 After 16 selected businesses showcased their products during the 2024 Euroleague Basketball FanXP Online Qualifier on July 10, eight projects have advanced to the playoff phase, which will be held at Euroleague Basketball's headquarters in Barcelona. 

🎦 Sportradar launched an industry-first solution, the integration of live sports data and betting content into video advertisements through its paid social marketing service. 

🏌️‍♂️ Golf Digest partnered with Mustard to deliver the an AI-powered mobile app - Mustard Golf - that empowers golfers of all abilities to understand their swing and improve their game under the direction of the world’s greatest coaches. 

⚽ The MLS All-Star game in Ohio, included a ‘Future of the Game Showcase’, featuring live demonstrations of six innovative pieces of tech covering topics related to GPS, VR, AI-driven translation, LiDAR, advanced refereeing tools, and broadcast enhancements. (Hear more from Christopher Schlosser, Senior Vice President, on our pod)

⚾ The MLB All-Star Game in Texas also showcased the transformative power of technology in sports. From fan engagement to team operations, read more on all the new tech here.  

🏀 PixMob  designed and manufactured over 17,000 LED armrests, installed into each seat at the Intuit Dome (LA Clippers), creating immersive light shows and to maximize fan engagement.

⚽  U.S Soccer and Xtadium announced a collaboration to bring U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Team game content to virtual reality through the Xtadium app on Meta Quest Headset. 

🏀 The Indiana Pacers won the 2024 NBA Changemaker of the Year Award for their groundbreaking partnership with Spokenote, which featured the NBA's first scannable code patch on a jersey.

💪🏽 Betterguards, announced the launch of its latest ankle brace technology product, The BetterGuard 2.0. This new design offers a blend of performance and protection from common ankle injuries, such as sudden twisting or rolling, without sacrificing freedom of movement.

Money Talks:

💰 Cosm, an immersive technology and media company, raised over $250 million in funding to drive long-term growth of its ‘Shared Reality’ venues.

💰 Shot Scope, advanced GPS, rangefinder and shot tracking technology provider, secured $8.5m in a Series B funding round led by Guinness Ventures. 

💰 Batbox, a Texas based baseball entertainment concept, closed a $7.3m Series A funding round which included Emerging Fund and MG Partners.

💰 TeachMe.To, CA based hub for finding and booking local in-person lessons, raised $5 million in seed funding led by Bling Capital.

💰 Indian Sportstech platform KheloMore, offering AI-powered coaching and venue bookings, raised $2 million in a Pre-Series A funding round.

💰 Indian sports gamification tech platform, Game Theory, raised an undisclosed amount of funding from prominent sports personalities in India. 

🤝 Bone Health Technologies, a medical technology innovator, announced the acquisition of Wellen, a Brooklyn-based health technology company, for an undisclosed amount. 

💰 Maurten, the Swedish sports nutrition company known for its patented hydrogel technology, closed a €20 million ($21.7 mn) capital funding round led by international growth equity fund Iris Ventures. 

Global Sports Tech Ecosystem Report 2024!

📢 Have you read the full Global SportsTech Ecosystem Report 2024 yet?

An investment overview and trend analysis of 3 geographies - North America, Europe & Asia-Pacific; along with the top Innovators & Startups.

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