Startup Rise America News’ Post

In 2023, sports tech racked up over $37 billion in M&A and financing deals, according to Drake Star. That’s a ton of momentum, especially with 790 private financing deals—up from 752 last year—driven mainly by early-stage companies. Sure, the competition for funding is tougher now than it was a few years back, but that hasn’t stopped exciting new ventures from popping up. Just look at Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier's 3-on-3 league, Unrivaled, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy's TMRW Sports, and the sports-betting content platform SoBet. With so many fresh ideas in play, the sports industry is set for an exciting future! #VentureCapital #Startup #SportsInvestments

Estonian Scorestars raises €725K to expand their fan engagement platform to new markets Scorestars, a Tallinn-based basketball fan engagement platform, recently secured €725K in a seed funding round led by Trind Ventures, Startup Wise Guys, 3 Comma Capital SCR, SA, and Estonian angel investors. The platform enables fans to collect digital cards of their beloved athletes and participate in a fantasy game, offering prizes from VIP experiences to gadgets. With the funding, Scorestars plans to expand its operations to new markets, execute marketing campaigns, and recruit talent to solidify its position as the go-to “second screen” for sports fans, aiming to engage a younger audience by providing real-life experiences as rewards and amplifying the platform’s voice in the sports community. https://lnkd.in/dft2iCJp #balticmade #estonia #funding #sportstech #fantasysports #sportsfanplatform #startups #trending

"15 sports startups raised millions through their pitch decks, showcasing the booming opportunities in the sports industry. From tech innovation to sports betting, the market is ripe for disruption. Check out the key takeaways and insights from their successful funding rounds. #SportsStartups #PitchDecks #FundingSuccess"

Ashley Rodriguez and I reached out to top sports VCs and other investors asking for two promising startups — one they've invested in and one they haven't. We compiled a list of 25 startups innovating in sports, from companies developing AI for pro teams to fledgling leagues to hormone testing that could help female athletes. They're changing the game in media, betting, venue security, memorabilia, and more. Read the full list for Business Insider: https://lnkd.in/ezfuQ3Kt

Technology is changing how leagues/teams operate and how fans consume sports. And the money is following great ideas. In 2023, the sports tech sector saw $37B in deals and $7B in new money raised for investment funds. 2024 will probably be another strong year of funding as well. But raising capital as a founder isn't for the faint of heart. It takes: - Persistence - Persuasion - Product - Patience - Passion (Plus a great pitch deck) Check out these 17 sports startups and the pitch decks they used to raise millions from investors. #sportstech #sportsbusiness #investing

Quite a lot happened this week in sports tech! Let me fill you in: Accelerators/Incubators - StatusPRO was selected for Disney Accelerator’s 2024 class - Relay Ventures enters partnership with Future of Sport Lab (FSL) incubator to invest in select companies in FSL’s portfolio VC - Vibe.co raised $22.5M (Series A) - tvScientific raised $9.4M - GlycanAge raised $4.2M (Seed) - Tuned raised $3.2M (Seed) M&A - WBD are no longer in talks to acquire Paramount Global - Josh Harris and David Blitzer are closing sale of their minority stake in the Steelers - Reliance and Viacom18 merge with Disney’s Indian media businesses for $8.5B - GameSquare Holdings Inc. sells Complexity Gaming to founders for ~$10.4M Strategic Ventures - USADA and Epicore Biosystems partner to explore sweat collection for PED screening - Samsung unveils new Galaxy Ring - MVP Interactive launches AllPass, a web platform for internal ticketing solutions for sports teams - Sportradar will provide augmented streaming for sportsbook partners for the ATP tour We cover much more of the latest news and cutting edge innovations in sports tech in our recent newsletter, Check it out! 👇 https://lnkd.in/gGcata-m

sportstech sector growing in leaps and bounds.

#WashU startup TossUp is revolutionizing the social sports betting experience. We chatted with founders Adam Haiken (BU ’24) and Max Williams (LA ’24) to learn how they are making sports betting a fun, social, and interactive experience. Check out their Startup Spotlight on our blog! https://lnkd.in/g5CpYE6q #SkandalarisCenter #Startup #WashUStartup #Entrepreneurship

🚀 Exciting developments in the Sportstech world this month by SportsTechX! Here are 6 key insights: 1️⃣ Investment Landscape: While there's a 70% dip in deal size, the number of funded companies surged by 58.8% in Feb. M&A activity doubled, led by the $750m acquisition of DraftKings Inc. with Jackpocket. The trend echoes the 'year of consolidation' we've observed in 2023. 2️⃣ Global Hub: North America continues to dominate, contributing 78% of the funding and all M&A transactions. The region remains a powerhouse in the Sportstech arena. 3️⃣ Sector Equality: Funding evenly split at 44%-45% between 'For Fans' and 'For Athletes' solutions, demonstrating a balanced focus across these crucial segments. 4️⃣ Top Deals: @Monkey-tilt bags $21 million for their Crypto-enabled gambling/Fantasy sports platform, while DraftKings Inc. steals the spotlight with the $750 million acquisition of Jackpocket. 5️⃣ Investor Buzz: A noteworthy 6.3% uptick in investor participation from January, with 68 investors joining the sports tech funding rounds. Key mentions include Courtside Ventures, NBCUniversal & Comcast SportsTech's accelerator, Omidyar Network India, Lebron James, TitletownTech and other investors. Noteworthy is Bengaluru, India's Curefit - house of cult, with 10 investors (15% of the 68 mentioned) actively contributing to their substantial $10m "Series F" round. Find a list of all the investors here - https://lnkd.in/gj9BYcjU. 6️⃣ Tech Trends: Dive into the tech behind the numbers! Mobile apps lead at 33%, followed by 15% leveraging AI/ML applications, 11% as SaaS providers, and 7% exploring XR (Mixed Reality) technologies. Looking at the sector breakup and tech trends, these stats help us see where investors have been interested this month. Don't miss out on the Monthly Roundup Interactive dashboard! 📊 Check it out for yourself and interact with the charts, gaining a firsthand experience of SportstechX's dynamic database. https://lnkd.in/ggZekrBh Our opinions matter! Feel free to share your insights and engage in the comment section – I'm always eager to learn and understand different perspectives. 🌟💬 Let's keep the Sportstech momentum rolling! 🚴♂️💨 #SportstechX #TechTrends #InvestmentInsights #sports 🚀

Hot off the presses: Business Insider's list of sports startups to watch! Margaret Fleming and I asked top investors across the industry to nominate the most promising early-stage companies in sports right now. They came back to us with companies ranging from gambling to ticketing to health. Several use AI and machine-learning technologies, and others are emerging sports leagues that have attracted celebrity backers. Some aren't what you'd traditionally think of when you hear "sports." But they all highlight emerging trends across the space that we expect you'll hear more about in 2024 and beyond. Check out the list here: https://lnkd.in/dnZbbS-k